Amazon.com

Pete and Pete took an alternative rock approach to the family sitcom. In other words, this wasn't your dad's situation comedy. Is it any wonder so many alternative musicians, like Juliana Hatfield, the B-52’s Kate Pierson, R.E.M.’s Michael Stipe, and Blondie’s Debbie Harry flocked to the (fictional) town of Wellsville? Nor could independent film actors, like Richard Edson (Stranger Than Paradise), Martin Donovan (Saved!), and Steve Buscemi (Fargo), resist the allure of the appealingly offbeat Wrigley family.

Meet the Wrigleys: redheaded teenager Pete (Michael Maronna, Home Alone), redheaded elementary school student Pete (Danny Tamberelli, The Mighty Ducks) and his tattoo Petunia, Dad (Hardy Rawls), Mom (Judy Grafe)--and the metal plate in her head. First season cast members include Big Pete's almost-girlfriend Ellen (Alison Fanelli), Little Pete’s pal Natasha (Heather Matarazzo, Welcome to the Dollhouse), bus driver Stu (Damian Young), and Little Pete's personal superhero, Artie (Toby Huss), the strongest man in the world. Buscemi appears as Ellen’s dad in "Apocalypse Pete" and would return for another episode in the second season.

The first season followed three years of 60-second shorts. It features 12 adventures (eight regular episodes plus four specials). Highlights include "King of the Road," in which the Wrigleys battle for road trip supremacy, "Tool and Die," in which Big Pete learns not to judge a shop teacher by his cover, and "Hard Day's Pete," in which Little Pete forms the Blowholes with Syd Straw and Marshall Crenshaw. Then there's "Don't Tread on Pete," in which Little Pete utters the immortal line, "Is this guy pickin' your scabs the way he's pickin' my scabs?" The Adventures of Pete and Pete ran on Nickelodeon for three well-loved, much-missed seasons. --Kathleen C. Fennessy ... Read more

Reviews (45)

loving it. loving it! pete and pete is great! buy it!
This dvd of the Adventures of Pete and Pete is great! The commentary is awsome! expectly when the tell why they picked the 1st boy to fall asleep in nightcrawlers! Im watching it right now and its great! Picture quailty is great! the 2 disc dvd set has great artwork...i love the pic of mom's plate lol i cant wait til the 2nd season to come out! i will deffently buy it! every1 start buying this dvd...who knows nick might put ur fav show on dvd next! Little Pete looks sooo young in these dvds lol i thought he was like 5 lol he's 10! The mr. tasstee ep is on the dvd 2! thats 1 of my favs! BUY IT BUY IT BUY IT LOL

Brillant show - Picture quality not bad at all!
Some people are just so spoiled with DVD picture quality. I personally find the picture quality excellent and after reading others reviews I thought of not buying this. I took the risk and I bought it today and I don't know what people are complaining about? Like some other person said, it has tv quality, but the colors are bright and clear and it looks very good. There is no grain whatsoever.

Also, the most important thing is the show itself and it is brillant! I'm 25 and I remember loving this show when I was 12. The stories contstantly keep you interested and they are far from predictable.

Oh, and last and certainly not least. Artie "the strongest man of the World" rules!

A Blast From The Nick Past- Part 2
It's me again. I said last time how much I loved Pete & Pete when I was younger, and I wasn't kidding. This was one of my most favorite shows and I can't wait to see it again...and again...and again. It's on DVD now, you know. Also I got a copy of the Polaris CD "Music From The Adventures of Pete & Pete" and it has become one of my all time favorite albums. It's great to hear all the shows top songs like it's theme "Hey Sandy" and "She Is Staggering". Wow, what a flashback! And get this you guys, Nick/Paramount are planning on releasing more of our old favorites in a speacial set called The Rewind Collection. They will include: Clarissa Explains It All (already released), Solute Your Shorts, and my other two personal favorites Are You Afraid of the Dark? and You Can't Do That On Television. Yes, Finally!!! Also, another reviewer was wondering how many specials there are in this series. Ther are 34 regular half-hour episodes (8 in first season and on this DVD), 30 specials (4 available on this DVD) and 2 shorts (both available on this DVD). So I hope that helps dude. Til next time.

at last...a pete and pete dvd
I have been waiting so long for The Adventures of Pete and Pete to be released on DVD. If you were/are a fan of this show then this DVD is a must have. It is my all time favorite show and appeals to my sense of humor perfectly. It has unique story lines, great cameos, wonderful music, talented actors...everything you could ask for in a show. Now I can wait until they release more episodes!

Nostalgia for the Generation X'ers (and Y'ers, I guess haha)
I recently purchased The Adventures of Pete and Pete.And within no time, I watched the 12 episodes included on this DVD.As everyone knows, the video quality is sub-par, but to have this show on DVD is something I am extremely thankful for.

The episodes have aged very well.There are not many shows that you can enjoy now that you enjoyed when you were a child.Like the Simpsons, The Adventures of Pete and Pete has laughs on many levels.Kids and adults can laugh and enjoy these episodes.I do recommend more than one viewing of each episode to see the small jokes/funny dialogue in this show.

At the time of me watching when I was a child, I hardly knew of all the cameos of celebrities included.Michael Stipe as an ice cream man?Hunter S. Thompson as a New Years Eve partier?Steve Buscemi as Ellen's dad?The list goes on!This truly was a special show.

The soundtrack by Polaris was wonderful.Their music complements all the sentimental and exciting parts of the show. "She is Staggering", which closes out almost all of the shows is one of my favorite songs ever.

I do think that if you have NEVER seen the show, the humor will be weird and foreign at first, but eventually will be some of the most genius work captured on a "kids" DVD.It's only sad that there are two more seasons remaining.I need more! ... Read more

Amazon.com

It was a short but sweet fifth season for Sex and the City, as HBO's resident comediennes found themselves affected by forces beyond their control--the pregnancies of both Sarah Jessica Parker (Carrie) and Cynthia Nixon (Miranda). A truncated shooting schedule to accommodate the actresses forced this season to be reduced to a mere eight episodes, and indeed, you can tell both actresses are expecting. (Carrie's wardrobe became more outlandish and more concealing than usual.) Still, the actresses and creators forged ahead, creating a handful of episodes that if short in content were long on emotion and laughs. Whereas the fourth season found all four grappling with various relationships, the fifth season focused on the perils of being single, with a new intensity lacking in the previous sexcapades. Carrie and Miranda wrestled with their solitary lifestyles, albeit with new attachments--Miranda had new baby Brady and single motherhood, while Carrie found herself in the world of publishing as the author of a real-life book of her columns. Charlotte (Kristin Davis) wondered if she'd ever find another man, while Samantha (Kim Cattrall) finally got rid of the one that had been vexing her far too much, hotelier Richard (James Remar). If the season as a whole felt less than the sum of its parts, those parts were some of the best comedy in the show's history, from Samantha's anointment as the "Michiko Kakutani of vibrators" to Carrie's stressful, one-degree-from-fiasco book launch party. (And fear not, Chris Noth's Mr. Big does pop up now and again.) The season's climactic episode, "I Love a Charade," found all four at the straight wedding of a seemingly gay pal (Nathan Lane) and contemplating their future with a wry, bemused tone. It was one of the series' best episodes ever, equally touching and funny, and grounded the show in an emotional maturity that announced that after all their wild travails, these women had truly grown up. --Mark Englehart ... Read more

Reviews (189)

8 episodes same price as 24
Ok, the folks at HBO publishing are getting greedy. Season 5 was only 8 episodes. So in HBO's infinite wisdom they decided to charge us fans the same list price as a 24-episode season, with no extras worth mentioning. (However they do split it up onto 2 DVD's to make you think you're getting more for your money.)
While the shows are great I have to ding this season with 3 stars because of the blatant disregard for loyal consumers.
In season 5 we have Carrie being free and single, Miranda dealing with the baby and Steve, Samantha dealing with Richard, and Charlotte in life after Trey.
If you're a junky/collector I guess you'll end up purchasing it like me, otherwise send a message to HBO and just rent it.

Sex and The City Season 5 Short but sweet
I like the zillions of others across the world am a huge fan of Sex and The City. Not having HBO, I discovered the series through word of mouth and then via rentals at the video store. Season 5 was short but sweet and with the pregnancies of both Cynthia Nixon and Sarah Jessica Parker, was there much more that the producers could do than offer up eight episodes?! What if they had decided no season at all? God we'd have all been in mini therapy groups! So let's not complain and take what we can get girls cuz eight episodes were better than nothing! WHERE MY CHIEF COMPLAINT does come in is the exorbitantly high price of the DVD set. Come on HBO lighten up a bit! Two discs with only four episodes on each can surely be priced @ $15-$20 tops! As for me,since I've rented season five on DVD, I'll wait until the passing of time and the eventual lower price I'll find in a used copy.

Too expensive!!!!!!!
I am not rating this season low because of content--the content was excellent--and I realize that the pregnancies of Sarah Jessica and Cynthia are unavoidable...but come on! Don't charge us all the same price for less than half of the normal number of episodes!!!

Review on SATC--the MATERIAL--free of whining about $$
I really like Sex in the City. I feel sad that no one has even TRIED to duplicate it--I know full duplication can't be done but since it's leaving I would even have settled for some decent knockoffs of the show (laughter). In no other show/film have sex and relationships from the point of view of women been explored this frankly--it will probably never happen again-at least not in my lifetime. I am in the middle of watching the fifth season. I'm enjoying it. We have all watched these four women for four years now. Are they supposed to remain unchanged in any way for that long? Shouldn't they have different changes and challenges in their lives? I will admit that the fifth season did not come as close to perfection as the others did. (Has your work been almost perfect consistently everyday in everyway 365 days a year for 4 straight years? Mine hasn't-it's called being human.) Season Four in my opinion is still an essential for anyone who really connects with this one-of-kind series. Being that I respect the brave work of this ground-breaking show and because this format is supposed to review the material and the work--(...) Also don't you find it amazing the things people put their passion and rage behind? Homeless mothers who need health care for their children express this level of passionate anger about overpriced prescription drugs-however a person ranting about the cost of a HBO sitcom on DVD-and going on and on like some of these people have here?? I tend to wave that off as "You have some serious issues and buying SATC is probably the least of your problems" Some reviews can be dismissed right away like the ones from misogynists who obviously just hate to see independent women having fun and enjoying sex/relationships/career in the free-wheeling way men always have. They secretly want all women to be like Afghan women were under the Taliban. (...). (...)

We can be so hard on celebs. We love them yet we hate then and we are ultra critical of them. Lastly, I again want to remind you, dear reader, to consider the source and look up any info you can find on a reviewer and weigh that against whatever they write. Also take totally anonymous reviews with a big grain of salt. And again...I enjoyed the fourth season of Sex In The City even with it imperfections!

Sex and the City meets the average girl
As a devotee of Sex and the City, I never wanted to admit that anything was wrong with the show... until I saw Season 5. A lot of people will say that Season 5 is what's wrong with SATC, but I say that Season 5 is what's RIGHT about the show! Season 5 is the most realistic of all six seasons. Playfully dubbed "the season without men" by the show's writers, there are very few long-term (or short-term, for that matter) relationships for the women in this season. Until Season 5, the women of SATC have gone through a seemingly endless string of semi-serious to serious relationships without any real examination of what and who the women are without men. This season forces all of the women to show their true colors without men. Even Samantha's antics are toned down and used more to expose who she is rather than what she does.

Many fans complained that Season 5 wasn't funny enough. Not enough men, not enough sex. Real single women know that Season 5 was the closest of all the seasons to what all of us experience in our daily lives - loneliness, good friends, occasional romantic connections, and a lot of "in between". Season 5 isn't "filler" or a poor season - its real life. Fans of the show who don't enjoy this season are, perhaps, happy to forget about their own lives while following those of Carrie, Charlotte, Miranda and Samantha. I prefer to think of the women of SATC as myself and my friends - and Season 5 proves that they are. ... Read more

Description

This hilarious look at dating, mating and relating in New York is "a thinking person's sitcom, brutally honest and hilariously funny." - The San Francisco Examiner. Can women have sex like men? What's it like to date someone younger? And what is "The Rabbit"? Find out in "Sex And The City."

(c) 2003 Home Box Office.All rights reserved.HBO(r) and Sex And The City(r) are service marks of Home Box Office, Inc. ... Read more

Reviews (236)

Sophisticated & Fun: Loved It!
This must have been great Cable-TV when it was on HBO, to which we don't subscribe. It's even better in the DVD version. High quality resolution AND surround sound via DVD make this a must-see for intelligent, sophisticated viewers who don't find much to satisfy on standard network TV.

In fact, if even movies were this good, we'd be going all the time! The writing is superb, as is the acting, sets and fast-paced story line. If you've ever lived, as a single, in a large urban city and were remotely involved in the 'dating game', then you'll be able to relate to the characters. While mostly women, there are enough male characters for both sexes to connect with the 'dating game' and its ups and downs-- and the characters' ambitions, loves, fears and shared joys. Now I know why there has been so much "buzz" about this series... It's a totally sexy, hip romp! (Note: this is defintely not something that "Christian Coalition" types will admit to liking....!)

A great collection of one of the best shows on TV
Sex And The City and HBO are the only reasons I keep that too-expensive premium cable package. Sex And The City makes it worth it. I only started watching this funny and strike-a-chord series this summer and don't know why I waited so long. Fortunately, you can catch up instantly on the first season and second seasons on video/DVD. Each season has 12-18 episodes, and they're like an amazing batch of chocolate chip cookies. You will not be able to stop and you will not be bored, even if you go through the entire season in one sitting. It left me wanting more. The characters' through-it-all friendship will have you appreciating your own tried and true friends. Carrie, Charlotte, Miranda and Samantha are all likable, real, complex, funny and a pleasure to spend one or eighteen episodes with. If you've been a single woman for more than six seconds, you'll also appreciate the bewildering and recognizable behavior of the men in these friends' lives. New York City as the vibrant backdrop makes the show even more watchable. Interestingly, a male writer wrote several of the episodes, so clearly, there are some good ones out there. And guys, I know several men who are surreptitiously hooked, also ... for any men out there who'd like to know what women think and talk about when they're on their own ... here are all our secrets spilled. I recommend this great series to everyone.

The beginning.
The first season was just ok, it had more of an unfocused feel to it. The show also had more of a grainier texture to it. The first season really doesn't deal with relationships that much, it focuses mostly on random dating, which makes it hard to get a reading on these women aside from their generic label (the sexually adventurous one, the cynic, the uptight one). Only SJ Parkers character is explored deeper, even though her character is mostly negative, self-absorbed, neurotic and prone to relationship sabotage. As for people who critize SJP looks, she isn't supposed to be a model she's supposed to be a normal woman who is comfortable with her looks, a woman normal women can relate to. Overall an ok season. EP

PSEUDO-INTELLECTUAL DRIVEL!
(...)This reveals exactly why the terrorists hate our country. Shallow, materialistic, decadent, pseudo-intellectual drivel. I remember hearing one sentence of the show (before throwing the tv out the window) where the main character said "I finally realized" followed by some pseudo-existential "witticism" with a straight(dumb)face. The only positive aspect of this show is to teach kids to stay in school.

Fresh and fabulous
I got into this series when it was almost over and can recommend it. Yes, it's explicit at times so beware of that, but it's fresh and fun and most importantly absolutely fabulous. The characters are all played wonderfully by this cast and the stories have you chatting later about it with your friends saying things like "GEEZ, I'd never put up with that" etc. Depending on your favorite character as a woman it's easy to find yourself in one of the cast.

LOVE THIS SERIES! ... Read more

Reviews (27)

Knife in the head = a stabbing headache
As "Jesus' Son" began, I braced myself for yet one more depressing character study of low-life, substance-addicted losers a la "Panic In Needle Park", "Barfly", "Sid and Nancy" or "(insert name of your favorite Gus van Sant film here)". However,as the movie unfolded I realized that I was watching the kind of subtle yet picaresque tale that has been MIA in American cinema since the 70's..."Scarecrow", "Two-Lane Blacktop", "Rancho Deluxe", etc. The chameleon-like Billy Crudup scores as the chronically underachieving antihero, delivering his first-person voiceover in a non-linear "verite" style. Samantha Morton ("Sweet & Lowdown") gives a notable performance as Crudup's enabling junkie girlfriend. The irrepressible Jack Black continues his reign as the Thinking Man's Chris Farley with a memorable turn as a manic,pill popping hospital orderly with interesting ideas about "prepping" patients. Great cameos abound, including a virtually unrecognizable Denis Leary (who for once goes a little deeper than just playing himself). Quite rewarding for patient viewers.

A Drugstore Cowboy for the '00s
It's hard to believe that Drugstore Cowboy was released as long ago as 1989. Just as Trainspotting was described as a "Drugstore Cowboy for the '90s", it's tempting to describe Jesus' Son as a "Drugstore Cowboy for the '00s". Like Gus Van Sant's now-classic film, the story revolves around two heroin addicts (Billy Crudup and Samantha Morton, both excellent), it's set in the somewhat recent past (the '70s instead of the '60s) and it's based on a previously existing literary source; in this case, Denis Johnson's short story collection of the same name. But despite everything -- mostly bad -- that "FH" (Crudup) experiences throughout the course of the film, Jesus' Son is more of a character study (Crudup also serves as the narrator). Some may still find it just as off-putting as Drugstore Cowboy, which didn't seem to judge its characters. But Jesus' Son isn't as concerned with FH's drug use as much as his very character, his nature -- his "essence", if you will. And if you can't find anything to love about the hapless FH, you'll probably feel the same way about Alison Maclean's striking film (after the well received, but little seen Crush). As in High Fidelity, Jack Black provides much of the humor, although Crudup proves himself surprisingly adept at comedy in a few choice moments. Dennis Hopper, Denis Leary and Holly Hunter (in a well acted, but not particularly convincing role) also star. Fans of The Panic in Needle Park (featuring Al Pacino in his first lead performance), Vincent Gallo's loopy Buffalo 66 and, especially, Drugstore Cowboy should find much to enjoy. Joe Henry's fine soundtrack only sweetens the deal, the highlight of which must surely be Tommy Roe's funky "Sweet Pea", to which Ms. Morton (as Michelle) does *quite* the dance, drawing FH into her dangerously compelling world without saying a word.

Sidenote: The Velvet Underground's "Heroin", in which Lou Reed proclaims that he feels "just like Jesus' Son" when he's "rushing on [his] run", isn't featured in either the film or on the soundtrack.

Dark laughter: tears: redemption
My first take on first viewing was: right, I want to watch a movie about some disgusting, sleazy, young idiots. The sex. The violence. The drugs. And then, you start to pay attention to the narrator's voice, and you begin to understand the intelligence, the attempt at a philosopy of life that lies behind the voice. And you laugh as a dead guy gets beat up in a corn field.
I own two movies--the other is John Huston's "The Dead". I only buy movies that have enough complexity in script, acting, and production, that you can watch over and over and still see new things.
This is a movie that changes gears on you constantly. One viewing will not suffice.
I still scream with laughter when I see it, and I still weep.

"Have your ticket in your hand...
. . .Before it is too late" ~ That line comes from the Woodie Guthrie tune, Airline To Heaven,(performed by Wilco)that plays over the end credits of Jesus' Son. It captures the flavor of this movie, & it sums up the blend of hope, loss, faith & acceptance of life ~ not only for drug guzzling "losers", but for any & everyone.

The late 60's/early 70's didn't exactly corner the market on lost weirdo's who found solace behind a substance-induced mask of happiness. One of my closest friends IS that character that Denis Leary plays ~ sometimes comical, sometimes tragic. Just like this movie.

Jesus' Son offers the really straight, by-the-numbers people a little insight into the people & lives that those folks usually avoid & disregard; "only bad people use drugs".

Not so.

It's also interesting to watch a movie that has character's using a variety of street drugs that was made at a time, currently, that is, when most young people in this culture have been heavily bombarded with anti-drug/"War On Drugs" propaganda, & have been steadily for about twenty yrs or so . . yet the story is of an era where that level of propaganda wasn't as pervasive & all encompassing as it is today.

Well, anyway, other people have already written better reviews of this than I could, or have, but I had to write something about this heartfelt little movie.
"Cheer up my brother, live in the sunshine, we'll understand it all by & by"

"I Feel Just Like Jesus' Son"
If you came of age (or nearly did) in the 60's, you may recall a moment--very likely sometime in the early 70's, unless you were extremely prescient and saw it coming earlier--when all the hippie idealism pretty much just dissolved before your eyes and was replaced by...well, whatever it was replaced by. I recall being actually kind of angry at all these small town stoners whose only countercultural value was, quite frankly, drug taking. Society was not about to undergo a profound spiritual transformation at their hands. Of course, it was scarcely about to at anyone else's either...but who knew back then?

Lost souls like JESUS SON'S "FH" were really not uncommon back in the day. They may not have been uncommon back in any day. But the 60s and early 70s brand was perhaps a little more noticeable and, in some senses, sympathetic because of their vaguely anti-establishment stance. For a brief moment in history, outcasts were almost taken seriously. These people really did exist. As surreal as JESUS' SON sometimes gets, it remains grounded in its very vivid, very authentic characters.

Yes, there were certain junkie truths that ultimately became cinematic cliches. The numrerous OD's, the failed love relationships and the sporadic attempts at redemption are all elements of JESUS' SON. And yet, they come across as less cliched in this particular druggie film than in some others. Perhaps it's because the acting is almost uniformly excellent--with leads, Billy Crudup and Samantha Morton, deserving of particular praise. Perhaps too it's, at least in part, because FH's ultimate redemption is a plausible one. Out of rehab, he gets a job in a different kind of rehabilitation center, a home for sufferers of rare neurological diseases. It is finally there that he realizes that there may indeed be a place in the world for people like him.

Many viewers will find the final, sobered up segment of the film a little weaker dramatically than the drug addled scenes that precede it. That's true, but the end is also something of a relief. FH would surely have joined the ranks of his fallen comrades in arms had it not been for rehab and the chance at a new life in a new city. It's the kind of ending you could call "bittersweet"--if you use terminology like that. It's also one of only two possible endings for someone like "FH"--and, like him, you're grateful for that much.

When I first heard of this movie, I immediately recognized the source of the title as being a line from Lou Reed's "Heroin." I was disappointed, at first, to see that that song was not incluced on the soundtrack. But on further reflection, that actually seemed the better choice. Lou Reed is the quintessetial urban poet. FH never even comes close to New York City or any other real metropolis. The Neil Young, Doug Sahm and Louvin Brothers tracks actually used in the film are actually more fitting. ... Read more

Description

In this darkly comic tale of seduction, wreaking havoc is Lane (Marcia Gay Harden, Academy Award winner POLLOCK, nominee for MYSTIC RIVER) whose reckless driving leaves her friend Christina hospitalized. Fleeing the scene, Lane then crashes into the lives of a novelist and his teenage daughter. First, she befriends the girl, and then seduces her father. ... Read more

Reviews (2)

twisted sleeper, great character portrait
I am surprised by the other review posted of this film. This was the full length feature debut by Kiwi film maker Allison Maclean who was first brought to attention with her short film "The Kitchen Sink." It is at all times a dark and emotional film, and even unnervingly humorous at some points. It fully delves into the complex and generally tenuous relationships between women. It shows the intense jealousy and rivalry that can co-exist with a fierce loyalty and comraderie all at once between two intelligent and successful women. While I have read reviews of this film that hint at a lesbian relationship between the two adult female leads, I never picked up on it, but did read a strong possiblity of that attraction between Lane (Hardin) and Angela (Bossley). I think the contrast of the good and evil in the established relationship between Lane and Christina, and then getting to see the evolution of both those elements through the development of the almost perverse friendship between Lane and Angela is fascinating. This film is a beautiful portrait of the conflicted relationships that exist between women in our modern society and the fact that there is a male sexual relationship thrown in is almost secondary and not comepletely necessary for the ultimate storyline. The bleak and harsh New Zealand back-drop is a perfect setting for this story as well.I own this film personally and can without a doubt recommend this for at least a pre-purchase veiwing. Also of note: Director Allison Maclean directed the first 2 episodes of HBO's Sex and the City

A thriller that never thrills
Limp, lackluster plot with uninspired acting and uninteresting characters.The only possible point of interest is Marcia Gay Harden of 'Miller'sCrossing.'She hasn't had many good parts other than that film, and thisisn't one of them. ... Read more

Description

"Jesus' Son" is the story of a young man's circuitous journey from drug dependency and petty crime to a life redeemed by his startling discovery of compassion. Set in the drug subculture of the 1970's, a young man in his twenties (Billy Crudup) careens through his days getting stoned, stealing, or scamming a quick buck. He is driven by an overwhelming desire to help those around him, to save them from their often sorry fates, but he repeatedly fails. Almost by a miracle, redemption does come to the young man. It sneaks up on him almost imperceptibly, through barely observed lessons learned from a colorful parade of characters who range from a crazed, pill-popping hospital orderly (Jack Black), a down-on-his-luck-divorcee (Denis Leary), to a half-paralyzed woman (Holly Hunter) who teaches him about love. Bit by bit, the young man stumbles towards sobriety and lands a job at an assisted living facility where he discovers the depths of his own compassion for others, and the grace that comes with it. ... Read more

Reviews (27)

Knife in the head = a stabbing headache
As "Jesus' Son" began, I braced myself for yet one more depressing character study of low-life, substance-addicted losers a la "Panic In Needle Park", "Barfly", "Sid and Nancy" or "(insert name of your favorite Gus van Sant film here)". However,as the movie unfolded I realized that I was watching the kind of subtle yet picaresque tale that has been MIA in American cinema since the 70's..."Scarecrow", "Two-Lane Blacktop", "Rancho Deluxe", etc. The chameleon-like Billy Crudup scores as the chronically underachieving antihero, delivering his first-person voiceover in a non-linear "verite" style. Samantha Morton ("Sweet & Lowdown") gives a notable performance as Crudup's enabling junkie girlfriend. The irrepressible Jack Black continues his reign as the Thinking Man's Chris Farley with a memorable turn as a manic,pill popping hospital orderly with interesting ideas about "prepping" patients. Great cameos abound, including a virtually unrecognizable Denis Leary (who for once goes a little deeper than just playing himself). Quite rewarding for patient viewers.

A Drugstore Cowboy for the '00s
It's hard to believe that Drugstore Cowboy was released as long ago as 1989. Just as Trainspotting was described as a "Drugstore Cowboy for the '90s", it's tempting to describe Jesus' Son as a "Drugstore Cowboy for the '00s". Like Gus Van Sant's now-classic film, the story revolves around two heroin addicts (Billy Crudup and Samantha Morton, both excellent), it's set in the somewhat recent past (the '70s instead of the '60s) and it's based on a previously existing literary source; in this case, Denis Johnson's short story collection of the same name. But despite everything -- mostly bad -- that "FH" (Crudup) experiences throughout the course of the film, Jesus' Son is more of a character study (Crudup also serves as the narrator). Some may still find it just as off-putting as Drugstore Cowboy, which didn't seem to judge its characters. But Jesus' Son isn't as concerned with FH's drug use as much as his very character, his nature -- his "essence", if you will. And if you can't find anything to love about the hapless FH, you'll probably feel the same way about Alison Maclean's striking film (after the well received, but little seen Crush). As in High Fidelity, Jack Black provides much of the humor, although Crudup proves himself surprisingly adept at comedy in a few choice moments. Dennis Hopper, Denis Leary and Holly Hunter (in a well acted, but not particularly convincing role) also star. Fans of The Panic in Needle Park (featuring Al Pacino in his first lead performance), Vincent Gallo's loopy Buffalo 66 and, especially, Drugstore Cowboy should find much to enjoy. Joe Henry's fine soundtrack only sweetens the deal, the highlight of which must surely be Tommy Roe's funky "Sweet Pea", to which Ms. Morton (as Michelle) does *quite* the dance, drawing FH into her dangerously compelling world without saying a word.

Sidenote: The Velvet Underground's "Heroin", in which Lou Reed proclaims that he feels "just like Jesus' Son" when he's "rushing on [his] run", isn't featured in either the film or on the soundtrack.

Dark laughter: tears: redemption
My first take on first viewing was: right, I want to watch a movie about some disgusting, sleazy, young idiots. The sex. The violence. The drugs. And then, you start to pay attention to the narrator's voice, and you begin to understand the intelligence, the attempt at a philosopy of life that lies behind the voice. And you laugh as a dead guy gets beat up in a corn field.
I own two movies--the other is John Huston's "The Dead". I only buy movies that have enough complexity in script, acting, and production, that you can watch over and over and still see new things.
This is a movie that changes gears on you constantly. One viewing will not suffice.
I still scream with laughter when I see it, and I still weep.

"Have your ticket in your hand...
. . .Before it is too late" ~ That line comes from the Woodie Guthrie tune, Airline To Heaven,(performed by Wilco)that plays over the end credits of Jesus' Son. It captures the flavor of this movie, & it sums up the blend of hope, loss, faith & acceptance of life ~ not only for drug guzzling "losers", but for any & everyone.

The late 60's/early 70's didn't exactly corner the market on lost weirdo's who found solace behind a substance-induced mask of happiness. One of my closest friends IS that character that Denis Leary plays ~ sometimes comical, sometimes tragic. Just like this movie.

Jesus' Son offers the really straight, by-the-numbers people a little insight into the people & lives that those folks usually avoid & disregard; "only bad people use drugs".

Not so.

It's also interesting to watch a movie that has character's using a variety of street drugs that was made at a time, currently, that is, when most young people in this culture have been heavily bombarded with anti-drug/"War On Drugs" propaganda, & have been steadily for about twenty yrs or so . . yet the story is of an era where that level of propaganda wasn't as pervasive & all encompassing as it is today.

Well, anyway, other people have already written better reviews of this than I could, or have, but I had to write something about this heartfelt little movie.
"Cheer up my brother, live in the sunshine, we'll understand it all by & by"

"I Feel Just Like Jesus' Son"
If you came of age (or nearly did) in the 60's, you may recall a moment--very likely sometime in the early 70's, unless you were extremely prescient and saw it coming earlier--when all the hippie idealism pretty much just dissolved before your eyes and was replaced by...well, whatever it was replaced by. I recall being actually kind of angry at all these small town stoners whose only countercultural value was, quite frankly, drug taking. Society was not about to undergo a profound spiritual transformation at their hands. Of course, it was scarcely about to at anyone else's either...but who knew back then?

Lost souls like JESUS SON'S "FH" were really not uncommon back in the day. They may not have been uncommon back in any day. But the 60s and early 70s brand was perhaps a little more noticeable and, in some senses, sympathetic because of their vaguely anti-establishment stance. For a brief moment in history, outcasts were almost taken seriously. These people really did exist. As surreal as JESUS' SON sometimes gets, it remains grounded in its very vivid, very authentic characters.

Yes, there were certain junkie truths that ultimately became cinematic cliches. The numrerous OD's, the failed love relationships and the sporadic attempts at redemption are all elements of JESUS' SON. And yet, they come across as less cliched in this particular druggie film than in some others. Perhaps it's because the acting is almost uniformly excellent--with leads, Billy Crudup and Samantha Morton, deserving of particular praise. Perhaps too it's, at least in part, because FH's ultimate redemption is a plausible one. Out of rehab, he gets a job in a different kind of rehabilitation center, a home for sufferers of rare neurological diseases. It is finally there that he realizes that there may indeed be a place in the world for people like him.

Many viewers will find the final, sobered up segment of the film a little weaker dramatically than the drug addled scenes that precede it. That's true, but the end is also something of a relief. FH would surely have joined the ranks of his fallen comrades in arms had it not been for rehab and the chance at a new life in a new city. It's the kind of ending you could call "bittersweet"--if you use terminology like that. It's also one of only two possible endings for someone like "FH"--and, like him, you're grateful for that much.

When I first heard of this movie, I immediately recognized the source of the title as being a line from Lou Reed's "Heroin." I was disappointed, at first, to see that that song was not incluced on the soundtrack. But on further reflection, that actually seemed the better choice. Lou Reed is the quintessetial urban poet. FH never even comes close to New York City or any other real metropolis. The Neil Young, Doug Sahm and Louvin Brothers tracks actually used in the film are actually more fitting. ... Read more