Don't Worry, He Won't Get Far on Foot

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Don't Worry, He Won't Get Far on Foot
DontWorryOfficialPoster.jpeg
Theatrical release poster
Directed byGus Van Sant
Screenplay byGus Van Sant
Story by
Based onDon't Worry, He Won't Get Far on Foot
by John Callahan
Produced by
  • Charles-Marie Anthonioz
  • Mourad Belkeddar
  • Steve Golin
  • Nicholas Lhermitte
Starring
CinematographyChristopher Blauvelt
Edited by
  • Gus Van Sant
  • David Marks
Music byDanny Elfman
Production
companies
Distributed byAmazon Studios
Release dates
  • January 19, 2018 (2018-01-19) (Sundance)
  • July 13, 2018 (2018-07-13) (United States)
Running time
114 minutes[1]
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish
Budget$3.5 million[2]
Box office$4.2 million[3]

Don't Worry, He Won't Get Far on Foot is a 2018 American comedy-drama film directed by Gus Van Sant and based upon the memoir of the same name by John Callahan.[4] The cast includes Joaquin Phoenix, Jonah Hill, Rooney Mara, and Jack Black, and follows a recently paralyzed alcoholic who finds a passion for drawing off-color newspaper cartoons.

The film had its world premiere at the Sundance Film Festival on January 19, 2018, and was released on July 13, 2018, by Amazon Studios.

Plot[]

Alcoholic cartoonist John Callahan meets Dexter at a party, and the two get in a car. Dexter's drunk driving results in a car accident, which leaves John quadriplegic. John falls in love with Swedish physical therapist Annu, who treats him at the hospital and later becomes his girlfriend. After he quits drinking with help from his Alcoholics Anonymous sponsor Donnie, John builds a new life, drawing off-color newspaper cartoons.

Cast[]

Production[]

Originally, Robin Williams had optioned the book and invited Gus Van Sant to adapt it.[5] On November 29, 2016, it was announced that actor Joaquin Phoenix was teaming with director Van Sant for the biographical film of cartoonist John Callahan, based on Callahan's autobiography Don't Worry, He Won't Get Far on Foot.[6] Charles-Marie Anthonioz, Mourad Belkeddar, and Nicolas Lhermitte would produce the film for Iconoclast, and Steve Golin for Anonymous Content.[6]

In December 2016, Rooney Mara and Jonah Hill joined the cast of the film.[7] Hill considers his performance in the film to be the best of his career.[8] In February 2017, Jack Black joined the cast of the film.[9] In March 2017, Mark Webber and Angelique Rivera joined the cast of the film.[10][11] Principal photography began on March 6, 2017 and concluded on April 6, 2017.[12][13] The film was shot by Christopher Blauvelt.[14]

Release[]

Van Sant (left) and Phoenix promoting the film at Berlin International Film Festival.

In March 2017, it was confirmed Amazon Studios would distribute the film.[15] It had its world premiere at the Sundance Film Festival on January 19, 2018[16][17] and also screened at the Berlin International Film Festival on February 20, 2018.[18] It was scheduled to be released on May 11, 2018,[19] then was pushed back to July 13, 2018.[20]

Reception[]

On review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes, the film has an approval rating of 77% based on 190 reviews, with an average of 6.6/10. The website's critical consensus reads, "Don't Worry, He Won't Get Far on Foot avoids inspirational biopic clichés thanks to sensitive work from writer-director Gus Van Sant and the admirable efforts of a well-chosen cast."[21] On Metacritic, the film has a weighted average score of 67 out of 100, based on 39 critics, indicating "generally favorable reviews".[22]

David Rooney of The Hollywood Reporter gave the film a positive review, writing: "This unwieldy but consistently enjoyable portrait of paraplegic local hero John Callahan is notable for its generosity of spirit and gentleness".[23] Peter Debruge of Variety gave the film a positive review, calling it a "life-affirming sweet-and-sour concoction" and writing, "Some will find it entirely too sentimental, others a tad repetitive (Callahan tends to repeat the same stories), but it’s hard to argue with a movie that celebrates the kind of recovery he went through."[24]

References[]

  1. ^ "Don't Worry, He Won't Get Far on Foot". Sundance Film Festival. The Sundance Institute. Retrieved December 13, 2017.
  2. ^ Jim Hemphill (July 8, 2018). "Joaquin Phoenix and Gus Van Sant's Big Step Forward in Don't Worry, He Won't Get Far On Foot". MovieMaker. Retrieved October 13, 2018.
  3. ^ "Don't Worry, He Won't Get Far on Foot (2018)". Box Office Mojo. IMDb. Retrieved October 13, 2018.
  4. ^ Charlie David Page (10 September 2018). "SWITCH. | Film review: Don't Worry, He Won't Get Far On Foot - A biopic void of humanity". SWITCH. Retrieved 10 September 2018.
  5. ^ IndieWire (January 27, 2018). "Gus Van Sant discusses "Don't Worry, He Won't Get Far on Foot" at IndieWire's Sundance Studio". YouTube. Retrieved July 12, 2018.
  6. ^ a b Kroll, Justin (November 30, 2016). "Joaquin Phoenix, Gus Van Sant Eye Reunion for Biopic on Famed Cartoonist John Callahan (EXCLUSIVE)". Variety. Penske Business Media. Retrieved December 1, 2016.
  7. ^ Kroll, Justin (December 16, 2016). "Jonah Hill, Rooney Mara in Talks to Join Joaquin Phoenix in Gus Van Sant Film (EXCLUSIVE)". Variety. Penske Business Media. Retrieved March 6, 2017.
  8. ^ Jonah Hill Says Nobody Saw His Best Performance Because ‘Amazon F*cked Up’ Releasing It
  9. ^ McNary, Dave (February 15, 2017). "Jack Black in Talks to Join Joaquin Phoenix in Gus Van Sant's John Callahan Biopic". Variety. Penske Business Media. Retrieved March 6, 2017.
  10. ^ Kroll, Justin (March 2, 2017). "Mark Webber Joins Joaquin Phoenix in Gus Van Sant's John Callahan Biopic". Variety. Penske Business Media. Retrieved March 6, 2017.
  11. ^ McKenzie, Asia (March 6, 2017). "SOTD alumna Angelique Rivera joins Joaquin Phoenix in Gus Van Sant's new biopic". In the Loop. University of Florida College of the Arts. Retrieved March 14, 2017.
  12. ^ "Film Productions". My Entertainment World. Archived from the original on March 21, 2017. Retrieved March 6, 2017.
  13. ^ Iconoclast TV (April 6, 2017). "And It's a Wrap