DON’T WORRY, HE WON’T GET FAR ON FOOT – Review

Joaquin Phoenix as John Callahan and Jonah Hill as Donnie star in DON’T WORRY, HE WON’T GET FAR ON FOOT.

Gus Van Sant’s DON’T WORRY, HE WON’T GET FAR ON FOOT follows a man on a life-changing journey battling the alcoholism that led to an accident that puts him in a wheelchair, and along the way discovering a talent that gives him a direction in life. The film seems as much an admiration of Alcoholics Anonymous as anything but the man at the center of this darkly funny drama is not a fictional character. John Callahan was a counter-culture cartoonist who was a fixture of Portland, Oregon, until his death in 2010.  Callahan’s cartoons were noted for their irreverent dark-humor and were often compared to those of Gahan Wilson and Charles Addams. Callahan’s work won him a national following and loyal fans. But those fans expecting DON’T WORRY, HE WON’T GET FAR ON FOOT to be a biopic on the cartoonist likely will be frustrated, as this film focuses narrowly on a particular, albeit pivotal, point in Callahan’s life. The film feels like it is more about alcoholism than Callahan.

That said, DON’T WORRY, HE WON’T GET FAR ON FOOT does something to recommend it, which is the fine performance of Joaquin Phoenix as John Callahan. Actually, make that two fine performances, as Jonah Hill is outstanding (as well as nearly unrecognizable) as Donnie, Callahan’s AA sponsor. The film follows Callahan from his young adult drinking days, through his accident at age 21, and his recovery from the injury that left him a paraplegic and his adjustment to life in a wheelchair. The accident did not stop his drinking, and the film details that journey and his early days as a cartoonist.

Writer/director Gus Van Sant was once a cinematic shooting star, with films both popular and critically acclaimed like GOOD WILL HUNTING and ELEPHANT. In recent years, his reputation has fallen after a string of less effective indie films. DON’T WORRY, HE WON’T GET FAR ON FOOT is a step up, his strongest recent effort, although perhaps not strong enough to entirely reclaim his earlier standing. Still, it is a polished effort and a worthy film, if you let go of expectations of a biography, and a strong showcase for Joaquin Phoenix and Jonah Hill, who may get some attention come awards season.

The film’s title DON’T WORRY, HE WON’T GET FAR ON FOOT is the caption to one of Callahan’s cartoons, showing a stereotypical Western posse coming upon an empty wheelchair in the desert. The idea of being an outlaw evading authorities and also escaping his wheelchair are ideas that run through Callahan’s work, as well as the unexpected or startling. His unfiltered humor was often edgy and even sometimes offensive, which made his cartoons controversial even in his day but seems more so to modern eyes.

Phoenix plays Callahan with considerable charm and the cartoonist’s signature flaming red hair, speeding around the streets of Portland in his motorized wheelchair. He is hard to resist despite his self-destructive tendency, and it is easy to root for Callahan on his route to recovery and self-discovery. Phoenix captures both Callahan’s humor and his pain, the way he was haunted by being given up for adoption and his searing search for his birth mother, his lack of direction in life and his heavy drinking, and ultimately his unexpected discovery of his gift for cartooning and the redemption that brought.

Jonah Hill’s performance deserves attention, as the charismatic leader of the AA group. Donnie is wealthy, a hipster, blonde and gay. Hill, slimmer with long blonde hair and bearded, completely disappears into this character. Hill moves with a fluid grace and speaks with an ironic, knowing tone as the leader of this unlikely group. The strong supporting cast also includes Jack Black as drinking buddy Dexter, who was with Callahan when he had his accident, and Rooney Mara as Callahan’s Swedish girlfriend Annu. Jack Black is very good in his small role but Rooney Mara is largely wasted in the two-dimensional part of the girlfriend. Kim Gordon of Sonic Youth has a stronger presence as one of the people in Callahan’s AA group, playing an affluent country-club woman with a sometimes sharp tongue.

If one lets go of the idea of this being a biopic, the film is actually one of Gus Van Sant’s best recent efforts, well-constructed and perfectly paced, with an inspirational story that harkens back to his earlier GOOD WILL HUNTING. However, it is still a small film, a little gem, not a game-changing cinematic effort or a film likely to become a big popular hit. Still, Joaquin Phoenix’s performance, and Jonah Hill’s as well, are so good as to be awards-worthy, and should be remembered in the year-end award races, which alone makes the film worth seeing.

DON’T WORRY, HE WON’T GET FAR ON FOOT opens in St. Louis on Friday, July 27, at the Hi-Pointe and Plaza Frontenac theaters.

RATING: 31/2 out of 5 stars