Jesus' Son (1999)

82% of critics liked it
(44 reviews)
82% of users liked it
(6,486 ratings)

In this independent drama, a young man tries to find himself in the early 1970s as he wades through a swamp of heroin addiction. FH (Billy Crudup) is a well-intentioned but weak-willed man whose propensity for messing up his life has earned him his nickname, short for "F--khead." FH's problems with… More In this independent drama, a young man tries to find himself in the early 1970s as he wades through a swamp of heroin addiction. FH (Billy Crudup) is a well-intentioned but weak-willed man whose propensity for messing up his life has earned him his nickname, short for "F--khead." FH's problems with drugs begin in earnest when he falls in love with Michelle (Samantha Morton), a beautiful but emotionally unsettled woman addicted to heroin. FH soon finds himself drawn to the needle, and the couple drifts from one incident to the next, some funny and some horrifying. Michelle rescues FH from overdoses on a few occasions, although their friend Wayne (Denis Leary) isn't so lucky. After a few years, Michelle becomes pregnant and has an abortion in Chicago shortly before leaving FH and journeying to Mexico. While heading South in hopes of finding her, FH falls into a relationship with an older woman, Mira (Holly Hunter), and becomes involved in an auto wreck; his brush with death, and the opportunity to save a child's life, lead him into rehab and a chance to straighten out his life. The American debut from New Zealand director Alison Maclean and based on the novel by Denis Johnson, Jesus' Son also features Dennis Hopper, Will Patton, and Jack Black. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi

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Rating, Runtime: R, 1 hr. 49 min.
Directed By: Alison Maclean
Written By: Elizabeth Cuthrell, Oren Moverman, David Urrutia
Genres: Drama

In Theaters: Jun 1, 1999 Wide
On DVD: Sep 19, 2000
Studio: Lions Gate Films

Critic Reviews

Michael Dequina, TheMovieReport.com
While one is able to get interested in FH's internal workings, it's more difficult to get too invested in his external actions--that is, on rare occasion he does act rather than react.
Prairie Miller, Long Island Press
Between a wasted world of heartland junkies and the dazed, private induced euphoria of one hopeful loser among them.
Emanuel Levy, EmanuelLevy.Com
The film uses dreamlike quality to evoke youth subculture of the 1970s, and Billy Crudup is perfectlt cast as a man who believes he possesses healing powers and wants to do good, but his attempts always end disastrously
Jeffrey M. Anderson, Combustible Celluloid
Manages to blend its stories together into a nearly seamless narrative, sliding dreamily from one episode to the next before we even realize we've gone.
Frank Swietek, One Guy's Opinion
Despite the occasional miscalculation and disappointing last half-hour, an estimable piece of work.
Jeffrey Overstreet, Looking Closer
When the film finds a note of bittersweet conclusion, I'm wondering why all these colorful threads remained so loose when they might have woven into an interesting story.

Read all 6 critic reviews

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Featured Audience Ratings

Coxxie M

We are all his sons asshole!
Michael G

Jesus' Son is a really fun and hysterical movie about the adventures of a dope fiend. Of course, finding the movie fun may be completely missing the point but then again I've always been a fan of the random humor which is served up in abundance here. The story's told… More
Jesus' Son is a really fun and hysterical movie about the adventures of a dope fiend. Of course, finding the movie fun may be completely missing the point but then again I've always been a fan of the random humor which is served up in abundance here. The story's told through a series of almost vignettes where the great cast (for the most part) only gets a few minutes to shine. The movie never glamorizes drug use but at the same time never really seems to go out of its way to not make it entertaining. If that makes any sense. Unfortunately, the movie (like most drug people I've known through the years) gets dull as hell once it sobers up. Which may or may not be the entire point of the movie. Great movie full of great moments with a great soundtrack.
Drew S

Jesus' Son does great things with its titular character, the mysteriously unnamed Fuckhead. He is immensely likable - check out that winning smile and the off-kilter, observant humor - but his behavior is reprehensible. He is an idiot, but the kind of idiot who you're so… More
Jesus' Son does great things with its titular character, the mysteriously unnamed Fuckhead. He is immensely likable - check out that winning smile and the off-kilter, observant humor - but his behavior is reprehensible. He is an idiot, but the kind of idiot who you're so close to that you want to help them rather than condemn them. The movie plays with your feelings toward FH, engaging you in a rollercoaster of frustration and pride. And when he gets hurt, it's like a punch to the gut. Billy Crudup's performance, in this way, is really remarkable. He oozes charisma and fun and gentle idiocy to the point where this film becomes a vignette in the life of that crackhead idiot you love to talk to at parties. Also notable is Samantha Morton, in a stunning, indelible performance brimming with risk. Michelle is a completely ugly character, but Morton sells her appeal against all odds.
Aaron N

See this for all of the supporting actors involved.