Old Joy (2005)

85% of critics liked it
(85 reviews)
74% of users liked it
(4,961 ratings)

Old Joy is writer/director Kelly Reichardt's long-awaited follow-up to her revered but underseen 1994 feature debut, River of Grass. (She directed a couple of shorts in the interim, including Ode, a Super-8 film inspired by the song "Ode to Bill.") Daniel London and cult folksinger Will Oldham star… More Old Joy is writer/director Kelly Reichardt's long-awaited follow-up to her revered but underseen 1994 feature debut, River of Grass. (She directed a couple of shorts in the interim, including Ode, a Super-8 film inspired by the song "Ode to Bill.") Daniel London and cult folksinger Will Oldham star in the film as two old friends who go on a camping trip to a hot springs in the Cascade mountain range of Oregon. London's Mark is the responsible one with the modest house, the wife (who resents his gallivanting off), the dog (who comes along), and the baby on the way. He listens to Air America, and makes all the right liberal noises. Oldham's Kurt is the free-spirit type with the untamed facial hair and the junker car that looks more lived-in than vehicular. Kurt suggests the trip, and they take Mark's car. Kurt has the directions to the place, and they get lost ("I think we're somewhere...in the area") and spend the night at a garbage-strewn campsite, where they discuss their lives, and Kurt laments the apparent dissolution of their friendship. In the morning, they have breakfast in a diner, and Mark apologizes to Tanya (Tanya Smith) over the phone, explaining that he'll be home later than expected. In the daylight, they find the hot springs, and spend the afternoon quietly unwinding. Reichardt co-wrote Old Joy with Jonathan Raymond, adapting his short story, which was originally written as a collaboration with photographer Justine Kurland. It was shot (on Super-16) by Peter Sillen and features a soundtrack by Yo La Tengo. The film was selected by the Film Society of Lincoln Center and the Museum of Modern Art for inclusion in the 2006 edition of New Directors/New Films. ~ Josh Ralske, Rovi

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Rating, Runtime: Unrated, 1 hr. 13 min.
Directed By: Kelly Reichardt
Genres: Drama

In Theaters: Aug 25, 2006 Wide
On DVD: May 1, 2007
Studio: Kino International

Critic Reviews

Steve Murray, Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Old Joy may be built around a road trip, but it's also a movie about two roads -- and two souls -- diverging.
Robert Denerstein, Denver Rocky Mountain News
You may find yourself asking whether anything's going to happen. But for those who can tolerate a slow-brewing movie, [director] Reichardt's work provides sufficient rewards.
Lisa Kennedy, Denver Post
Subdued, artistic, with beautifully nuanced performances that are as true as they are often elusive of commercial triumph.
Colin Covert, Minneapolis Star Tribune
At just 76 minutes, Old Joy is a minimalist film, but illuminating, bittersweet, gentle and deeply alive.
John Monaghan, Detroit Free Press
The movie captures gorgeous mountain scenery with the simplicity of an Ozu film. It also benefits from the naturalistic performances.
Richard Nilsen, Arizona Republic
It plays for a scant 73 minutes, but if feels as long as a Wagner opera.
Josh Larsen, LarsenOnFilm
Interesting, but hardly the lo-fi triumph its reputation suggests.
Rob Gonsalves, eFilmCritic.com
There are no big revelatory moments. There's no cliched conflict. But don't make the mistake of then assuming that Old Joy has no drama.
Gabe Leibowitz, Film and Felt
With exquisite tenderness and delicacy, Old Joy fluidly captures the all-too-frequent occurrence of friends drifting apart as their lives branch off in different directions.
Cole Smithey, ColeSmithey.com
Annoying, blank, and bereft of any narrative arc "Old Joy" has nothing familiar or enchanting to recommend it.
Dennis Schwartz, Ozus' World Movie Reviews
The film is like a haiku that one can only interpret through their own experience.
Karina Longworth, Cinematical
A subtle, elegant meditation on friendship and identity in a cultural moment where honest cultivation of either is treated like a luxury.
Frank Swietek, One Guy's Opinion
A minimalist stroll not worth taking...but if Old Joy doesn't do much, at least it doesn't do it for very long.
Robert W. Butler, Kansas City Star
Reichardt's low-budget feature, shot in one weekend with a skeleton crew, quietly observes both men and passes judgment on neither. It's a minimalist masterpiece.
Rob Thomas, Capital Times (Madison, WI)
There are whispers of bigger themes present -- the changing nature of friendship, the co-opting of '90s "alternative" culture into the mainstream -- but, for the most part, much of what you get out of the film depends what you bring to it.
Josh Bell, Las Vegas Weekly
Some movies say a lot by saying little; Old Joy seems content to just stay quiet.
Philip French, Observer [UK]
A minimalist piece to be savoured like a good short story.
Nicholas Barber, Independent on Sunday
Like a Raymond Carver story, it seems nothing much at first sight, but its crystallised moment reveals further dimensions the more you muse on it.

Read all 18 critic reviews

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Featured Audience Ratings

Anthony L

The best way I can describe Old Joy is like this, at points in our lifetimes, our feelings change, simple feelings that effect the very core of what we are, it's part of our growth and development and sometimes it's not nice. Because it is often unpleasant, it's… More
The best way I can describe Old Joy is like this, at points in our lifetimes, our feelings change, simple feelings that effect the very core of what we are, it's part of our growth and development and sometimes it's not nice. Because it is often unpleasant, it's sometimes preferable that it be whispered in your ear, rather than shoved down your throat. Kelly Reichardt has depicted this perfectly in this short and gentle film. Even when very little is happening, there is always something nice to look at and Daniel London and Will Oldham play their parts with the subtlety and gentleness they require. I thoroughly enjoyed it and I'm looking forward to seeing more from Reichardt. I also now believe that every film should have a dog in it.
Reid V

This film was my first foray into the work of the well-respected Kelly Reichardt. If this film is any indication, I need to be ready for some serious introspection if I choose to go further. Although this film is very minimalistic, it tackles some pretty serious issues regarding the… More
This film was my first foray into the work of the well-respected Kelly Reichardt. If this film is any indication, I need to be ready for some serious introspection if I choose to go further. Although this film is very minimalistic, it tackles some pretty serious issues regarding the changing nature of friendships and the alienation that comes with growing old. It is a road picture in which the trip makes for a pretty interesting metaphor. No matter how you think a trip is going to turn out, there will always be some bumps in the road that you did not foresee. While some may be turned off by its languid pace, it is refreshingly and awkwardly honest. There are long stretches of silence between these characters and when they do converse, it is rather insipid dialogue. To capitalize on the emotional division between these two characters, Reichardt manages to keep these men in the same frame, but they couldn't seem any further apart. While a hearty dose of melodrama always spices up a good story, sometimes life isn't that way. In fact, silence far outweighs all of the words spoken in the world and it is interesting to see someone capture these moments in such a raw way. Am I eagerly awaiting this film's release on Blu-Ray? Of course not. But it is an honest look at friendship and something that isn't too often captured on film.
Walter M

[font=Century Gothic]"Old Joy" starts with Mark(Daniel London) enjoying a quiet day off with his very pregnant wife, Tanya(Tanya Smith), when his old friend, Kurt(Will Oldham), calls, asking him if wants to go hiking to a hot springs up in the mountains. Mark agrees and… More
[font=Century Gothic]"Old Joy" starts with Mark(Daniel London) enjoying a quiet day off with his very pregnant wife, Tanya(Tanya Smith), when his old friend, Kurt(Will Oldham), calls, asking him if wants to go hiking to a hot springs up in the mountains. Mark agrees and brings his dog with him. But while searching for their destination, they get lost and stop for the night...[/font] [font=Century Gothic][/font] [font=Century Gothic]"Old Joy" is a low-key exploration about how the times change and sometimes the people do not change along with them through the friendship of two men. Mark is expecting his first child, the biggest change in his life, soon to be his largest responsibility.(Smaller changes to his life involve the closing of a local used records store and his listening to talk radio which he may not have listened to before.) At the same time, Kurt is considering the job offer of a chef at a resort but otherwise his life still seems rudderless. The movie's main strength is its naturalness, not only in its settings but also its dialogue. [/font]
Robert F

Even more minimalistic than Reichardt's follow-up, Wendy & Lucy. Still, it was a satisfying experience.