Jesus' Son (***1/2)
review by Joe Swanberg

My favorite films are the slow discoveries. The kinds of movies that reveal a little bit more to you each time you watch them. Alison Maclean's Jesus' Son has slowly worked it's way into my list of favorite films by revealing a little bit more to me each time I have watched it.

The seamingly mindless, simple story of boy named Fuck Head and girl named Michelle slowly turns into a philosophy for living the more I watch it. Billy Crudup narrates the tale of Fuck Head as he drifts through time and space trying to tell his story. It's easy to describe this film as the kind of movie where you meet lots of interesting characters and have some laughs along the way (and that's how I did describe it after the first time I saw it) but it is far more complex than that. I saw the film in the theatre during it's first run and dismissed it as a hip indie with some recognizable stars. What was I thinking? Thank goodness there is Roger Ebert to come along and gather all those little sleepers together for his annual Overlooked Film Festival. I saw Jesus' Son for the second time at Ebert's fest, and I fell in love with it. I had completely missed the beautiful love story between Fuck Head and Michelle, and the wonderful transformation that Fuck Head makes from the beginning of the film to the end.

The characters are real. They are alive in this film. I imagine that they are still out there somewhere walking around. They are definitely still alive in my head because I cannot stop thinking about the film. I listen to Billy Crudup's voice in my head and think of my favorite scenes and lines. I think of Dennis Hopper's character, who has been shot by each of his wives (once through the cheeks) looking at Fuck Head and saying, "Talk into my bullett hole and tell me everything is OK," and I want to watch the film again. This film has possessed my thoughts and I will always hold a special place for it. If you have not seen Jesus' Son then please go rent it, and if you have seen it, but were not impressed, please give it a second chance because it has become one of those special films that crept up on me and took me by surprise. This kind of film keeps me going until the next one comes along.

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