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

[Captain Crunch]

Just realised someone's made a film of this excellent book.  Blurb from my local chutneyplex:

Joaquin Phoenix plays quadriplegic John Callahan – one of the 20th century's most vital and taboo-busting cartoonists - in Gus Van Sant's blissfully irreverent and defiantly sincere love letter to the strength of the human spirit.

After Portland slacker John Callahan (Phoenix) at the age of 21 nearly loses his life in a car accident, the last thing he intends to do is give up drinking. Alcoholic since his early teens, coming to terms with life as a quadriplegic does nothing to shake him out of his drunken stupor. But when he's encouraged into attending AA by his girlfriend Annu (Rooney Mara), he finds in group leader Donnie (an unrecognisable Jonah Hill) an unlikely inspiration. Discovering he has a gift for drawing edgy, politically incorrect newspaper cartoons that develop an international following, John finds himself granted a new lease of life.

Based on Callahan's own memoirs, brought to life through Joaquin Pheonix's terrific performance, this frank account of addiction and recovery is a tender, melancholy and hope-filled portrait of man who found the will to live through his art, despite life's limitations.

Looks like they've taken a bit of a sad approach and maybe lost some of the humour but you never know.

[Sin Agog]

Was this the project Robin Williams originally brought to Gus Van Sant years ago?  No doubt I'm going to spend the whole movie imagining him in Phoenix's role.  Not necessarily a bad thing...it could be like a fun little Final Fantasy-esque mini-game.

[Sebastian Cobb]

Saw this tonight, it was quite good. Although the ending almost felt like it had been truncated.

Jonah Hill was good in his supporting role as well, I'm enjoying seeing him in more serious things.

[wooders1978]

Watched it - good performances all round I thought but I lost interest at the end

[Sebastian Cobb]

I also sniggered to myself when Beth Ditto did the 'poor me' line because it just reminded me of Alan Johnson in Peep Show.

[Shoulders?-Stomach!]

If you can't put the plug in the jug, how can I trust you to be my main man in drawing loads of shite?

[SteveDave]

I liked this but I thought the narrative device of him giving a talk on the stage and then saying the same thing in a (slightly) different way would've been carried through the whole film but it was dropped quite quickly.

His wheelchair was fucking fast.