Based on a true story
Gus Van Sant (Milk) directs Joaquin Phoenix, Jonah Hill and Rooney Mara in this uplifting biopic on Portlandian artist John Callahan.
“John Callahan has a lust for life, a knack for off-color jokes, and a drinking problem. When an all-night bender ends in a catastrophic car accident, John wakes up to the reality of being confined to a wheelchair for the rest of his life. In his journey back from rock bottom, his honesty and wicked sense of humor turned out to be his saving grace, as he makes friends with an oddball AA group, finds that love is not beyond his reach, and develops a talent for drawing irreverent and sometimes shocking cartoons.” (Sundance Film Festival)
”Joaquin Phoenix and director Gus Van Sant raise the bar when they use roguish humor and bruising pain to color outside the box.” – Rolling Stones
”Director Gus Van Sant takes a dizzying approach to this biopic, using shifting timelines and an anarchic tone to tell Callahan’s story, though supporting actors like Black and Hill come out sharpest.” – Common Sense Media
