Joe the King Movie Review 1999

Undistinguished coming of age pic, set in the mid-'70s, about a boy caught up in violence. Fourteen-year-old Joe (Fleiss) and his older brother Mike (Ligosh) are subjected to the constant drunken abuse of their father Bob (Henry) and the indifference of their overworked mother Theresa (Young). Joe begins stealing to get by but his crimes gradually becomes less than petty. A troubled student as well, Joe is befriended by guidance counselor Len (Hawke), whose attempts to help only result in a stint for Joe in a juvie center. Slow-paced and developmentally challenged.

Distribution

CinemaNow, 4553 Glencoe Ave., Ste. 200, Marina Del Rey, CA 90292, URL: http://www.cinemanow.com, Remarks: Formerly known as Lions Gate Home Entertainment

Available on VHS, DVD
Running time 101 minutes.

Cast and Crew

Genres

Child Abuse, Teen Angst, Coming of Age, Bad Dads, Period Piece: 1970s, On the Rocks

Screenplay

Frank Whaley

Cast

Noah Fleiss, Val Kilmer, Ethan Hawke, Karen Young, John Leguizamo, Austin Pendleton, Max Ligosh, James Costa

Cinematography

Mike Mayers

Director

Frank Whaley

Music

Robert Whaley, Anthony Grimaldi

Producer

Trimark Pictures

Awards

Sundance 1999: Screenplay.