Gus Van Sant movies can be very accessible, or for select tastes only, and occasionally something very special (clearly the case with GOOD WILL HUNTING). His newest is DON’T WORRY, HE WON’T GET FAR ON FOOT, which stars Joaquin Phoenix as John Callahan, a man who nearly dies due to his alcoholism, but finds a new passion illustrating newspaper cartoons, which in turn find their own national following. The impressive cast also includes Jonah Hill, Rooney Mara and Jack Black. Phoenix and Hill especially seem almost unrecognizable here, but this looks like a pretty solid story. The story is penned by John Callahan and Gus Van Sant, adapted from Callahan’s autobiography. Take a look at the new trailer below and tell us your thoughts in the comments.
The last day Portland slacker John Callahan is able to walk, he wakes up without a hangover — because he’s still drunk from the night before. That night at a wild party he meets a wisecracking drinking buddy (Jack Black), who insists they leave for an even better party he knows about. But when his new friend dozes off at the wheel, John wakes up confined to a wheelchair with only partial use of his arms. Though he initially has no intention of getting sober, he reluctantly attends a 12-step meeting run by a charismatic and dedicated sponsor named Donnie (Jonah Hill) and reconnects with Annu (Rooney Mara), a therapist he met at the hospital. With their encouragement, John finds that love is not beyond his reach and discovers a hidden talent for drawing, channeling his playful personality into crude, politically incorrect — and often hilarious — cartoons, which develop a national following.