Themes: Families in Crisis, Fathers and Sons, Domestic Abuse
Main Cast: Noah Fleiss, Val Kilmer, Karen Young, Ethan Hawke, John Leguizamo
Release Year: 1999
Country: US
Run Time: 101 minutes
MPAA Rating: R
Plot
Actor Frank Whaley makes his directorial debut with Joe the King, a downbeat drama about a 14-year-old boy coming of age in an abusive and uncaring environment. When he was nine, Joe Henry (Noah Fleiss) lied to his friends about his father's job because he was ashamed that his father was the school janitor; in turn, he was humiliated in front of his class. Five years later, things are much worse; his father (Val Kilmer) has become a violent alcoholic who can't hold a job, while his mother (Karen Young) is harsh and unloving. Joe works illegally as a dishwasher to help support the family, but resorts to petty theft when it's clear his salary alone won't pay his father's debts. Eventually Joe attempts to steal the restaurant's cash box to get his father out of the red -- with tragic results. Whaley, who claims this story is "loosely autobiographical," assembled a strong cast for his first turn behind the camera, including Ethan Hawke, John Leguizamo, and Austin Pendleton. Joe The King premiered at the 1999 Sundance Film Festival. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
Austin Pendleton - Winston; Max Ligosh - Max Henry; James Costa - Ray
Credit
Mylene Santos - Art Director, Michael K. Johnson - Associate Producer, Shan Padda - Associate Producer, Kerry Barden - Casting, Billy Hopkins - Casting, Suzanne Smith - Casting, Kathy DeMarco - Co-producer, Richard Owings - Costume Designer, Joseph Ray - First Assistant Director, Frank Whaley - Director, Melody London - Editor, Miran Miosic - Editor, John Leguizamo - Executive Producer, Janet Grillo - Executive Producer, Robert Whaley - Composer (Music Score), Anthony Grimaldi - Composer (Music Score), Carol Sue Baker - Musical Direction/Supervision, Jonathan Hafter - Musical Direction/Supervision, Daniel Ouellette - Production Designer, Michael Mayers - Cinematographer, Scott Macaulay - Producer, Robin O'Hara - Producer, Jennifer Dewis - Producer, Lindsay Marx - Producer, David Alvarez - Sound Mixer, Carlene Tanner - Sound Recordist, Frank Whaley - Screenwriter
14-year-old Joe Henry (Noah Fleiss) has spent his life in an abusive household. His father Bob (Val Kilmer) is a raging violent alcoholic, while his mother, Theresa (Karen Young) feels too stressed to pay attention to him and lives in fear of getting caught in the path of her husband's wrath. His brother, about a year older, is normal and friendly, but offers no affirmative guidance. Joe is taunted by his classmates, and hassled by creditors about his father's mounting bills. To make matters worse, one night when Bob goes off the deep end and smashes all of records. In response to economic pressure, he takes a full-time job after school, leaving him tired and even less able to keep up with class work. Far worse, he becomes a petty thief to raise the money to pay Bob's bills and replace her records.
Failing in school, Joe is assigned a Guidance counselor Len Coles (Ethan Hawke), who, though reasonably friendly, is incompetent. (For example, in their first session, when Joe starts to talk about his problems, the counselor unthinkingly shuts him off). Disaster eventually strikes, and Joe faces the rest of his seemingly doomed life in doubt. Ironically, where he winds up next seems more like hope than tragedy. Perhaps a chance to get away from his horrible childhood and family.
Trivia
This film marks Frank Whaley's directorial debut. Whaley himself has referred to this movie as "semi-autobiographical." For the childhood of him and his older brother, Robert.
John Leguizamo was originally set to direct the film, but after being cast as Jorge as well as serving as executive producer, Frank Whaley stepped in as director as well as staying on as a producer.
Whaley has a director's cameo as one of the residents of the town Bob owes money to. He's the mustachioed man in the scene where Joe is watching his father being pushed and yelled at right near their home.
Val Kilmer gained a significant amount of weight for his role as an abusive alcoholic father.
Near the end of the movie where Henry is making an attempt to tell Joe how much he really cares, the lullaby music coming from the ice cream truck was unintentional. But Whaley liked the way it played in the scene, so he left it in.
