Joe the King (1999) User Reviews

Whaley attempts therapy on screen

[abyoussef · 7/10 · 7 August 2007]

By Dane Youssef

Frank Whaley's "Joe The King" has been called by the filmmaker himself "semi-autobiographical." And such a story about so much misery just makes to almost want to see it just to see how this guy got where he is today. It so damn downbeat, you have to ask yourself, "How will all this turn out? This poor boy... Is there a happy ending?"

Like lots of actor-helmed vehicles, this one's loaded with big name walk-ons, "Joe The King" is also chock-full of trite and truths to life--the lead that seems to be born into the hard-luck life of an abusive alcoholic father, the weak whimpering mother who doesn't care if her husband pounds on her kids as long as he doesn't pound on her, the guidance counselor who's all thumbs--aren't they all? A cliché' in movies, but what guidance counselor has ever been worth in damn in life? Was yours?

There is a moment where it's "Careers Day" at an elementary class where it's revealed that Joe's dad is the janitor. He is ridiculed an lashes out (very mildly) at an obnoxious little teacher's pet and the teacher drags Joe and spanks him in front of the class. The knife is further pushed and twisted when she makes it personal by muttering angrily so he can hear, "Just like your father..."

Whaley is clearly dealing with old wounds and knows how to use them so they feel fresh and make you cringe and relate.

"King's" full of downbeat moments and times where life shows it's ugly face. It seems as if God is very skillfully finding ways to torture Joe... and then skewering it further in smaller ways. In a moment of desperation, Joe attempts to do what his parents can't seem to... save the day. Joe is not only starving, he descends into petty theft. Then takes it even further.

He attempts to dodge his father's outbursts and reach out to his brother, who is trying to eke his way into the "in-crowd" and doesn't want Joe's jinx streak to rub off on him, even to the point of at one point sleeping the closet to get away from his brother's sad vibes.

But "Joe The King" is not just one long crying jag. There are lithe moments of humor, sweetness and tenderness. People may differ about the nature of the ending, but in the strangest, saddest way, it offers hope.

The children swear in the tradition of "Stand By Me," the child-abuse is in the tradition of "Radio Flyer" and the atmosphere is reminiscent of many working-class life stories. "King" doesn't feel like it belongs solely in the era. It takes place in the 1970's to be sure, but this feels timeless.

Noah Fleiss gives the best performances he's probably ever given, although how many movies has he really made? And how many of them really have allowed him to shine? This is it.

Val Kilmer is awesome turn as Bob, Joe's deadbeat dad who's one of the biggest problems in Joe's life. He owes money to most of the town. He dodges creditors like bullets, drinks pathetically and lashes out monstrously at his family. Kilmer, known for playing dazzling roles and pretty-boy parts, puts on a great deal of weight and shows nastier edges that he has since "The Doors."

Since Whaley and Kilmer first worked together in that film, Whaley obviously saw how powerfully Kilmer could play a violent sadist, always under narcotic influence. Kilmer has had trouble getting work because he's damn difficult to work with, so the two were clearly doing each other favors. Ethan Hawke plays a friendly, but useless counselor who hopes to get Joe out of his slump. And because it's Joe, he makes things worse.

Karen Young is adequate in a brief supporting part as Joe's mother. And Hispanic wunderkind John Leguizamo, a natural comedic talent, takes a dramatic turn here as a flamboyant busboy in an extended cameo at the rat-hole diner where Joe is working illegally.

Whaley seems to capture the flavor for this kind of working class life and seems to bring out the best in child actors, as well as his more distinguished adult friends and peers. He also sends us back to the day.

I was surprised that this screenplay won the Waldo Salt Screen writing Award. The Open Palm nomination for the film itself, that, I can see. The dialouge is altogether realistic, without being necessarily sharp or too memorable. And the characters are believable without being too fresh.

Writer/director Whaley does an effective job of capturing the atmosphere of this Upstate New York working-class life and bring out the best in child actors and big-name celebrity walk-throughs. Whaley has said this story is inspired by the childhood of himself and his brother, who is featured on the soundtrack and has a bit part.

Good ol' Frank himself also has a directors cameo walk-on as Jerry, one of many who the deadbeat Bob owes money to. He makes a personal house call, and he seems madder than the others Bob owes money to. He seems ready to kill Bob and after it's over, the sins of the father are, once again, visited on the son.

"Joe The King" breaks no new ground. But this is a slice-of-life, and while technology, trends and ideals constantly change, some things remain trite and true whatever era you're living in. Whaley chooses some appropriate music and some nice visuals.

"Joe The King" is kind of an acquired taste, like many coming-of-age stories. It's more of a confessional than anything else. If you've lived a life somewhat like this, or in this part of the world or in this enviorment remotely, you'll understand...

--God Save The King, Dane Youssef.

What will become of young Joe the King?

[ToldYaSo · 7/10 · 12 September 1999]

Featured at the 1999 Toronto Film Festival, the directorial debut from the talented actor Frank Whaley "Joe The King" was introduced by Frank's long-time friend Ethan Hawke and the film's main actor Noah Fleiss. Ethan explained that Frank and he had been the best of friends since their work on "A Midnight Clear" together. Frank couldn't present the film because he was only just getting into Toronto at the airport but happily agreed to a Q&A afterwards.

The film portrays with stunning clarity a bleak period in the life of Joe, a fourteen year old boy from a lower class neighbourhood whose father is an alcoholic and works as a janitor in Joe's school. Joe works in a restaurant after school and in all aspects of his life he's surrounded by people who look down on him, talk down to him and sometimes beat on him. It's very difficult to not feel sorry for someone like Joe, he'll likely break your heart. Many of us may have bad childhoods or perhaps recall them as such, but for most, this film will give you reason to feel lucky and fortunate whatever your situation was.

There's not so much a story as there is a stringing together of vignettes of a hellish childhood that brings an authentic feel to each and every aspect of the film. While the film does move along quite slowly, each performance given is a strong building block to assemble what ultimately seems to be an autobiographical account. The world that Joe lives in is so fully constructed and detailed that it's easy to forget you're watching a film and not a documentary.

What was revealed in the Q&A afterwards, was that Whaley wrote this film as a conglomerate of his brother and his own experiences growing up. A statement he almost reluctantly offers, explaining that the original title of the film was named for the street where he grew up. Out of respect for his mother they chose "Joe The King" which turns out to be a fairly arbitrary title. "I hope you're not telling people it's autobiographical," as he mimics his mother's concerned sentiment, at which point he shares that he hopes she never sees the film as it may prove too painful for her.

While the film is not based on a true story per se, that is not what is most relevant. What Joe goes through on a daily basis is what this story is about, what is likely to stir you, and not the pivotal event in the later part of the film. And as a young Joe looks into the camera at the end of the film, holding there for a moment. The question that haunts the viewer is, "What will become of young Joe The King?" The answer stood before us with a microphone in hand, fielding answers from an intrigued audience. Frank Whaley himself is the affirmation to his own film.

Frank in his usual charming way answered questions with enthusiasm and humour at one point recounting the casting of the film. As an actor for many years he has had the pleasure of working with numerous gifted individuals and many of these faces appear in the film. He had more difficulty with casting the younger element of the film as he explained that he "doesn't know any kids". He couldn't have asked for a better young lead than Noah Fleiss to play so convincingly Joe the King. And while I don't see this film breaking box office records or even flying off the video stands due to its depressing, sombre nature, I do believe it will be very meaningful to some people and for others prove how lucky they really are.

The dethroned king

[jotix100 · 8/10 · 7 January 2006]

This movie came as a total surprise the other night. Intrigued with the prospect of watching Frank Whalley's take on the film, we decided to watch and it paid off royally. Mr. Whalley has learned his lesson well, both in front, and behind the camera. Frank Whalley is a man capable of getting a lot out of his cast, having been in that position himself.

The film is a disturbing account on a family that appears to be beyond dysfunctional. The father, Bob Henry, is a man that life has passed him by and has sought company with the bottle; he is the janitor in his children's school. As seems to be the case with men in this situation, Bob vents his frustrations with whoever crosses him, as we watch in horror the way he beats his wife.

Joe, the sensitive young son, is ridiculed in school by a teacher at a tender age, where compassion for his state in life would have worked better. As he grows, he becomes a a young man that will do whatever in order to get what he wants. He begins stealing from the stores he is sent on errands as well as from the restaurant where he is employed as a dishwasher. We watch him as he eats hungrily the leftovers that come his way before washing those plates. Eventually, Joe will go to stealing from his boss and getting into trouble that will scar him for life. The only kindness Joe receives is from the teacher counselor in his school.

The best achievement for the director is the acting quality he gets from his cast. Noah Fleiss, who portrays Joe, is the best thing in the film. He is a young talent to watch. Val Kilmer is seen as the father who seems to live in a permanent fog caused by his heavy drinking. Karen Young is Theresa, the suffering wife. Ethan Hawke plays the kind hearted teacher and Camryn Manheim is the horrible one.

"Joe the King" deserves a viewing because of the excellent direction of Frank Whalley.

I Love Frank Whaley's directors movie..

[yusufpiskin · 7/10 · 31 July 2020]

My second favorite genre of movies to watch are coming of age movies. This is one of the best I've seen since Stand By Me. There are few other films similar that I'm going to revisit again soon.

All of the actors/characters are great in this. Val Kilmer did a really good job playing an abusive father. Noah Fleiss (Joe) was amazing in this. He was very believable. I actually felt bad for him throughout the movie.

When Ethan Hawke came in, I was hoping that he'd help Joe turn his life around and adopt him and his brother. But what we got is just as good. The mother who was played by Karen Young was great in this as well. And of course Joe's brother Mike, who was also really good in this!

The ending was good and well written. Although, this is definitely one of those movies that could have been longer. I would have liked to have seen what happens to Joe in the juvenile facility and after his six months is up.



The negatives: 1. Joe's friend Ray kind of bugged me a few times. And 2. It needed to be much longer.

Overall, really good film. I highly recommend it! The next coming of age film I plan on reviewing is "King Jack". I will then make a list of the coming of age films I've seen ranked.

Bleak story of a young boy, only the last 2 minutes offer hope.

[TxMike · 17 February 2002]

SPOILERS - "Joe The King" is such a bleak story of a young boy's plight that by the time the end came, which offers some redemption, my wife had tuned out to the point that she completely missed the point, until I re=played the last scene for her. As Joe is led away to begin his term in reform school, his mother is playing the Johnny Ray record about the "little white cloud", and this is Joe's way of describing himself to his mom. It was never clear in the film how Joe came by the moniker "the King."

The film starts when Joe is 9, doesn't mix with other school kids, is seen smoking, and later in class is reluctant to tell that his dad (Val Kilmer, in a good role) is a school janitor. Who also happens to be a drunk, and who owes many townspeople from $400 to $1000 each. Mom is not much better, a hapless sort, and Joe is kind of floating through his young life.

Most of the story takes place when Joe is 14. We see that he is a petty thief, stealing Hohos, but that's because he gets no good meals at home. We see him breaking into a car to steal jewelry to hock. We see that he is often tardy for school, but that is because he works late, illegally, as a dishwasher. One night, learning the owners are out of town, he breaks into their home to steal money.

As we eventually find out, Joe is doing all these things for his parents. he wants to pay off dad's debts. He wants to replace the record collection of mom's that dad broke in a drunken rage. His life is pretty well hopeless, and he acts it every day. He pays off the debts, gets mom's records replaced, is arrested, sentenced to reform school. Mom and dad never find out exactly what was going on. He did all that because of his love of his parents, a love that for the most part was always unspoken. Until a scene, near the end, when dad is leaving and says, "...love you." Joe stops, evaluates his hearing, and that provides the spark of his hope. At the end, his card and note to his mom, which leads her to play the song, is a statement of his love for mom.

The film ends, but we are surely to assume the 6 months Joe will spend in reform school will let him start fresh, and maybe things will be different next time. Maybe not.

This is a difficult film to watch, because we see everyone in the film leading one type of destructive life or another. Perhaps all to set up the ending, which can be a bit obscure for many viewers.

Touching

[darko2525 · 7/10 · 26 November 2002]

I've always been a huge fan of Frank Whaley, and I've always found him to be one of the most under-appreciated, really great actors to have emerged in the 1990s. Here in his directorial debut, Whaley paints a deeply moving portrait of a troubled family floundering at the poverty level. Young Noah Fleiss is absolutely heart-breaking as the morally corrupt child of an abusing father, played by Val Kilmer in his most earnest dramatic role. Whaley's movie, drawn from his own life, is a touching, moving indie that should have gotten better notice.

Remember that kid at school that was dressed like a bum and was always in trouble?

[Bastard Out of Carolina · 9/10 · 2 January 2001]

I remember a kid at my elementary school named Anthony. He was a quiet kid, kind of dumb, or lazy. He wore thrift store clothes and reeked of cigarette smoke. One time this kid stole my jacket and was wearing it a few days later at school. He'd crossed my name and address out of the inside tag. I think he got suspended for it. After watching this movie and thinking back, I'd wished I'd let him keep it. This film is hauntingly realistic of those kids in school who weren't like the rest of us. What we didn't know at the time about these kids, were that they came from lousy homes; their parents weren't much of parents, and they really had no way of knowing right from wrong. The movie was quite thought provoking, bringing me back to my elementary and middle school days, and finally gave me empathy for Anthony. God only knows where he is now.

This movie is a wake up call...

[dharper12 · 7/10 · 1 April 2011]

"Joe the King", was a king above the fools in the world.

Adults have such a self centered way of the expectation of kid's motives and actions without considering the very basic situation they are coming from and this film confirms how stupid people really are. The school admin and teachers all knew very well about Joe's father, "you're just like your father", so the kid was labeled the first day he walked into that school as a loser. He was the school's scape goat.

We like to believe our children are getting a constructive education and not a confession of home life humiliation. As a result, this wacko so-called teacher exercises her ego, hatred and anguish of her own life on his bare butt by spanking him in front of a shocked audience of classmates. Corporal punishment is sick but I guarantee mental tearing a child apart in front of peers happens everyday and is the most devastating of all. Sadly enough, Joe gets no support from mom or dad; just more emotional gouging. Gets me thinking, there are no bad kids, mainly bad adults who take their disappointed failures in their own lives out on less powerful people, especially kids.

But you see how resilient Joe is. He just goes on living by his own kind of structure and I'm thinking, he's gonna blow, throughout the movie, but he is amazing. This kid had great potential, he just needed support, understanding, involvement and trust.

We all need to stop and listen, there is a little bit of Joe in all of us.

A breakdown of family

[Tiger_Mark · 9/10 · 30 July 2003]

As I watched this brilliant film by Frank Whaley, I found myself more and more, examining crime in general. Certainly there are more than a few people that think convicts are born bad and should do the max. However, this film shows under what conditions criminals are made and you know what, it is not always their fault. I know this sounds like liberal claptrap, but I believe it true. In this movie, we see a young man that literally has nothing. An abusive, alcoholic father that is rarely around, unless he is there to smack him around. A mother that can't manage her own affairs, much less anybody elses'. An odd brother that generally only thinks of himself. Then we have our main character who strives to make a go of it and bring them together. He is good and caring, but he is too young to provide for everybody. The family is destitute and will never be the uniting force it needs to be for the betterment of our main character's life. . Our character is uneducated and left to fend on his own, inevitably he turns to crime. Gripping movie that I could not break away from. Highly recommended.

We are the product of our environment

[Leon-55 · 7/10 · 24 January 2004]

This movie highlights the horrible effects a dysfunctional family life has on a child. Can we really blame juvenile delinquents for their actions? Or are they the product of their environment? Noah Fleiss did a sensitive portrayal of a boy trapped in impossible circumstances. Yet, remarkably so, he was a strong boy, able to withstand the stabs from his father and non-supportive mother, ultimately landing in very serious trouble for trying to do good.

Slow, boring and amateurish

[FunnyMann · 3/10 · 16 June 2002]

Ever wind up watching an entire movie that stinks only because you keep hoping (against all hope) that it will get better, or at least have a point? Thus was the case for me with "Joe the King," a lethargic, pointless film that offers virtually nothing in the way of revelation or entertainment. I swear, people who praise this film must be trying to rationalize wasting their time on it.

After enduring this snoozefest, I just knew that Frank Whaley had never written or directed before. It was completely obvious. Whaley ruins his film with a first-draft caliber script and stale, unimaginative direction that even a film-school novice would laugh at.

Had the dialogue and direction been better, well, you'd still have nothing. Even a story about a miserable small-town kid with a crummy home life does not justify the slug-in-quicksand pace that squeezes the life from this film. I've enjoyed films before that develop slowly, but this one never develops. I kept thinking, "Pick...it...up!!!!!"

As if this movie needs more flaws, the acting bordered on the criminal. Again, no big surprise to discover (thanks to IMDB) that Ethan Hawke is friends with Whaley, as it's the only possible reason I could imagine he'd agree to be in this clunker. But don't worry. He doesn't try too hard. No one does. Val Kilmer works straight from the Lifetime Network 101 playbook of alcoholic fathers/husbands. He curses. He breaks stuff. He smacks his family around. He belittles them. And then, toward the end, he has one brief moment of lucidity where we're supposed to understand that he realizes he's a bad man. Who cares? And the kid in the title role might have been trying to convey hopelessness, but all he exudes is apathy.

Two closing thoughts: First, my wife watched the first half-hour with me, then opted to take a nap. She made the smarter choice, and I'm being serious. Second, if I'm already mad about wasting time watching the film, why did I waste more time writing about it? In the hopes that YOU wouldn't waste your time the same way. Seriously, avoid.

A heart-wrenching tour de force!

[km004a5534 · 10/10 · 11 November 2002]

I came across this film almost by accident. I have a habit of searching the IMDB for other films of actors and actresses whose performances I have enjoyed. So it was that I saw the promise of Noah Fleiss, as shown in Josh and S.A.M., bloom to fruition in his mature performance in this wonderful film.

Joe is a youngster living in poverty and deprived of love. He is brutalised and humiliated by his teacher and by his drunken father. Only his favoured brother, Mike and a similarly love-starved friend, and eventually a concerned counsellor (Ethan Hawke) lend him any support. Remarkably Joe is totally unselfish and, having slaved to earn cash just to survive and to improve the lives of those close to him, he is gradually driven more and more into crime.

I watched this film with two friends and the three of us were so captivated by this touching story that none of us moved or uttered a word until long after the credits had finished rolling. When the silence was broken it was with the words "Wow! How good was that?" Remember the name, Noah Fleiss, because he is destined to be a star.

Not a Bad Indie

[gbheron · 7/10 · 7 June 2003]

Joe Henry, the 'Joe' of the title, is a very troubled 14-year-old. His father is the school janitor, a deep-in-debt alcoholic who has no love for his two sons. Joe's Mom is a mess, trying hard to hold the family together only to find it slipping apart. Joe's older brother tries to help, but it's hard enough for him to keep his own head above water. So Joe is alone; drifting through a white trash sub-culture where the avenues to a 'straight' life are blocked and those to the criminal life are wide open. Where will it lead?

For-pay critics have denigrated the autobiographical screenplay as self-pitying and whining. I didn't see it that way. Self-centered, sure; just think about the title. It's all about Joe, by Joe. And isn't self-pity an emotion closely associated with the teen years? And to be honest, Joe deserves a little self pity; his life is crap. And this comes across very strongly in the film. It's effective and believable, helped by good screenwriting, direction and acting. Joe the King is not a great movie, but nor is it as mediocre as the critics described. I enjoyed it.

Unrelievedly bleak, with too heavy a hand on the scales.

[robo-12 · 3/10 · 30 May 1999]

A coming-of-age story with some twists: almost every adult seems to be arrayed against young Joe, who finds little other solace in the world. The movie begins with a false note -- at least it sounded false -- with 9 year-old Joe graphically humiliated by his teacher. Almost every adult in the film fails Joe. There are some amusing moments in this too-long, supposedly autobiographical movie, but far too few.

Shut Up, Listen, and Learn

[headbeernow · 8 August 2000]

At 15 I started working until midnight on school nights. I would catch up on my sleep during Algebra class. Hey, a kid has to prioritize. My parents never asked where I was, never really cared. I think they thought the PTA was the company that helped stranded motorists. I would walk home or take the bus so that my Dad would not show up at school driving his big heap and chain smoking in front of the other kids parents in their BMW's.School dances? no. Football games? no. Dates? no. The only time I would have interaction with the other students was when the jocks where kicking my ass because I had a goofy haircut. My teachers? I went to a public school with a bunch of rich brats. If there was any energy from the teachers I assure you it was not generated towards the poor kid with the fat lip and funny hair. And, so I reminisced on my teenage days while watching Joe the King. A kid who just can not win, no matter where his heart is. Mr. Whaley, you blew me away as an actor, but you have done it as a director and writer also. If Telly Savales were here today he would say, "You've come a long way baby." I have a new idol, I call him Frank.

Not on target

[mattymatt4ever · 6/10 · 31 January 2003]

"Joe the King" was described as a semi-autobiographical work by Frank Whaley. That's why I was surprised when I heard the DVD commentary, and Whaley didn't mention anything relating to his own childhood. No "this character is based on..." or "this scene was based the time when I..." But maybe he just didn't feel like revealing that information. Because the kind of pain the main character experiences throughout the story must be at least somewhat genuine. It must've been drawn from some sort of real-life experiences.

I'm often a sucker for movies like "This Boy's Life" and "A Bronx Tale," about young ones growing up with troubled childhoods. So I expected to embrace this film. At first I found the movie highly compelling. After a while, I began to lose my emotional connection with the characters. That's when I realized that the drama in the film is pretty much one-sided.

I think Roger Ebert hit the nail right on the head when he said, and I'm paraphrasing, "The movie is so steeped in resentment that we never get a chance to see this child behind his shield of misery." We never get a sense of his hopes and dreams, and what he does to try to overcome these unfortunate incidents. I didn't have a troubled childhood, so I'm not speaking from experience, but the boy should've found some sort of salvation. Maybe through books, maybe through music. What I gathered was he was fascinated by blues music, but the music itself wasn't his salvation.

Every adult character seems to be portrayed as an out-and-out heavy. There are a few scenes where the father and mother display subtle hints of emotion, though there certainly could've been more, but the rest of the characters are as evil as comic book villains. Even the local pawnbroker seems to have it out for Joe. I'm sure one of the elders treated him nice at least a few times in his life.

One of the most heavy-handed scenes is when the teacher asks Joe to tell the class the occupations of his parents. His father is the school janitor, so naturally he doesn't want it to be revealed. The teacher torments him until he finally reveals it. When he does, a girl in class laughs at him and he rightfully throws a pencil at her head. The teacher calls him to the front of the class, pulls down his pants and paddles his rear end. Now, what public school on earth has teachers who are allowed to abuse their students like that? I know in other countries they still do that, but not in America. In real life, Joe could've ran to the principal's office to report the abuse and they would've dragged that teacher out the school. This is an example of Whaley trying too hard to gain the audience's sympathy.

The performances are good for the most part. Val Kilmer does a fine acting job and shows that if he weren't so damn difficult to deal with, he'd have a lot more parts. The only performance I must criticize is that of Noah Fleiss. He's definitely not a bad actor, and you can do much worse in the child actor department, but he's only OK. He doesn't display a large range of emotions like, say, Haley Joel Osment. And that's not good since the film centers on Fleiss and he is the glue who holds the film together.

And I also must establish that it's never revealed why the character is given the nickname "Joe the King." This is not a bad film, and it is compelling to a degree, but if Whaley paid more attention to the mechanics of the narrative, it could've been a lot more powerful, like "This Boy's Life" or "A Bronx Tale."

My score: 6 (out of 10)

Good movie with excellent young actors

[GethinVanH · 7/10 · 29 July 2009]

A slice-of-life about a boy growing up in the 1970s. He lives in a very working-class family where the father is either absent, abusive or drinking. Joe is the only one in his family who is trying to put it all back together but at the expense of his own work as a dishwasher and his school work. His attempts to help his family are often illegal like breaking into cars to get goods which he pawns for money. In turn he uses the money to replace his mother's record collection which his abusive father broke.

It's a pretty good movie. The acting by the kids is pretty impressive. These were either already street kids well accustomed with the word 'Fuck' and its multiple uses or were simply good young actors.

Val Kilmer is surprisingly good in this movie. He often is if the script is right. Ethan Hawke gives one of his usually good performances.

Glimpse of a boy's bleak life

[lingmeister · 8/10 · 24 December 2002]

Joe the King is about a boy, who having been raised in a broken home with an abusive drunken dad and absent mom, heads the wrong path by stealing ever bigger things and eventually having to face the consequences for it. His only salvation is the crack that has opened between him and his parents, and the humanistic nature to do good in him that has been so overcome by the other things in his daily life.

We're shown Joe coming from a broken home, which is pretty standard in these kinds of movies. That resulted in a boy that doesn't conform to the general crowd and is often confrontational. Stealing doesn't even become a moral issue anymore for him, but an opportunistic one. In the course of the film, we learn that Joe is not stealing for self-fulfillment, but is often out of necessity due to hunger. What we gradually learn is that it is also due to him having a heart deep down inside him, in which he yearns to show his feelings in the only way he can. Instances like giving away most of the ho-ho's that he just stole to a bunch of hungry kids than gathered around him, to him going out of his way to steal food from the grease spoon joint that he works in so that his brother won't go hungry, along with doing the big heist to pay off his forever in-debt father and replace all his mom's records, which were broken in one of his father's drunken rage. At the same time, he rides that bike that is on its last leg, and keeps on wearing those sneakers that are beyond worn out. This is probably why Joe is the King, although reference to it does not indicate why or implies otherwise.

His relationship with his parents is the type where only the basic things are said to each other. His parents, who are so pre-occupied, either being drunk or working to support the family, forgot to realize that the kids needs more than just a roof to live under and barely enough food in the stomach. There is this assumption by the mom that the kids would somehow turn out all right, as long as there is the bare minimal amount parenting involved. Joe yearns for more affection from them, but they do not provide any, and he doesn't know how to open up for it.

In the end, on Joe's last day of freedom, we see a glimpse of hope in him. His yearning for a family truly shows, he tries to go all out on his last meal but cannot indulge on it. And on the final goodbye between him and his parents, the emotional door opens slightly. He still have mountains of hurdle ahead, but the light at the end of the tunnel have gotten a bit brighter.

The movie takes its time telling the story without forcing the big event to happen until the characters are fully developed. Although the event that sends him away does might have been anticlimactic, this is probably due to our assumption that he is heading that way already, and the fact that there is nothing out in the real world for him anyway. It is his self-realization of himself and redemption that has more of significance.

The film does not try to sentimentalize anything, everything is told as is. The acting by Noah Fleiss, playing Joe was very realistic, playing the boy who have never been loved. His mom, played by Karen Young, is really good. Her inability to communicate with Joe, but her feelings for him showing through in her distant expressions. His father, played by Val Kilmer, is mixed. The drunken violent man is played to the extreme, but he does allow the character to have subtleties at the end.

Very much like Truffaut's The 400 Blows

[vertigo_14 · 7/10 · 4 April 2004]

This movie reminds me a lot of Truffaut's 'The 400 Blows' in dealing with a neglected child just looking for a bit of affection, but getting nothing but childhood pangs at every turn.

What we have here is a rather depressing story of a young boy (Fliess) living with his absentee mother, his older brother, and his drunk and abusive father (Kilmer). So, expect trouble in a situation like this. And, aware of this trouble, a guidance counselor (Hawke) tries to help out the young student.

I was surprised to learn that this was is a semi-autobiographical tale of Frank Whaley as this, judging by his other pictures, doesn't seem like the kind of Frank Whaley childhood I had imagined. And, I wonder just how much of it does derive from his own experiences.

For me, this subject that Whaley has chosen of childhood escapism, seems to fall into a long line of similar movies like 'The 400 Blows,' 'Igby Goes Down,' and 'The Adventures of Sebastian Cole.' I think Whaley did a good job with this movie, 'Joe the King' and it encouraged me to seek out more films, if any, that he has directed. I recommend seeing it.

It Doesn't Get Much Realer Than This

[doug_park2001 · 9/10 · 7 May 2013]

Ultra-realistic drama of young Joe Henry growing up in squalid circumstances during the 1970s. Superb acting and filming in every respect despite one or two slightly hazy spots and abrupt transitions. Particularly commendable performances by Peter Tambakis and Noah Fleiss as, respectively, Joe at about 9 and Joe at 14.

This film captures the cycle of abuse and oppression within a troubled, fragmented family better than any that I've seen. The simple, dead-on dialogue does a great deal thematically speaking. In the words of Joe's older brother, Mike (again, well-played by Rob Bergenstock/Max Ligosh): "People are so f*d up!"

Somewhat linear, slice-of-life plot that is not focused on any one dramatic event. Nonetheless, there is plenty in the way of tension and surprise here. This is the sort of film that makes you forget that you are watching a film.

Well Made Movie

[mgmccorvy · 7/10 · 11 December 2005]

If anyone out there believes that this directorial debut of Frank Whaley is "AMATEURISH", let's just see what you can do with a camera and budget that won't pay for your daily life. Don't judge about movies, only give your opinion. I don't believe amateurish is even a word. You best watch the movie again and make sure it isn't on an amateur level. I do believe folks out there couldn't make a well made movie with a budget as low as Whaley had for this movie.

Maybe try something like,

"this movie seemed to have some realism to the story, and yet I haven't lived a life like that young man, I do believe that this could happen."

No judgment calls on movies, you liked it or you didn't. Oh and by the way this movie is well thought out, and well organized. Under the circumstances, it hit a home-run at our house. Being from Austin, TX where the "STARS" are bright, and not the ones in the sky, the ones from Hollywood, you sure can get a sense of realism and learn how to discuss movies. Ethan Hawke would know something about that since he comes from the same city as I do.

Watch this movie, you truly will like it.

more indie-loser ennui

[sidmsdw · 2/10 · 25 January 2002]

This is a well intentioned but dismally dull and wretchedly written indie exercise in lower working class experience. Actor Frank Whaley's directorial debut is an ambitious but unsuccessful look at a teenager's coming of age in a 1970s slacker neighborhood. No doubt autobiographical to some degree, the movie sets up a somewhat cliched conflict between alienated teen and his drunken lout of a father (Val Kilmer). This got some good reviews but I bailed out after an hour, wondering how it managed them. I felt like I had seen it all before.

A film to make you appreciate what you have

[StevePulaski · 8/10 · 30 July 2014]

Whenever I watch a film like Frank Whaley's Joe the King, it reminds me how grateful I am to have the family I have, the opportunities I have, the privileges I have, and the love had for me. After spending one-hundred minutes with a kid who has almost nothing, I think about myself, and how I have so much more than I can ever want, no so much about the tangible things, but the intangibles like unconditional love, incredible academic opportunities, and a whirlwind of support for what I do. Counting these blessings only becomes easier after witnessing a film like Joe the King.

The film stars Noah Fleiss as the titular character, a fourteen-year-old who has spent his life victim to physical and emotional abuse by his violent, alcoholic father Bob (Val Kilmer) and his short-tempered mother Theresa (Karen Young), who doesn't make up for the lack of attention brought on by his father. Joe's brother is rather kind to Joe, never threatening or unnecessarily assertive, but still lacks that kind of warmth and love that Joe desperately needs in his life. Taunted by his classmates because his father works as a janitor, harassed by drug dealers who are threatening his life because his father won't pay his debts, and left to his own devices, Joe takes on a quiet life of crime, conducting petty heists and stealing from local residents in order to obtain the money he needs. Unlike most kids his age, Joe has a job, which is a cook and bus-boy in a sketchy restaurant. Joe works to buy his mother all the vinyls his father trashed in a drunken rage, while also trying to keep his criminal profile as subtle as it can be without him getting caught.

The idea behind Joe the King is incredibly intriguing, focusing on a young boy who, through all the abuse and neglect, still loves and deeply cares for his parents, which is a rarity in these kinds of films. Normally, we see a young boy or girl hating their parents for putting them under these conditions, which is very understandable. However, Joe's desire to help his dad out personally and repay his mother for something he had no involvement in makes Joe the King unique in the department of coming of age films.

Fleiss is great as Joe, clearly possessing the traits of an actor who can show no emotion or a lot of it, depending on what the scene calls for. Assisted by the likes of Kilmer and Young, he can really do no wrong, showing what life is like being a young boy with little to rely on and no one to trust. Even his guidance counselor (Ethan Hawke) bears a frustrating emptiness in Joe's mind, really proving to himself that he can't trust anyone and only has himself to rely on.

The only issue with the writing (done by Whaley himself) is that the film spends too much time on Joe, so much so that the supporting characters in his life are subtly developed and only given vague and rather broad stereotypes to work off of. Because of this, no one besides Joe really receives development in the film and that's an issue for a film looking to develop multiple different characters in multiple different situations.

Despite this, Whaley overcomes the film's largest task, which is make a character who does wrong, morally reprehensible things sympathetic and emotionally honest, a feat that remains consistent throughout the film. Whaley treads a fine line between committing contemptible actions as a poor, loathsome character and having sympathy for the offender nicely, making Joe a surprisingly sympathetic soul throughout the entire film. Consistently we recognize that he is a good soul doing bad things in order to stay moderately afloat, which is what makes the film strong and stable.

With three directorial efforts under his belt, and a fourth one on the way, Whaley proves that he enjoys glaringly flawed characters, who consistently try to do good by doing bad, which immediately makes for an intriguing story. Lifted up by fantastic performances by everyone involved and a biting, almost unshakeable amount of emotional leverage, Joe the King is equal parts upsetting as it is moving, which, for a first time director, is difficult to achieve. However, Whaley handles the challenge like a true directing veteran.

Starring: Noah Fleiss, Val Kilmer, Karen Young, and Ethan Hawke. Directed by: Frank Whaley.

See Joe get smacked. See Joe get yelled at. See Joe steal. Etc.

[=G= · 6/10 · 7 July 2001]

"Joe the King" is a slice-of-miserable-life flick about a boy from a dysfunctional family who steals. That's pretty much the premise, the plot, the story, the whole enchilada. This uneventful and seemingly pointless film is a good journeyman production in all respects with the exception of the story which is too pedestrian to be interesting and seems to have no moral, meaning, or message. One can only guess what Whaley was thinking when he made this klunker.

Not the movie I would ever watch

[KevinB12 · 1/10 · 4 April 2010]

I did not like the movie because that Val Kilmer is that terrible to Noah Fliss. He should wind up in prison for the terrible things he had done to him. Also I did not like the way Camryn Manheim spanked that kid in the classroom. If she did that for real, she will wind up in a woman's prison and not have her teacher job anymore. Spanking in schools is very wrong and against the law which is why I am against the movie and refuse to see this anyhow. This shows proof that Noah Fliss should notify the Children's Aid Society and his psychiatrist over this matter and they would take further actions on them for what wrongful incidents Val Kilmer and Camryn Manheim did.