Joe the King

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.