Joe the King

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.

In the past 24 hours I've read "The Body" then watched "Stand By Me"; read "Sleepers" then went to rent the film at a local store. I spent a good while searching for their one copy, then drifted to the comedy section to pick up something light for afters. Spying a film with Kilmer's name on the cover, I picked up "Joe The King", & wondered if Kilmer'd gone back to his comedy roots. Ha! The only thing funny is how some joker stashed this stale downer in the comedy section!

I popped in the video after finishing Sleepers and was amazed to find myself watching yet another decade of tortured boyhood. 50's, 60's, 70's, none of it fit in a "Happy Days" world. Now, thirty years on, and I wonder what horror stories the 80's and 90's have bred and who will get the funding to tell us all about it.

"Joe the King" doesn't quite work, for several reasons, least of which is the fact we can't really feel for him. Where are the likable characters? In every life, there are some, and films demand at least one or two. In this film, all the adults are mean or obtuse, oblivious to anyone but themselves. Whaley gave us stereotypes and the actors weren't challenged beyond them. John Leguizamo's character is a bright spot, but realism is blown by him not taking the kid's age into account. In real life he wouldnta talked to him like a balling, boozing buddy, the kid looks to be only 12 or so. Ethan Hawke could have made a difference if he had put in a little effort... showing his sandaled feet bypasses character development, implying warmth and understanding, but the gimmick is wasted by the flatness of his character. His not knowing what "pithy" means blows his credibility as an educated man in a position of power in a school. Gimme a break!

Some scenes are heavy-handed, some merely sketched. (And what is the deal with Kilmer's mega-elbow?? It is framed for viewing, so why?) The level of back talk and profanity is also wrong for the era. Kids mighta had filthy mouths with each other, but exchanges with adults would have left them dusting off their pants after a quick trip to the floor. The title is not explained, and there is nothing at all to suggest why Joe is a King. His peeing in the food makes scant sense when he doesn't even tell his brother about it to ease his suffering.

Music could have been a saving grace, but it is barely explored. This is a depressing film that may have exorcised somebody's demons, at least I hope it did. Basically, though, this film lacks respect, for its characters, its premise, and ultimately, for us.

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.

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.

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.