Don't Worry, He Won't Get Far on Foot

Don't Worry, He Won't Get Far on Foot is a 2018 American comedy-drama film directed by Gus Van Sant and based upon the memoir of the same name by John Callahan. The cast includes Joaquin Phoenix, Jonah Hill, Rooney Mara, and Jack Black, and follows a recently paralyzed alcoholic who finds a passion for drawing off-color newspaper cartoons.
The film had its world premiere at the Sundance Film Festival on January 19, 2018, and was released on July 13, 2018, by Amazon Studios.
Plot
Based in Portland, alcoholic wheelchair-bound cartoonist John Callahan is honored for his work. Introducing himself as an alcoholic, we see the events that lead him here.
On the morning of the day of his accident, John woke up still drunk and went to purchase more alcohol so withdrawal wouldn't set in. He talks about being put into an orphanage at birth.
Flashing forward, we see John animosity towards his apathetic carer Tim. Back again to the evening of the accident, going to a party in Long Beach, he meets Dexter. They get in a car together, and as the night progresses, they get more and more drunk, intermittently vomiting. They sneak into an amusement park and go to a strip club.
Dexter insists on driving, although a bystander points out they both are too impaired. His drunk driving results in a car accident, as they hit an electrical pole, which leaves the sleeping John quadriplegic.
John comes across several apathetic medical personnel in the hospital, including groups of medical students who periodically pass through and talk about him and others like they aren't sentient beings. Finally, he connects with Swedish physical therapist Annu, who treats him there.
John and Annu chat whilst she works on him. He talks about his desperation to not be paralysed for life, alternatively praying to God and making pacts with the devil. They also discover they have things in common.
At the hospital, John is soon equipped with an electric wheelchair which gives him back some independence. He and a fellow patient go out one night. On the return to the rehabilitation center, they narrowly miss getting hit by a train, thanks to John.
As John gradually adapts to his new normal, he quits drinking with help from his Alcoholics Anonymous sponsor Donnie. At the meetings, he learns to be transparent and not to play the victim.
John, as he was given up for adoption when he was small, tries to track down his mother. When they find a file on him, he is told that Oregon law forbids him from reading it. Although John reads the name Maggie Lynch, he cannot confirm nor deny it which leaves him distraught.
His electric wheelchair breaks down, so John calls the Disability Resource Center for help, but they do not as they have had cutbacks. He has a low period in which his carer is not empathetic and he is desperate to drink away his depression. Having an epiphany through a vision from his birth mother, John quits drinking.
John is inspired. Not only does he get an AA sponsor, but he also becomes a cartoonist. He builds a new life, drawing off-color newspaper cartoons. Later, John runs into Annu, who now is a flight attendant. She becomes his girlfriend, and they fall in love.
At AA, John works through his abandonment issues and self-destructive behavior. As he reaches the 12th step, Donnie dies of AIDS. Later he accepts the award.
Cast
Production
Originally, Robin Williams had optioned the book and invited Gus Van Sant to adapt it. On November 29, 2016, it was announced that actor Joaquin Phoenix was teaming with director Van Sant for the biographical film of cartoonist John Callahan, based on Callahan's autobiography Don't Worry, He Won't Get Far on Foot. Charles-Marie Anthonioz, Mourad Belkeddar, and Nicolas Lhermitte would produce the film for Iconoclast, and Steve Golin for Anonymous Content.
In December 2016, Rooney Mara and Jonah Hill joined the cast of the film. Hill considers his performance in the film to be the best of his career. In February 2017, Jack Black joined the cast of the film. In March 2017, Mark Webber and Angelique Rivera joined the cast of the film. Principal photography began on March 6, 2017 and concluded on April 6, 2017. The film was shot by Christopher Blauvelt.
Release
In March 2017, it was confirmed Amazon Studios would distribute the film. It had its world premiere at the Sundance Film Festival on January 19, 2018 and also screened at the Berlin International Film Festival on February 20, 2018. It was scheduled to be released on May 11, 2018, then was pushed back to July 13, 2018.
Reception
On review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes, the film has an approval rating of 77% based on 192 reviews, with an average of 6.6/10. The website's critical consensus reads, "Don't Worry, He Won't Get Far on Foot avoids inspirational biopic clichés thanks to sensitive work from writer-director Gus Van Sant and the admirable efforts of a well-chosen cast." On Metacritic, the film has a weighted average score of 67 out of 100, based on 39 critics, indicating "generally favorable reviews".
David Rooney of The Hollywood Reporter gave the film a positive review, writing: "This unwieldy but consistently enjoyable portrait of paraplegic local hero John Callahan is notable for its generosity of spirit and gentleness". Peter Debruge of Variety gave the film a positive review, calling it a "life-affirming sweet-and-sour concoction" and writing, "Some will find it entirely too sentimental, others a tad repetitive (Callahan tends to repeat the same stories), but it’s hard to argue with a movie that celebrates the kind of recovery he went through."
References
External links
Official website
2010s biographical films
2018 comedy-drama films
2018 films
Amazon MGM Studios films
American comedy-drama films
American biographical films
Comedy-drama films based on actual events
Biographical films about artists
Films about comics
Films about alcoholism
Films about paraplegics or quadriplegics
Films based on autobiographies
Films directed by Gus Van Sant
Films scored by Danny Elfman
Films set in Portland, Oregon
Films with screenplays by Gus Van Sant
Cultural depictions of cartoonists
Films set in the 1970s
Films set in the 1980s
2010s English-language films
2010s American films