Old Joy
Old Joy is a 2006 American road movie written and directed by Kelly Reichardt and based on a short story by Jonathan Raymond. The original soundtrack for the film is by Yo La Tengo and included on the compilation soundtrack album "They Shoot, We Score". Plot. "Old Joy" tells the story of two friends, Kurt (Will Oldham) and Mark (Daniel London), as they reunite for a weekend camping trip in the Cascade mountain range and Bagby Hot Springs, east of Portland, Oregon. Kurt lives a hand-to-mouth hippie lifestyle, while Mark has moved on from that scene  and gotten a proper job and a house. The film is a story of friendship, loss and alienation. For Mark, the weekend outing offers a respite from the pressure of his imminent fatherhood. Tagging along for the ride is Lucy, Mark's dog, played by Reichardt's dog of the same name. Critical reception. "Old Joy" received highly favorable reviews from critics. The review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes reported that 85% of critics gave the film positive reviews, based on 94 reviews — with the consensus that "a serene, melancholy beauty permeates this meditative film." Metacritic reported the film had an average  score of 84 out of 100, based on 24 reviews. The "New York Times" called it "one of the finest American films of the year". The film appeared on several critics' top ten lists of the best films of 2006. The film also won awards from the Los Angeles Film Critics Association, the Rotterdam International Film Festival, and the Sarasota Film Festival. Neil Kopp won the Producer's Award at the Independent Spirit Awards for his work on "Old Joy" and "Paranoid Park". In reviewing The Criterion Collection's Blu-ray release of the film, critic Svet Atanasov of Blu-ray.com  was disappointed with "Old Joy", stating that though Reichardt is a gifted director, "it is so introverted that it quickly creates the impression that it wishes to be left alone... instead of bringing the viewer closer to the campers the film essentially gives them more space to figure out how they feel about their friendship and lives."