Don’t Worry, He Won’t Get Far on Foot, based on the book by John Callahan - Eight out of 10

Don’t Worry, He Won’t Get Far on Foot, based on the book by John Callahan

Eight out of 10

This is a poignant, heartbreaking and based on the real story of a recovering alcoholic, John Callahan.

He is portrayed by Joaquin Phoenix, who finds the right balance and does not give in to the temptation of melodrama, which must have been difficult, especially given the swing moods and the radical changes in the behavior of the hero.

The film directed by Gus Van Sant is constructed with flashbacks, with the protagonist walking on his own legs up to the point where he suffers terrible injuries after a car crash.

John Callahan drinks too much and his horrible misfortune – although some would say it is only natural for people with similar addictions and ghastly habits to intersect – is to meet with Dexter aka Jack Black.

Dexter and his companion drink beyond any sensible limit – some might think of the nominee for the Supreme Court who likes beer, everybody likes beer he insists, when not boofing probably or playing the drinking game of the devil’s triangle.

Even if a stranger points out that they are too drunk to drive, Dexter takes the wheel and while driving he falls asleep and takes the car into a crash from which he walks out virtually unscathed.

Alas, his passenger is paralyzed and faces a very serious challenge in front, a considerable stamina, grit, determination and strength if he is ever to walk or even be a human being again.

With extraordinary resilience and help from various quarters, John Callahan has a chance to recuperate – not his former skills and ability to walk – some of the functions of his body.

When one attractive, gentle, creative woman asks what she can do for the hero, the answer is quick:

“Sit on my face”

Which she does!

Rooney Mara has the role of the girlfriend, Annu, a Scandinavian who works for SAS, a Scandinavian airline at that moment – perhaps even today, although there has been no mention of the name near here for years.

Annu helps the patient, has the resilience and patience to cope with such a severe affliction and the grit needed to deal with a man who has a special case and is quite difficult at times.

Another essential character is Donny aka an excellent Jonah Hill, who seems to have lost a lot of weight.

Donny is probably just as important as Annu and essential in bringing back from the nearly dead a man who has to take all the steps needed to return to sobriety, including finding his own guilt and then absolving himself.

John Callahan has a list of people to make amends with, try to find closure, atonement, including his parents and what seems almost impossible, the man who had placed him in a wheelchair, Dexter.

The hero is confronted before that with his own guilt, when Donny asks him about the accident and the culpability, his feelings regarding it.

After blaming the tragedy on Dexter, the protagonist gradually and painfully faces the reality as depicted by his friend and analyst:

“Why did you get in the car if Dexter was drunk?

Would you get into a car with a dead drunk driver now?”

Reluctantly, John Callahan admits that he was unaware and irresponsible when he decided to drive with Dexter.

He finds his former drinking friend working in a kitchen, where he is shocked to see his victim confront him.

Only the hero is smiling and helping his former friend to face it and insists he should not blame himself.

Anyway, Dexter’s life has been rotten according to what he claims.

Another issue that haunts John Callahan is the rejection of his mother, who had not wanted him.

Don’t Worry, He Won’t Get Far on Foot is an impressive drama, a probable candidate for important awards later in the year.