Joe the King (1999)

A destitute 14 year old struggles to keep his life together despite harsh abuse at his mother's hands, harsher abuse at his father's, and a growing separation from his slightly older ... See full summary »

Director:

Frank Whaley

Writer:

Frank Whaley

Stars:

Peter Anthony Tambakis, Harlee Ott, Camryn Manheim

1 win & 3 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Peter Anthony Tambakis	...	Little Joe (as Peter Tambakis)
Harlee Ott	...	Dawn
Camryn Manheim	...	Mrs. Basil
Travis J. Feretic	...	Rory (as Travis Feretic)
Benjamin Styx	...	Little Ray
Alice June Blythe	...	Alice (as Alice Blythe)
Val Kilmer	...	Bob Henry
Linda Key	...	Mrs. Williams
Rob Bergenstock	...	Little Mike
Karen Young	...	Theresa Henry
Noah Fleiss	...	Joe Henry
Richard Bright	...	Roy
John Leguizamo	...	Jorge
Amy Wright	...	Mary
Michael Taylor	...	Man in Jerry's Apt.

Storyline

A destitute 14 year old struggles to keep his life together despite harsh abuse at his mother's hands, harsher abuse at his father's, and a growing separation from his slightly older brother. Petty thefts for food grow into more major takes until he steals a cash box from the diner where he works. Although Joe uses the money to pay off some of his father's debts and to replace his mother's records that his father smashed in a fit of temper, Joe gets no thanks...

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Plot Keywords:

diner | debt | money | theft | cafe | 

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Genres:

Crime | Drama

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated R for language and abusive situations concerning a child

Details

Official Sites:

Warner Bros. [ca]

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

22 January 1999 (USA)

Also Known As:

Pleasant View Avenue

Filming Locations:

New York City, New York, USA

Box Office

Opening Weekend:

$11,793 (USA) (15 October 1999)

Gross:

$59,014 (USA) (5 November 1999)

Company Credits

Production Co:

49th Parallel Productions, Forensic/291 Films, Lower East Side Films

Technical Specs

Runtime:

93 min 93 min

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Near the end of the movie where Henry is making an attempt to tell Joe how much he really cares, the lullaby music coming form the ice cream truck was unintentional. But Whaley liked the way it felt, so he left it in.

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Goofs

Although the film is supposed to take place during the 1970s, Joe is seen wearing a name brand underwear with the company logo on the waistband. This particular brand didn't produce that style until the late 1990s.

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Quotes

Bob Henry: Stevie Wonder coulda seen that comin'.

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Connections

Referenced in Return to Innocence (2001)

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Soundtracks

"Around The Town"
Written by Ray Davies

User Reviews

A breakdown of family

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.