Jesus' Son

Jesus' Son, directed by Alison Maclean and adapted from Denis Johnson's linked story collection of the same name, is an American film starring Billy Crudup and Samantha Morton, with Holly Hunter, Dennis Hopper, and Jack Black also in the cast. The title comes from a line in the Velvet Underground song Heroin. The film screened at the 1999 Venice Film Festival, winning the Little Golden Lion and the OCIC Award; Maclean was nominated for the Golden Lion. The film was named one of the year's ten best by both The New York Times and The Los Angeles Times. The film holds a 78 percent score on Rotten Tomatoes. Who it's for: anyone curious about an American film adapted from a linked story collection, told through disjointed anecdotes, which won awards at Venice. Who it's not for: viewers wanting a linear, single plot film, since this relies on a narrative structure full of false starts and time jumps.