Old Joy (film)
Encyclopedia
Old Joy is a 2006 road movie
directed by Kelly Reichardt
and based on a short story
by Jonathan Raymond
. The original soundtrack for the film was by Yo La Tengo
and is included on the compilation soundtrack album They Shoot, We Score
.
) 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
. 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; for Kurt, it is part of a long series of carefree adventures.
reported that 85% of critics gave the film positive reviews, based on 80 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
.
Road movie
A road movie is a film genre in which the main character or characters leave home to travel from place to place. They usually leave home to escape their current lives.-History:...
directed by Kelly Reichardt
Kelly Reichardt
Kelly Reichardt is a screenwriter and film director working within American indie cinema. Her debut film River of Grass was released in 1994. It was nominated for three Independent Spirit Awards, as well as the Grand Jury Prize at the Sundance Film Festival. In 1999, she completed her sophomore...
and based on a short story
Short story
A short story is a work of fiction that is usually written in prose, often in narrative format. This format tends to be more pointed than longer works of fiction, such as novellas and novels. Short story definitions based on length differ somewhat, even among professional writers, in part because...
by Jonathan Raymond
Jonathan Raymond
Jonathan Raymond is an American writer living in Portland, Oregon.-Biography:He published his first novel, The Half-Life in May of 2004. He has also worked as a screenwriter and wrote the short story inspired by the photography of Justine Kurland on which the film Old Joy is based...
. The original soundtrack for the film was by Yo La Tengo
Yo La Tengo
Yo La Tengo, sometimes abbreviated as YLT, is an American alternative rock band formed in Hoboken, New Jersey in 1984. Since 1992, the lineup has consisted of Ira Kaplan , Georgia Hubley , and James McNew .Despite achieving limited mainstream success, Yo La Tengo has been called "the quintessential...
and is included on the compilation soundtrack album They Shoot, We Score
They Shoot, We Score
They Shoot, We Score is a compilation soundtrack album by the band Yo La Tengo, released on 12 September 2008.It contains tracks from the films Old Joy , Junebug , Game 6 and Shortbus ....
.
Synopsis
Old Joy tells the story of two friends, Kurt (Will OldhamWill Oldham
Will Oldham , better known by the stage name Bonnie 'Prince' Billy, is an American singer-songwriter and actor. From 1993 to 1997, he performed and recorded under variations of the Palace name, including the Palace Brothers, Palace Songs, and Palace Music...
) and Mark (Daniel London
Daniel London
Daniel London is an American actor, possibly most notably famous for his roles in Patch Adams and Rent.-Life and career:Born and raised in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, London began writing and acting in plays in high school. While a student at Mt...
), as they reunite for a weekend camping trip in the Cascade mountain range
Cascade Range
The Cascade Range is a major mountain range of western North America, extending from southern British Columbia through Washington and Oregon to Northern California. It includes both non-volcanic mountains, such as the North Cascades, and the notable volcanoes known as the High Cascades...
and Bagby Hot Springs
Bagby Hot Springs
The Bagby Hot Springs are natural hot springs located in the Mount Hood National Forest about southeast of Portland, Oregon, United States and about east of Salem, Oregon. The springs are within the Cascade Mountains in a heavily forested area at elevation 2280 ft...
, east of Portland, Oregon
Portland, Oregon
Portland is a city located in the Pacific Northwest, near the confluence of the Willamette and Columbia rivers in the U.S. state of Oregon. As of the 2010 Census, it had a population of 583,776, making it the 29th most populous city in the United States...
. 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; for Kurt, it is part of a long series of carefree adventures.
Critical reception
Old Joy received highly favorable reviews from critics. The review aggregator Rotten TomatoesRotten Tomatoes
Rotten Tomatoes is a website devoted to reviews, information, and news of films—widely known as a film review aggregator. Its name derives from the cliché of audiences throwing tomatoes and other vegetables at a poor stage performance...
reported that 85% of critics gave the film positive reviews, based on 80 reviews — with the consensus that "a serene, melancholy beauty permeates this meditative film." Metacritic
Metacritic
Metacritic.com is a website that collates reviews of music albums, games, movies, TV shows and DVDs. For each product, a numerical score from each review is obtained and the total is averaged. An excerpt of each review is provided along with a hyperlink to the source. Three colour codes of Green,...
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.
- 2nd - Ella Taylor, LA WeeklyLA WeeklyLA Weekly is a free weekly tabloid-sized "alternative weekly" in Los Angeles, California. It was founded in 1978 by Editor/Publisher Jay Levin and a board of directors that included actor-producer Michael Douglas...
- 4th - Marc Mohan, Portland OregonianThe OregonianThe Oregonian is the major daily newspaper in Portland, Oregon, owned by Advance Publications. It is the oldest continuously published newspaper on the U.S. west coast, founded as a weekly by Thomas J. Dryer on December 4, 1850...
- 4th - Scott Tobias, The A.V. ClubThe A.V. ClubThe A.V. Club is an entertainment newspaper and website published by The Onion. Its features include reviews of new films, music, television, books, games and DVDs, as well as interviews and other regular offerings examining both new and classic media and other elements of pop culture. Unlike its...
- 4th - Ty Burr, The Boston GlobeThe Boston GlobeThe Boston Globe is an American daily newspaper based in Boston, Massachusetts. The Boston Globe has been owned by The New York Times Company since 1993...
- 8th - Lisa Schwarzbaum, Entertainment WeeklyEntertainment WeeklyEntertainment Weekly is an American magazine, published by the Time division of Time Warner, that covers film, television, music, broadway theatre, books and popular culture...
- 10th - Wesley Morris, The Boston GlobeThe Boston GlobeThe Boston Globe is an American daily newspaper based in Boston, Massachusetts. The Boston Globe has been owned by The New York Times Company since 1993...
The film also won awards from the Los Angeles Film Critics Association
Los Angeles Film Critics Association
The Los Angeles Film Critics Association was founded in 1975. Its main purpose is to present yearly awards to members of the film industry who have excelled in their fields. These awards are presented each January...
, the Rotterdam International Film Festival, and the Sarasota Film Festival
Sarasota Film Festival
The Sarasota Film Festival has been held annually since 1999 in Sarasota, Florida. The festival is held in April and has become one of the top ten independent festivals in North America...
. Neil Kopp
Neil Kopp
Neil Kopp is an American film, commercial and music video producer best known for his work on the films Old Joy and Paranoid Park ....
won the Producer's Award at the Independent Spirit Awards
Independent Spirit Awards
The Independent Spirit Awards , founded in 1984, are awards dedicated to independent filmmakers. Winners were typically presented with acrylic glass pyramids containing suspended shoestrings representing the paltry budgets of independent films. In 1986, the event was renamed the Independent Spirit...
for his work on Old Joy and Paranoid Park
Paranoid Park (film)
Paranoid Park is a 2007 American drama film written and directed by Gus Van Sant. The film is based on the novel of the same name by Blake Nelson and takes place in Portland, Oregon. It stars Gabe Nevins as a teenage skateboarder who accidentally kills a security guard.Van Sant wrote the draft...
.