This movie reminds me a lot of Truffaut's 'The 400 Blows' in dealing with a neglected child just looking for a bit of affection, but getting nothing but childhood pangs at every turn.
What we have here is a rather depressing story of a young boy (Fliess) living with his absentee mother, his older brother, and his drunk and abusive father (Kilmer). So, expect trouble in a situation like this. And, aware of this trouble, a guidance counselor (Hawke) tries to help out the young student.
I was surprised to learn that this was is a semi-autobiographical tale of Frank Whaley as this, judging by his other pictures, doesn't seem like the kind of Frank Whaley childhood I had imagined. And, I wonder just how much of it does derive from his own experiences.
For me, this subject that Whaley has chosen of childhood escapism, seems to fall into a long line of similar movies like 'The 400 Blows,' 'Igby Goes Down,' and 'The Adventures of Sebastian Cole.' I think Whaley did a good job with this movie, 'Joe the King' and it encouraged me to seek out more films, if any, that he has directed. I recommend seeing it.
What we have here is a rather depressing story of a young boy (Fliess) living with his absentee mother, his older brother, and his drunk and abusive father (Kilmer). So, expect trouble in a situation like this. And, aware of this trouble, a guidance counselor (Hawke) tries to help out the young student.
I was surprised to learn that this was is a semi-autobiographical tale of Frank Whaley as this, judging by his other pictures, doesn't seem like the kind of Frank Whaley childhood I had imagined. And, I wonder just how much of it does derive from his own experiences.
For me, this subject that Whaley has chosen of childhood escapism, seems to fall into a long line of similar movies like 'The 400 Blows,' 'Igby Goes Down,' and 'The Adventures of Sebastian Cole.' I think Whaley did a good job with this movie, 'Joe the King' and it encouraged me to seek out more films, if any, that he has directed. I recommend seeing it.