Don’t Worry, He Won’t Get Far on Foot

In the dramedy DON’T WORRY, HE WON’T GET FAR ON FOOT, director Gus Van Sant returns to his familiar Portland for the life story of cartoonist John Callahan. After a severe car accident at the age of twenty-one, alcohol-addicted Callahan ends up in a wheelchair with a spinal cord injury.

Callahan became one of the most distinctive cartoonists of his generation. From his wheelchair, he developed a recognisable, minimalist drawing style and a razor-sharp, often provocative sense of humour. His cartoons shied away from no taboo and often poked fun at his own disability, earning him both controversy and admiration. It was precisely this uncompromising view of himself and the world that became his trademark.

Just like in earlier Portland classics such as MALA NOCHE and DRUGSTORE COWBOY, Van Sant turns his lens on a colorful outsider. What makes the film so powerful, however, is its gentle tone: it’s a sympathetic portrait of someone reinventing his life through art. Against all odds, Callahan gets back on his feet thanks to his bone-dry humor, creating comics that turn him into a local hero.

The project also carries a special history. None other than Robin Williams, with whom Van Sant made GOOD WILL HUNTING, acquired the rights to Callahan’s autobiography a quarter of a century ago. Following Williams’ passing, Van Sant picked the material back up, turning the film into a wonderful tribute to both the quirky cartoonist and the late actor.

This year, in collaboration with Grafixx (20–22 Nov, De Studio & De Cinema), we are putting three films in the spotlight, each of which explores the power of imagination and the creative potential of the visual medium in its own way. Alongside this biopic, CRUMB turns the spotlight on another legendary and highly distinctive figure from the world of cartoons and underground comics: Robert Crumb. As the third part of the programme, we present PAPRIKA, Satoshi Kon’s ultimate animated masterpiece, in which the boundaries between dreams and reality begin to blur.