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Don't Worry, He Won't Get Far On Foot trailer: Joaquin Phoenix and Rooney Mara star in Gus Van Sant dramedy

Christopher Hooton
Wednesday 17 January 2018 04:28 EST
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Don't Worry, He Won't Get Far On Foot -trailer

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Amazon has released the first trailer for Don’t Worry, He Won’t Get Far on Foot, a John Callahan biopic that has a wealth of talent on board.

Oscar-nominated Good Will Hunting filmmaker Gus Van Sant has directed the dark comedy, which stars Joaquin Phoenix with Rooney Mara, Jonah Hill and Jack Black supporting.

The synopsis is as follows (via Deadline):

'Phoenix plays John Callahan, a Portland slacker and drunk who almost dies in a car accident at age 21, becoming a quadriplegic. After he reluctantly enters AA, and with encouragement from his girlfriend (Mara) and a charismatic sponsor (Hill), Callahan discovers a gift for drawing edgy, irreverent (and definitely not PC) newspaper cartoons that get published in Portland’s alt-weekly Willamette Week. They soon develop a national following, and grant him a new lease on life.'

Callahan's cartoons were dark as night and often led to protests and boycotts of the paper.

"My only compass for whether I’ve gone too far is the reaction I get from people in wheelchairs, or with hooks for hands." Callahan said. "Like me, they are fed up with people who presume to speak for the disabled. All the pity and the patronizing. That’s what is truly detestable."

This theme of political correctness or lack thereof will no doubt resonate in 2017 where it's been a matter of constant, mainstream debate.

Callahan, who also painted and wrote songs, was molested at the age of 8 and began drinking at the age of twelve. "I used the alcohol to hide the pain of the abuse," he said.

Mara and Phoenix will also co-star in the upcoming biblical film, Mary Magdalene.

Don't Worry, He Won't Get Far On Foot will arrive on Amazon and in select theatres 11 May.

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