59. Joe Versus the Volcano

I remember back in 1990 when I walked into this movie hoping it would just take my mind off being in high school. That Saturday night, I (for some reason) had no one to hang out with, no girlfriend to call my own and no sense of what I wanted to do with myself once I graduated. I only wanted this stupid romantic comedy to give me a few laughs just so I could forget about everything else.

This movie had me laughing out loud just from the first few shots, as Joe (Tom Hanks) goes to his “very lousy job.” He walks with dozens of other faceless zombies to the workplace, a mud-infested, fluorescent drenched cesspool…all to the tune of “16 Tons.”   More than any John Hughes flick, this opening really reminded me of high school.

Today, Joe Versus the Volcano has a special place in my heart and will always be one of my favorite movies. The only directorial effort from John Patrick Shanley (riding the wave of his Oscar-winning screenplay for Moonstruck), Volcano blew me away with its quirky characters dissecting their philosophies of life, its otherworldliness and its ability to get by without a single villain (save for Dan Hedaya’s Boss From Hell, Mr. Waturi).  I expected so much less from a Spielberg-produced Hollywood product that seemed to be driven by star power. The trailer looked awful. The reviews were good to fair (Ebert’s 3 1/2 –star review got my curiosity going). Yet, that Saturday night, its words and images spoke to me. The moonrise scene alone still puts a lump in my throat.

Apparently, I’m not alone. Today, Volcano enjoys a nice cult success, thanks to a few fan sites, many of which feature essays and debates regarding (among other things) the symbolic meaning of that zigzag symbol that appears throughout the film. By the way, we DEMAND an official soundtrack release, which would have to feature George Delerue’s exquisite score. (Collin Souter)