Joe the King

Actor Frank Whaley's debut as writer/director is a compelling and unsentimental look at adolescence as seen through the eyes of Joe (Noah Fleiss), a troubled 14-year-old whose problems include an alcoholic and debt-riddled father (Val Kilmer), a lack of friends at school, and an older brother (Max Ligosh) who's begun to ignore him. The moving, semi-autobiographical tale also stars Karen Young, Ethan Hawke, Camryn Manheim. 100 min. Widescreen; Soundtrack: English Dolby Digital Surround; Subtitles: English, French, Spanish; audio commentary; theatrical trailer.