Movie Review: Joe Versus the Volcano (1990)
Joe Versus the Volcano is anything but a typical romantic comedy. It’s much more creative and interesting than the poster would imply; I promise.
The movie is written and directed by John Patrick Shanley, who won an Academy Award for Moonstruck, and would later adapt and direct the movie Doubt, based on his own play. I bring this up this early in the review not because I’m all too familiar with his work, but because this movie’s uniqueness shows the stamp of a true solitary vision. The movie may have been produced by Steven Spielberg, Frank Marshall, and Kathleen Kennedy of Amblin Entertainment, but it’s certainly Shanley’s movie.
The movie begins with Joe Banks (Tom Hanks, Forrest Gump), who works at just about the worst job you can imagine.
Right away, the movie is a treat visually, with this scene inspired by the opening scenes of Metropolis, and proving to be every bit as dystopian. The sole of Joe’s shoe breaks as he heads off to work, and he makes note of a flower sticking up through the concrete of the sidewalk.
Inside the office, it’s every bit as miserable, with his boss (Dan Hedaya, Carla’s ex-husband from Cheers) having the same repetetive argument on the phone over and over again. The place looks miserable, with depressing lighting and washed out colors. Joe’s not happy at work and he talks of not feeling well. He later sees a doctor, played by Robert Stack (Airplane!, TV’s The Untouchables), who tells him he has a brain cloud, and only has a few months to live, but that it has no real symptoms otherwise.
Returning to work, he tries to revive the flower that had been trampled.
Hee quits his job, sticking up to his boss, and he asks out his former co-worker, DeDe (Meg Ryan, When Harry Met Sally…).
The date starts out awkwardly, but DeDe notes that Joe seems to be feeling well, and he realizes that for the first time in years, he is. He seems to be shedding his hypochondria, and enjoying himself.
The date goes very well until he admits that he only has so long to live, which turns DeDe off.
The next day, Joe is greeted in his miserable apartment by an eccentric businessman, Samuel Graynamore (Lloyd Bridges, Airplane!). He tells him that there is a remote Pacific island named Waponi Woo, whose residents believe that its volcano will erupt unless someone will jump in it and appease their gods. He offers him credit cards and the chance to live like a king in his remaining few days. Joe accepts.
He hires a limo and goes shopping with his driver, played by Ossie Davis. His purchases seem pretty random at first, but all become important later on, notably the massive trunks he buys.
He flies to Los Angeles, where he’s greeted once again by Meg Ryan, this time playing Graynamore’s daughter, Angelica. The next day, she takes him to the family yacht, where he meets a third Meg Ryan, Angelica’s step-sister, Patricia Graynamore.
As they head for Waponi Woo, Joe and Patricia get to know each other. They enjoy fishing in the second montage scene of the movie, which is absurdly fun.
In the most visually appealing scene of the movie, the two of them talk on the yacht as a typhoon approaches. It’s a really gorgeous scene and it has very artificial lighting that remains quite appealing to look at.
The entire movie is very fantastical, from the three Meg Ryan roles to the visuals. Everything is colorful and just gorgeous to look at. The movie features marvelous cinematography by Stephen Goldblatt and production design by Bo Welch.
The typhoon hits and Patricia is thrown from the yacht, causing Joe to jump in the water after her. Throughout the movie, Joe is a very selfless character, and it is mentioned that he used to be a fireman. It seems that he lost his spirit when he was no longer able to help people, instead working a dead-end office job, but he’s changed when he once again has the chance to help.
Joe is able to construct a raft out of the trunks that he had purchased, and he is able to keep Patricia alive, feeding her all of the fresh water he has.
Still, Joe’s spirit isn’t broken.
When he sees the full moon, he even thanks God for his life, thinking that it will likely end there before he even gets to the volcano.
Patricia comes to and is surprised to find that Joe has not drank any of the water. They eventually make it to Waponi Woo, where they’re greeted as heroes by the natives, led by their chief, played by Abe Vigoda.
Joe vows to go to the volcano, but Patricia tries to stop him, confessing her love. He admits he loves her, too, but that “the timing stinks.” Patricia has the chief marry them, and they jump into the volcano together, but are blown out back to the ocean.
They’re surprised and grateful to find themselves alive, but Joe admits that he is going to die soon, telling her about the brain cloud. She asks if he ever got a second opinion and he confesses that he didn’t, which strikes her as odd. She asks him who the doctor was, and after he tells her, she says that the doctor was on her father’s payroll, and that he had no patients other than her father, meaning that Samuel Graynamore had been setting him up. Joe is relieved to find that he has his whole life ahead of him.
The entire movie feels like a fable or a fairy tale in the best possible sense. It’s a charming movie, and incredibly creative. It’s not perfect. I don’t care much for the ending, but I also wouldn’t have liked to see Joe and Patricia die, so I don’t know.
It’s an interesting movie and definitely worth checking out. Tom Hanks and Meg Ryan are as charming as they’ve ever been, and it’s visually astounding. It’s definitely not a typical romantic comedy in its plot or execution.
Rating: 7/10
