Overview
See production notesJoe Banks is a downtrodden everyman from Staten Island, working a clerical job in a dreary factory for an unpleasant, demanding boss, Frank Waturi. Joyless, listless and chronically sick, Banks regularly visits doctors who can find nothing wrong with him. Finally, Dr. Ellison diagnoses an incurable disease called a "brain cloud", which has no symptoms, but will kill him within five or six months. Ellison says that the symptoms he has been experiencing are actually psychosomatic, caused by trauma in his previous job as a firefighter. Ellison advises him to live the few remaining months of his life well. Joe tells his boss off, quits his job, and asks former coworker DeDe out on a date. Their date is a success, but when Joe tells DeDe that he is dying, she tells him she cannot deal with the revelation and leaves. The next day, a wealthy industrialist named Samuel Graynamore makes Joe an unexpected proposition. Graynamore needs "bubaru", a mineral essential for manufacturing superconductors. There are deposits of it on the tiny Pacific island of Waponi Woo, but the resident Waponis will only let him mine it if he solves a problem for them. They believe that the fire god of the volcano on their island must be appeased by a voluntary human sacrifice once every century, but none of them are willing to volunteer this time around. Graynamore offers to pay for whatever Joe wants to enjoy his final days, as long as he jumps into the volcano within 20 days. With nothing to lose, Joe accepts. Joe spends a day and a night out on the town in New York City, where he solicits advice on everything from style to living life to the fullest from his chauffeur, Marshall. He also purchases four top-of-the-line, waterproof steamer trunks from a fanatically dedicated luggage salesman. Joe then flies to Los Angeles, where he is met by one of Graynamore's daughters, Angelica, a flighty socialite. The next morning, Angelica takes Joe to her father's yacht, the Tweedledee. The captain is her half-sister Patricia. Patricia has reluctantly agreed to take Joe to Waponi Woo; Graynamore has promised to give her the yacht in return. After an awkward beginning, Joe and Patricia begin to bond. Then they run into a typhoon. Patricia is knocked unconscious and flung overboard. After Joe jumps in to rescue her, lightning strikes, sinking the yacht. Joe is able to construct a raft by lashing together his steamer trunks. Patricia does not regain consciousness for several days. Joe doles out the small supply of fresh water to her, while he gradually becomes delirious from thirst. He experiences a revelation during his delirium and thanks God for his life. When Patricia finally awakens, she is deeply touched by Joe's self-sacrifice. They then find that they have luckily drifted to their destination. The Waponis treat them to a grand feast. Their leader, Chief Tobi, asks one last time if anyone else will volunteer, but there are no takers and Joe heads to the volcano. Patricia tries to stop him, declaring her love for him. He admits he loves her as well, "but the timing stinks." Patricia persuades Joe to have the chief marry them. Afterwards, Patricia refuses to be separated from her new husband. When Joe is unable to dissuade her, they jump in together, but the volcano erupts at that moment, blowing them out into the ocean. The island sinks, but Joe and Patricia land near Joe's trusty steamer trunks. At first ecstatic about their miraculous salvation, Joe tells Patricia about his fatal brain cloud. She recognizes the name of Joe's doctor as that of her father's crony and realizes that Joe has been set up. He is not dying and they can live happily ever after.
Plot from Joe Versus the VolcanoCC BY-SA 4.0
- Countries
- United States
- Original language
- English
Cast
See all credits
Gallery
Quotes
See all quotesJoe: So I'm not sick except for this terminal disease? Dr. Ellison: Which has no symptoms. That's right.
Joe Versus the Volcano, CC BY-SA 4.0
Joe: This life. Life, what a joke. This situation, this room. Mr. Waturi: Uh, Joe. Maybe you should just go. Joe: You look terrible, Mr. Waturi. You look like a bag of shit stuffed in a cheap suit. Not that anyone could look good under these zombie lights. I, I, I, I can feel them sucking the juice out of my eyeball. Suck, suck, suck, SUCK... [makes a sucking noise] For 300 bucks a week, that's the news. For 300 bucks a week, I've lived in this sink, this used rubber. Mr. Waturi: You watch it, mister! There's a woman here! Joe: Don't you think I know that, Frank? Don't you think I am aware there is a woman here? I can smell her, like, like a flower. I can taste her, like sugar on my tongue. When I'm 20 feet away I can hear the fabric of her dress when she moves in her chair. Not that I've done anything about it. I've gone all day, every day, not doing, not saying, not taking the chance for 300 dollars a week, and Frank, the coffee, it stinks, it's like arsenic. The lights give me a hea
Joe Versus the Volcano, CC BY-SA 4.0
Marshall: They just pay me to drive the limo, sir. I'm not here to tell you who you are. Joe: I didn't ask you to tell me who I am. Marshall: You were hinting around about clothes. That happens to be a very important topic to me, sir. Clothes, Mr... Joe: Banks. Marshall: Banks. Clothes make the man. I believe that. You say to me you want to go shopping, you want to buy clothes, but you don't know what kind. You leave that hanging in the air, like I'm going to fill in the blank. Now, that to me is like asking me who you are, and I don't know who you are. I don't want to know. It's taken me my whole life to find out who I am, and I'm tired now. You hear what I'm saying? Marshall: What kinda clothes do you got now? Joe: Well, I got the kinda clothes I'm wearing. Marshall: So you got no clothes.
Joe Versus the Volcano, CC BY-SA 4.0
Luggage Salesman: Have you thought much about luggage, Mr. Banks? Joe: No. Luggage Salesman: It's the central preoccupation of my life. You travel the world, you're away from home, perhaps away from your family, all you have to depend on is yourself and your luggage. Joe: Yes, I guess that's true. Luggage Salesman: Are you traveling light or heavy? Joe: Heavy. Luggage Salesman: Flying? Joe: Flying. And by ship. Luggage Salesman: An ocean voyage? Joe: Yes. Luggage Salesman: Ah. Yes. So. A real journey. Joe: And then I'll be staying on this island and I don't even really know if I'll be living in a hut or what. Luggage Salesman: Very exciting. As a luggage problem. I believe I have just the thing. Joe: Wow. Luggage Salesman: This is our premier steamer trunk. All handmade, only the finest materials. It's even watertight, tight as a drum. If I had the need, and the wherewithal, Mr. Banks, this would be my trunk of choice. Joe: I'll take four of them. Luggage Salesman: May you live to be a
Joe Versus the Volcano, CC BY-SA 4.0
Joe: Marshall? Marshall: Yeah. Joe: I was wondering if you want to have dinner with me tonight. Marshall: I can't do that; I got the wife and kids at the end of the day. Joe: Yeah... Marshall: Listen, haven't you got anybody? Joe: No. But there are certain times in your life when I guess you're not supposed to have anybody, you know? There are certain doors you have to go through alone. Marshall: You're gonna be all right.
Joe Versus the Volcano, CC BY-SA 4.0
Joe: What's the matter? Angelica: Did you ever think about killing yourself? Joe: What... Why would you do that? Angelica: Why shouldn't I? Joe: Because some things take care of themselves. They're not your job; maybe they're not even your business. I like your poem. Angelica: I'm a grown woman and I live on my father's money. That restaurant that had my painting up, that's my father's restaurant. Joe: Why are you telling me? Angelica: I don't know. I'll tell anybody who'll listen. No, that's not true. I don't know why I'm telling you. Joe: Listen to me. If you have a choice between killing yourself and doing something you're scared of doing, why not take the leap and do the thing you're scared of doing? Angelica: You mean stop taking money and leave L.A.? Joe: You see? You know what you're afraid of doing. Why don't you do it? See what happens? Angelica: You must be tired. Joe: I don't mind talking. Angelica: Well, I do! This is one of those typical conversations where we're all open
Joe Versus the Volcano, CC BY-SA 4.0
Ratings
More like this
Where to watch
Where to watch is coming soon
Discuss
Discussion is coming soon