Old Joy
Kelly Reichardt · 2006
Kelly Reichardt’s 2006 debut follows two old friends, Mark and Kurt, on an overnight camping trip to Bagby Hot Springs in Oregon. Mark is settling into domestic life and impending fatherhood; Kurt remains rootless, spiritually adrift. Their conversation circles shared history and unspoken distance, culminating not in reconciliation but in quiet, mutual departure. Shot on a $30,000 budget, the film relies on understated performances, natural light, and ambient sound to trace the subtle erosion of intimacy across divergent adult paths.