Craigslist Joe

Fans of Zach Galifianakis probably know him best from his off-colored comedic roles in movies like The Hangover, Hangover II, and Dinner for Schmucks. But the actor is branching out in a surprising direction – he’s the executive producer of a highly anticipated indie documentary called Craigslist Joe that will hit theaters later this summer.

 A synopsis on imdb.com says, “In a time when America's economy was crumbling and sense of community was in question, one guy left everything behind to see if he could survive solely on the support and goodwill of the 21st century's new town square: Craigslist.” 

The film follows 29-year-old “average Joe” Joseph Garner as he sets out on a road trip to challenge the sense of community (or lack thereof) in a technology-driven world.

Garner deletes his cell phone contacts and heads out penniless with essentially only a laptop and toothbrush to see if he can survive exclusively through the aid of Craigslist, the popular online classified ad site that offers seemingly everything. Using Craigslist, Garner not only wants to find food and shelter, but also adventure.

The 31-day cross-country odyssey was filmed by a camera crew and aims to capture the highs and lows of Garner’s experience, as well as reveal whether a true sense of community still exists in America despite the economic and personal hardships that many Americans have endured in recent years.

Get a first look with the film's first trailer that is viewable at CinemaBlend.

From the looks of the trailer, expect to see a heartwarming, emotional side to a quirky movie that shows that reality can be stranger than fiction. I’m definitely intrigued and love a relatable movie with a heart and soul, which this one seems to have. I think we can all use a reminder that there is still kindness and humanity in a nation where people often seem more connected to their mobile devices than to each other. Kudos to Galifianakis for getting on board with such an unusual social experiment, which is totally relevant and timely given that online communities like Craigslist, Facebook,. and Twitter have replaced physical communities and personal interaction in many ways.

I suspect Garner will ultimately find there are still a lot of redeeming qualities to the world we live in, and that the viewer will be reminded along the way, too.

Craigslist Joe opens in theaters and is available on iTunes August 2nd. Will you check it out?