He looks and acts like a cross between Jesus and Charlie Manson. That's Hesher, his chest tattooed with gun violence, his mouth a spewing sewer, his eyes fixated on porn. As played by the spectacular Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Hesher is the id run rampant.

Off the Cuff with Peter Travers: Joseph Gordon-Levitt

So what is this metal-freak stranger doing in the home of a family in danger of imploding? The kid (a terrific Devin Brochu) is bullied at school. The dad (Rainn Wilson) is barely alive. Grandma (a splendid Piper Laurie) is tired of holding it together. And Mom? Well, she died in a car crash.

That's the situation into which debuting director Spencer Susser throws this twisted force of nature. Hesher takes over everyone, except Nicole (Natalie Portman), the checkout girl of the kid's dreams.

The Complete Archive: Over 20 Years of Peter Travers' Movie Reviews Now Online

As the film's co-producer, Portman shows a bracing kinship with the indie spirit. So what if Hesher flies off its wobbly handles — it keeps springing funny and touching surprises. The performances are aces. Wilson makes Dad's emergence a subtle marvel. And even when the script edges Gordon-Levitt into Hallmark sentiment, you can't take your eyes off him.

“My President”

Young Jeezy teams up with Nas on this track, in which he compare his own success with the idea of an African-American winning the Democratic Party's nomination in the 2008 presidential election. "When I pulled up in my car, that s--- was unbelievable to people in my neighborhood because they were like, 'We grew up with him. How the hell did he accomplish this?'" he told Rolling Stone. "I feel like it was the same way with Obama. I grew up all this time, but I've never seen a black man this close to running this country."