Storyline
Traces the Beats from Allen Ginsberg and Jack Kerouac's meeting in 1944 at Columbia University to the deaths of Ginsberg and William S. Burroughs in 1997. Three actors provide dramatic interpretations of the work of these three writers, and the film chronicles their friendships, their arrival into American consciousness, their travels, frequent parodies, Kerouac's death, and Ginsberg's politicization. Their movement connects with bebop, John Cage's music, abstract expressionism, and living theater. In recent interviews, Ginsberg, Burroughs, Kesey, Ferlinghetti, Mailer, Jerry Garcia, Tom Hayden, Gary Snyder, Ed Sanders, and others measure the Beats' meaning and impact.
Cast & Crew
Johnny Depp
Jack Kerouac
Lead
Dennis Hopper
William S. Burroughs
John Turturro
Allen Ginsberg
Allen Ginsberg
Self (archive footage)
William S. Burroughs
Self (archive footage)
Philip Glass
Self
RC
Robert Creeley
Self
AC
Ann Charters
Self
What People Are Saying
3.0
“A staggering achievement of craft and ambition. Chuck Workman's vision lands with breathtaking precision.”
3.0
“Every frame feels alive. The Source is the rare release that takes its audience seriously.”
