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.
Credits
The Source Cast
| Name |
Character |
|
Johnny Depp
He was 35, now 60 years old
|
as Jack Kerouac |
|
Dennis Hopper
He was 62, 74 years old when he died
|
as William S. Burroughs |
|
Steve Martin
He was 53, now 78 years old
|
as Himself |
|
John Turturro
He was 41, now 67 years old
|
as Allen Ginsberg |
The Source Crew
| Name |
Department |
|
Chuck Workman as Director. He was 1 (now 24) years old
|
Directing |
