Beat (2000 film)
| Beat | |
|---|---|
 DVD cover |
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| Directed by | Gary Walkow |
| Produced by | Andrew Pfeffer Alain Silver Donald Zuckerman |
| Written by | Gary Walkow |
| Starring | Courtney Love Kiefer Sutherland Ron Livingston Norman Reedus |
| Music by | Ernest Troost |
| Cinematography | Ciro Cabello |
| Editing by | Craig Devilliers Peter B. Ellis Steve Vance Gary Walkow |
| Distributed by | Lions Gate Entertainment |
| Release date(s) | January 29, 2000 (Sundance) |
| Running time | 93 minutes |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
Beat is 2000 drama film written and directed by Gary Walkow, concerning the period of writer William S. Burroughs's life that he spent with his wife, the late Joan Vollmer, leading up to her accidental murder in 1951.
The film stars Kiefer Sutherland as Burroughs, Courtney Love as Joan, Norman Reedus as Lucien Carr, and Ron Livingston as Allen Ginsberg. It premiered at the Sundance Film Festival in January 2000.
Contents |
[edit] Plot
The film opens with Vollmer balancing a water tumbler on her head as Burroughs, her husband, aims a gun at her as she entices him to shoot her. The film then cuts to Joan and Burroughs in the months prior in Mexico City, as Burroughs is leaving on a trip to Guatemala to meet his male lover, Lee. Joan, despondent to William's affair and his disinterest in her, is left to take care of their two children while he goes on his vacation.
Various flashbacks from that point on tell the story of the 1944 murder of their mutual friend Dave Kammerer in New York City, while Joan was a student at Columbia University. Dave was killed by Lucien Carr (Norman Reedus) after he made unwanted sexual advances on him. Lucien arrives at William and Joan's apartment and confesses to the murder.
The story cuts back to Mexico City in 1951, and Joan goes on a vacation in the country with Lucien and his friend, Ginsberg, while William is in Guatemala with Lee. On their trip, Lucien, who has recently been released from prison for the murder of Dave, attempts to romance Joan but she dismisses his advances. Meanwhile, William unsuccessful tries to pursue Lee while the two are in Guatemala.
William returns home to Joan, frustrated by Lee's dwindling lack of sexual and romantic interest him, and falls into a depression. Joan asks him to return to New York City with her, but he refuses due to his pending charge for heroin possession in the United States.
At the end of the film, William accidentally shoots Joan in the head while at their friends' apartment after the two had been drinking. The film ends with Lucien receiving the news of her death in a telegram.
[edit] Cast
- Courtney Love as Joan Vollmer
- Kiefer Sutherland as William S. Burroughs
- Ron Livingston as Allen Ginsberg
- Norman Reedus as Lucien Carr
- Daniel Martinez as Jack Kerouac
- Kyle Secor as Dave Kammerer
- Sam Trammel as Lee
- Alec Von Bargen as Heard
- Tommy Perna as Dwight
[edit] References
[edit] External links
- Beat at the Internet Movie Database
- Beat at AllRovi
- Beat at Rotten Tomatoes
- 2000 films
- American films
- English-language films
- 2000s drama films
- American drama films
- American LGBT-related films
- Films about drugs
- Films about writers
- Films based on actual events
- Films set in Mexico
- Films set in New York City
- Films set in the 1940s
- Films set in the 1950s
- Films shot in Mexico
- Independent films
- Lions Gate Entertainment films
