Howl

Jeffrey Friedman
2010-08-26

The Obscenity Trial That Started a Revolution. The Poem That Rocked a Generation.
6.5
84 min

It's San Francisco in 1957, and an American masterpiece is put on trial. Howl, the film, recounts this dark moment using three interwoven threads: the tumultuous life events that led a young Allen Ginsberg to find his true voice as an artist, society's reaction (the obscenity trial), and mind-expanding animation that echoes the startling originality of the poem itself. All three coalesce in a genre-bending hybrid that brilliantly captures a pivotal moment-the birth of a counterculture.

Cast

Name Character Team
James Franco Allen Ginsberg Hangin with Mr. Cooper
Todd Rotondi Jack Kerouac Unowned
Jon Prescott Neal Cassady Unowned
Aaron Tveit Peter Orlovsky Unowned
David Strathairn Ralph McIntosh Zac E. Chan
Jon Hamm Jake Ehrlich Zac E. Chan
Andrew Rogers Lawrence Ferlinghetti Unowned
Bob Balaban Judge Clayton Horn Unowned
Mary-Louise Parker Gail Potter Unowned
Treat Williams Mark Schorer Unowned
Jeff Daniels Professor David Kirk The Free Refills
Alessandro Nivola Luther Nichols Unowned
Allen Ginsberg Himself Unowned
Sean Patrick Reilly Six Gallery Unowned
Alex Emanuel Six Gallery Unowned
Cecilia Foss Beatnik Poet Unowned