IMDb > Beat (2000)
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Beat (2000) -- The story of writer William Seward Burroughs and his wife.
Beat (2000) -- Sinematurk - Trailer (Flash)

Overview

User Rating:
5.3/10   714 votes
MOVIEmeter: ?

Down 8% in popularity this week. See why on IMDbPro.

Director:

Gary Walkow

Writer:

Gary Walkow (writer)

Contact:

View company contact information for Beat on IMDbPro.

Genre:

Drama more

Tagline:

Sex and Drugs before Rock and Roll

Plot:

The story of writer William Seward Burroughs and his wife. | add synopsis

Plot Keywords:

more

Awards:

1 nomination more

User Comments:

Unromantic and riveting film about a true story more (30 total)


Cast

  (Cast overview, first billed only)

Courtney Love ... Joan Vollmer Burroughs

Kiefer Sutherland ... William S. Burroughs
Lisa Sheridan ... Sadie
Patricia Llaca ... Mary (as Patricia De Llaca)
Steve Hedden ... Pharmacist

Ron Livingston ... Allen Ginsberg

Norman Reedus ... Lucien Carr
Daniel Martínez ... Jack Kerouac
Kyle Secor ... Dave Kammerer
Pedro Gonzalez ... Knife Sharpener
Georgiana Sîrbu ... Julie
Rene Rubio ... Bill Jr.

Sam Trammell ... Lee
Alec Von Bargen ... Heard

Tommy Perna ... Dwight
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Additional Details

MPAA:

Rated R for language and elements of sex, drugs and violence.

Runtime:

93 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1 more

Certification:

Australia:M | USA:R | Iceland:12


Fun Stuff

Quotes:

Lucien Carr: They'll probably give me the chair for this, huh?
William S. Burroughs: Don't be absurd. They don't fry freshman literature students.
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Movie Connections:

Version of Naked Lunch (1991) more


FAQ

This FAQ is empty. Add the first question.
7 out of 9 people found the following comment useful.
Unromantic and riveting film about a true story, 18 March 2003
Author: pksky1 from Northern California

The beatniks were an artistic and social counterculture movement before the hippies in the sixties. The characters in this movie were famous poets and writers in this movement who had already had many adventures before we find them in this story. Burroughs is holed up in Mexico with his wife and kids on the lam from the US because he had been a heroine addict. Along with his marriage, Burroughs has a homosexual relationship with a younger man. The marriage is having some problems. Some old friends come down south to visit them and party with them.

Perhaps it helps to have had some familiarity with the lives of these people, their times and their work to appreciate this film. Even so, this is a good place to start.

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Message Boards

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Recent Posts (updated daily)User
scratch a bohemian and you get a boy scout danelle_cran2000
Great movie! brianhasbigears
One of my favorites! gdzac
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