Heart Beat is a 1980 movie directed by John Byrum.
Heart Beat tells the story of the relationship between Jack Kerouac, Neal Cassady and Carolyn Cassady. Nick Nolte plays the iconic Beat Generation muse, while John Heard portrays Kerouac and Sissy Spacek is Carolyn. While the story attempts to capture the intimacy of a complicated relationship, the movie does a disservice to the vibrancy and pulsing energy of Cassady found in Kerouac’s writing.
THE BEST – Jazz and Cars
Kerouac’s sprawling On the Road is considered an unfilmable novel, at least given its non-linear path and deep spiritual and metaphysical yearnings. However, in a pure visual sense – Kerouac’s book can be boiled down to jazz and cars. The characters furiously race across the country in stolen vehicles and channel their co-opted spirits in dope-steeped jazz clubs.
At least compared to the pale 2012 movie version of On the Road, Byrum manages to remember these basic tenants. The cars look fantastic and while the energy suffers, at least we see Cassady and Kerouac in clubs idolizing their heroes.
THE BEST Part 2 – Kerouac Gets Called Out
An interesting aspect of the movie comes as both Nolte’s Cassady and Ann Dusenberry’s Stevie calls out Kerouac for “using” Cassady as his Beat muse. It’s an obvious but often overlooked component of their relationship. Kerouac is simply not Kerouac without Cassady.
THE WORST – How Do You Fuck Up Neal Cassady??????
Nolte is a terrific actor and in most respects, turns in a solid acting performance here. However, he completely fails to harness even a bit of Cassady’s unbalanced passion and sonic energy that jumps from Kerouac’s pages. Throughout Heart Beat, Nolte’s version of Cassady is often void of being – he simply exists, even in the moments when the audience is supposed to be shocked by his behavior or appearance. Nolte wearing high heels is not exactly a substitute for his frenzied craving for living.
Similarly, it’s a drag to see Nolte’s Cassady mindlessly checking on train passengers while his literary representation rushes from car to car in a feverish, almost lustful blur. While Nolte’s performance is not as depressing as Garrett Hedlund’s 2012 sullen abomination, it still lacks passion and is painfully boring.
FOX FORCE FIVE RATING – 2.5/5
Heart Beat is a solid attempt at competent filmmaking but unfortunately cannot harness much of the energy of one of the most vibrant characters in literary history.
