The Cast of Howl
These are all REAL people
James Franco as Allen Ginsberg
I always enjoy Franco, and he is the reason I chose this film to focus upon. Franco's portrayal of Ginsberg is inspired; I feel Ginsberg is the type of person Franco would enjoy due to his artsy nature. If you listen to Ginsberg reading "Howl," you will notice how good of a job Franco does at getting Ginsberg's speech patterns and dialect. It does seem at times that Franco appears timid during this portrayal, but perhaps Ginsberg was timid while his writing was not. Franco's emotions mirror what Ginsberg would be feeling. Ginsberg initially did not want to release "Howl" because he did not want people, like his father, to find out he was a homosexual, so timidity seems on point. I always enjoy seeing Franco become a character, and for this film, he is Allen Ginsberg.
I always enjoy Franco, and he is the reason I chose this film to focus upon. Franco's portrayal of Ginsberg is inspired; I feel Ginsberg is the type of person Franco would enjoy due to his artsy nature. If you listen to Ginsberg reading "Howl," you will notice how good of a job Franco does at getting Ginsberg's speech patterns and dialect. It does seem at times that Franco appears timid during this portrayal, but perhaps Ginsberg was timid while his writing was not. Franco's emotions mirror what Ginsberg would be feeling. Ginsberg initially did not want to release "Howl" because he did not want people, like his father, to find out he was a homosexual, so timidity seems on point. I always enjoy seeing Franco become a character, and for this film, he is Allen Ginsberg.
Jon Hamm as Jake Ehrlich
Hamm portrays Ferlinghetti's lawyer from the ACLU. Hamm's portrayal is intelligent and shows great cleverness during cross-examination of McIntosh's "expert" witnesses. I read that in real life, Ehrlich had a "larger than life" type of personality, and if this is true, then Hamm does not capture that. Hamm plays Ehrlich as intelligent and reserved, not boisterous.
David Strathairn as Ralph McIntosh
Strathairn portrays McIntosh, the lawyer representing the state of California, the lawyer trying to prove that "Howl" is indeed obscene. McIntosh focuses on the language Ginsberg uses - he points out several passages that use vulgar language and sexuality. It does seem like he tries his best, but his questions are redundant and he does not seem as intelligent as Ehrlich - I'm sure this was done on purpose.
Andrew Rogers as Lawrence Ferlinghetti
Rogers portrays Ferlinghetti. The film takes place as the trial is happening; Rogers does not even have a speaking part. Rogers simply sits there, looking like Ferlinghetti.
Rogers portrays Ferlinghetti. The film takes place as the trial is happening; Rogers does not even have a speaking part. Rogers simply sits there, looking like Ferlinghetti.
Bob Balaban as Judge Horn As tensions run high during this trial that encroaches on the first amendment, Balaban's portrayal offers a calming presence, much like I imagine the original Judge Horn did. Balaban portrays Judge Horn as intelligent and fair during the film, taking both sides into consideration. As Balaban delivers one of the last lines before the verdict is read, "would there be any freedom of press or speech if one must reduce his vocabulary to vapid innocuous euphemism? An author should be real in treating his subject and be allowed to express his thoughts and ideas in his own words" he makes a cogent point, one that resonates with all who despise censorship. |
Mary-Louise Parker as Gail Potter
Mary-Louise Parker portrays Gail Potter, one of the literary witnesses McIntosh uses; she staunchly believes the book has no literary merit. This character is very pretentious, and very proud of herself for translating a Faust book, which the audience in the court room finds laughable. Potter believes that "Howl" fails in rhetoric and in style; she goes onto say that reading "Howl" makes you feel like "you are going through the gutter," yet she never cites any specific examples. Her assertions are just negative and broad. She is portrayed as a bit incompetent; she is repeatedly asked to "step down," yet she does not understand what she should do. The court scenes from this film were taken directly from the court transcripts, so this learned woman, this expert, was really this clueless.
Mary-Louise Parker portrays Gail Potter, one of the literary witnesses McIntosh uses; she staunchly believes the book has no literary merit. This character is very pretentious, and very proud of herself for translating a Faust book, which the audience in the court room finds laughable. Potter believes that "Howl" fails in rhetoric and in style; she goes onto say that reading "Howl" makes you feel like "you are going through the gutter," yet she never cites any specific examples. Her assertions are just negative and broad. She is portrayed as a bit incompetent; she is repeatedly asked to "step down," yet she does not understand what she should do. The court scenes from this film were taken directly from the court transcripts, so this learned woman, this expert, was really this clueless.
Jeff Daniels as David Kirk
Jeff Daniels is another actor I love to watch, so when I learned he was in Howl, I was stoked. Daniels portrays David Kirk, an associate professor of English from the University of San Francisco, who believes the poem "Howl" has no literary merit. Sadly, the part is small, but he plays it well. Like Gail Potter, David Kirk is portrayed as pretentious; I believe this was done on purpose to these two characters. Kirk has qualms with the poem because he believes poems should be successful in form, and he thinks "Howl" simply is not; he notes "Howl" as a weak imitation of Whitman's "Leaves of Grass", although he stated that he loved "Leaves of Grass". He also goes on to state that there is no theme of the poem, but once Ehrlich steps up to examine Kirk, he quickly contradicts himself; he then states the idea of "Howl" is clear, but the theme has a negative value, instead of not existing. Ehrlich quickly makes Kirk appear as a fool.
Jeff Daniels is another actor I love to watch, so when I learned he was in Howl, I was stoked. Daniels portrays David Kirk, an associate professor of English from the University of San Francisco, who believes the poem "Howl" has no literary merit. Sadly, the part is small, but he plays it well. Like Gail Potter, David Kirk is portrayed as pretentious; I believe this was done on purpose to these two characters. Kirk has qualms with the poem because he believes poems should be successful in form, and he thinks "Howl" simply is not; he notes "Howl" as a weak imitation of Whitman's "Leaves of Grass", although he stated that he loved "Leaves of Grass". He also goes on to state that there is no theme of the poem, but once Ehrlich steps up to examine Kirk, he quickly contradicts himself; he then states the idea of "Howl" is clear, but the theme has a negative value, instead of not existing. Ehrlich quickly makes Kirk appear as a fool.
Treat Williams as Mark Schorer
Treat Williams portrays Mark Schorer, an English professor and the chairman of graduate studies from the University of California. Schorer believes the poem does hold literary merit. Williams portrays Schorer with class, intelligence and wit. McIntosh is essentially quizzing Schorer on the literal meanings of these lines of poetry and Schorer shuts him down by saying "you cannot translate poetry into prose - that's why it's poetry." Schorer believes Ginsberg uses the language he does to illustrate his personal experiences, and they are indeed important and necessary to the work.
Alessandro Nivola as Luther Nichols
Alessandro Nivola portrays Luther Nichols, a literary critic from the San Francisco Examiner. He strongly believes "Howl" has literary merit. Like Williams' portrayal of Schorer, Nivola's portrayal is intelligent, and collected. These two characters provide a stark contrast against Potter and Kirk, the ones who do not care for the poem. Nichols, too, believes the language used by Ginsberg is necessary to the meaning of the poem - change the words, change the tone, mood, meaning - everything.
Todd Rotandi as Jack Kerouac
Rotandi very briefly portrays Kerouac - it's so brief, it's barely worth mention, but it is an important scene and he is one of our main Beats. In the film, we see Kerouac in the audience of the "Howl" reading, and a few other scenes. The scene worth note is wherein we learn that Kerouac is the first person Ginsberg admitted being homosexual; we learn that Ginsberg truly loved Kerouac, and this relationship is crucial to Ginsberg's development as a person and writer.
Rotandi very briefly portrays Kerouac - it's so brief, it's barely worth mention, but it is an important scene and he is one of our main Beats. In the film, we see Kerouac in the audience of the "Howl" reading, and a few other scenes. The scene worth note is wherein we learn that Kerouac is the first person Ginsberg admitted being homosexual; we learn that Ginsberg truly loved Kerouac, and this relationship is crucial to Ginsberg's development as a person and writer.
Jon Prescott as Neal Cassady
Prescott portraying Cassady was even smaller than Kerouac's part. Cassady is seen at the "Howl" reading, along with Kerouac and many others. Cassady and Ginsberg are shown on a road trip; Franco does a wonderful job portraying Ginsberg's love for Cassady. The film shows Cassady's wife walking in on him and Ginsberg in a compromising position, and it shows the heartache Ginsberg felt when Cassady broke it off with him. Out of this heartbreak, he met his true love, Peter Orlovsky, a bit later.
Prescott portraying Cassady was even smaller than Kerouac's part. Cassady is seen at the "Howl" reading, along with Kerouac and many others. Cassady and Ginsberg are shown on a road trip; Franco does a wonderful job portraying Ginsberg's love for Cassady. The film shows Cassady's wife walking in on him and Ginsberg in a compromising position, and it shows the heartache Ginsberg felt when Cassady broke it off with him. Out of this heartbreak, he met his true love, Peter Orlovsky, a bit later.
Aaron Tveit as Peter Orlovsky
Orlovsky is one of the most important people in Ginsberg's life, but the part he plays in the film is relatively small. The focus of the film is the time of the trial, not their relationship. The film highlights how Ginsberg meets Orlovsky; he meets him after having a year of therapy with Dr. Hicks. Ginsberg is still very much uneasy about his homosexuality, and he thinks something is wrong with him because of it, but meeting Orlovsky, Ginsberg finally finds love and happiness; he stays with Orlovsky until he passes away.
Orlovsky is one of the most important people in Ginsberg's life, but the part he plays in the film is relatively small. The focus of the film is the time of the trial, not their relationship. The film highlights how Ginsberg meets Orlovsky; he meets him after having a year of therapy with Dr. Hicks. Ginsberg is still very much uneasy about his homosexuality, and he thinks something is wrong with him because of it, but meeting Orlovsky, Ginsberg finally finds love and happiness; he stays with Orlovsky until he passes away.