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Howl

Name: Howl
Genre: Drama
Released: 2010-08-26
Cast: James Franco, Todd Rotondi, Jon Prescott, Aaron Tveit, David Strathairn

2010 | 84 min | Drama

Weeknight Watch

Why it’s a Weeknight Watch

With a box office loss and little lasting buzz, it's a mixed bag. Fine if it's on; don't plan your night around it.

Based on critics, audiences, awards, box office and buzz. Details below.

Is it for you?

Who'll love it: Made for anyone who loves a strong drama.
The mood: Thoughtful and character-driven.
The pace: Takes its time with its characters, at 1 hr 24 min.
What might put you off: Rated R: expect sex.

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.

How it earned its rating

CriticsSolid
63% on Rotten Tomatoes, 63 on Metacritic
AudiencesSolid
6.5 out of 10
AwardsNot counted
No major awards or nominations
Box office & staying powerBelow par
$1 million worldwide on a $5 million budget; still draws a steady audience long after release
Buzz & cultural impactBelow par
About 27K people sought it out in the past year

Trailer

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Cast & crew

Directed by Rob Epstein, Jeffrey Friedman

James FrancoAllen Ginsberg
Todd RotondiJack Kerouac
Jon PrescottNeal Cassady
Aaron TveitPeter Orlovsky
David StrathairnRalph McIntosh
Jon HammJake Ehrlich
Andrew RogersLawrence Ferlinghetti
Bob BalabanJudge Clayton Horn
Mary-Louise ParkerGail Potter
Treat WilliamsMark Schorer