Heart Beat

"They shocked us. They outraged us. They didn't do anything wrong. They just did it first."

1980 1h 50m EN

😐

5.6

MID

🥫

20%

ROTTEN

⭐

5.7

IMDB

★5.6TMDB · 22🥫20%Rotten Tomatoes★5.7IMDB · 753

Drama

Synopsis

Spoiler shield

An exploration of the relationship between Beat Generation writers Jack Kerouac and Neal Cassady, and Cassady's wife, Carolyn.

“They shocked us. They outraged us. They didn't do anything wrong. They just did it first.”

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Where to watch · US

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Cast

Nick Nolte
Neal Cassady
Sissy Spacek
Carolyn Cassady
John Heard
Jack Kerouac
Ray Sharkey
Ira (based on Allen Ginsberg)
Ann Dusenberry
Stevie
Margaret Fairchild
Mrs. Kerouac
Tony Bill
Dick
Mary Margaret Amato
Waitress

Credits

Behind the camera

Director: John Byrum
Writers: John Byrum
Languages: English
Countries: United States of America

Want more? Switch to Cinephile mode in the header for DP, composer, budget, box office, production companies, keywords, and release history.

Did you know?

Fun facts 🍿

1 / 8

ERA

Did you know

46 years old — old enough to be someone's favourite childhood film.

MoodPlayr · trivia#01

2 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Directed by John Byrum, shot by László Kovács. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.

MoodPlayr · trivia#02

3 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Original score by Jack Nitzsche. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.

MoodPlayr · trivia#03

4 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Editor Eric Jenkins shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.

MoodPlayr · trivia#04

5 / 8

CAST

Did you know

Nick Nolte and Sissy Spacek and John Heard carry the top of the cast.

MoodPlayr · trivia#05

6 / 8

FACT

Did you know

Marketing tagline: "They shocked us. They outraged us. They didn't do anything wrong. They just did it first.".

MoodPlayr · trivia#06

7 / 8

WILD

Did you know

IMDB entry: tt0080854 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.

MoodPlayr · trivia#07

8 / 8

WILD

Did you know

Only 22 TMDB ratings — you're getting ahead of the curve on this one.

MoodPlayr · trivia#08

Cinephile deep dive

The take

John Byrum directs. László Kovács behind the camera. Jack Nitzsche scores. Eric Jenkins cuts. Produced in United States of America. Dialogue in English.

Trivia

Things worth knowing

146 years old — old enough to be someone's favourite childhood film.
2Directed by John Byrum, shot by László Kovács. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.
3Original score by Jack Nitzsche. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.
4Editor Eric Jenkins shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.
5Nick Nolte and Sissy Spacek and John Heard carry the top of the cast.
6Marketing tagline: "They shocked us. They outraged us. They didn't do anything wrong. They just did it first.".
7IMDB entry: tt0080854 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.
8Only 22 TMDB ratings — you're getting ahead of the curve on this one.
9Classified under 19 themes, including "husband wife relationship", "love triangle", "san francisco, california", "beatnik".