I'm Not There. (2007)

Ruminations on the life of Bob Dylan, where six characters embody a different aspect of the musician's life and work.

Director:

Todd Haynes

Writers:

Todd Haynes (screenplay), Oren Moverman (screenplay)

Stars:

Christian Bale, Cate Blanchett, Heath Ledger

Nominated for 1 Oscar. Another 26 wins & 45 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Cate Blanchett	...	Jude
Ben Whishaw	...	Arthur
Christian Bale	...	Jack / Pastor John
Richard Gere	...	Billy
Marcus Carl Franklin	...	Woody / Chaplin Boy
Heath Ledger	...	Robbie
Kris Kristofferson	...	Narrator (voice)
Don Francks	...	Hobo Joe
Roc LaFortune	...	Hobo Moe
Larry Day	...	Government Agent
Paul Cagelet	...	Carny / Bell-Hop
Brian R.C. Wilmes	...	Circus Man (as Brian RC Wilmes)
Pierre-Alexandre Fortin	...	Gorgeous George
Richie Havens	...	Old Man Arvin
Tyrone Benskin	...	Mr. Arvin

Storyline

Six incarnations of Bob Dylan: an actor, a folk singer, an electrified troubadour, Rimbaud, Billy the Kid, and Woody Guthrie. Put Dylan's music behind their adventures, soliloquies, interviews, marriage, and infidelity. Recreate 1960s documentaries in black and white. Put each at a crossroads, the artist becoming someone else. Jack, the son of Ramblin' Jack Elliott, finds Jesus; handsome Robbie falls in love then abandons Claire. Woody, a lad escaped from foster care, hobos the U.S. singing; Billy awakes in a valley threatened by a six-lane highway; Rimbaud talks. Jude, booed at Newport when he goes electric, fences with reporters, pundits, and fans. He won't be classified.

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Plot Keywords:

1960s | actor | reporter | riding the rails | horseback riding | 

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Taglines:

All I Can Do Is Be Me Whoever That Is

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Genres:

Biography | Drama | Music

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated R for language, some sexuality and nudity

Details

Official Sites:

Bim Distribuzione [Italy] Diaphana [France]

Country:

USA Germany Canada

Language:

English

Release Date:

7 December 2007 (USA)

Also Known As:

I'm Not There

Filming Locations:

Québec, Canada

Box Office

Budget:

$20,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend:

$730,819 (USA) (22 November 2007)

Gross:

$4,001,121 (USA) (29 February 2008)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Killer Films, John Wells Productions, John Goldwyn Productions

Technical Specs

Runtime:

135 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Color:

Black and White (partly) Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Of the 6 leads or "Dylans" in the film, only young Marcus Carl Franklin (as "Woody") can be heard on the soundtrack. However, singer/actors Charlotte Gainsbourg, Jim James and Richie Havens also both act in the movie and on the soundtrack.

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Goofs

Right after Jude leaves the Beatles and they are chased by fans, you can see the last person in the mob slow down immediately when they're behind the trellis.

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Quotes

[first lines]
Narrator: There he lies. God rest his soul, and his rudeness. A devouring public can now share the remains of his sickness, and his phone numbers. There he lay: poet, prophet, outlaw, fake, star of electricity. Nailed by a peeping tom, who would soon discover...
Jude: A poem is like a naked person...
Narrator:

• even the ghost was more than one person.

Arthur: ...but a song is something that walks by itself.

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Connections

References Masculin Féminin (1966)

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Soundtracks

Blind Willie McTell
Performed by Bob Dylan
Written by Bob Dylan
Published by Special Rider Music (SESAC)
Courtesy of Columbia Records
By Arrangement with Sony BMG Music Entertainment

User Reviews

Saviors Grow Fast Asleep

Saw this at the Toronto Film Festival. I really liked it, although maybe the Richard Gere scenes are the one's to skip, though it's not really his fault. Cate Blanchett is getting a lot of buzz for her performance, and she deserves it. The actors are all playing versions of Dylan, though their characters have different names. Blanchett plays an incarnation of Dylan that would be right around the time of "Don't Look Back".

Although I think Todd Haynes is mostly successful here, I fear that this will be a film that will really interest people who already know about Bob Dylan, and that it will sort of fly over the heads of everyone else. A good movie, and a nice place to start if you're a young movie lover who wants to expand and see something less conventional.