Carolyn Cassady was married to Neal Cassady who would be immortalized in the novel On the Road , written by his friend Jack Kerouac. During her marriage Carolyn had an affair with Kerouac and became his mistress.
But how is it to be only interesting to people through the men she had relationships with?
And how treat the legacy that these two literary giants have left her?
This, and many other questions is the main focus of this riveting documentary that mainly deals with Carolyn Cassadys ambiguity, and her family's way of dealing with their fathers fame.
The film explores a unusual angle, this not a film for new beginners trying to learn something about the beatnik movement and the writers within this movement.
Rather the focus is on Carolyn Cassady, who comes across as complex, multidimensional person.
Her bitterness is obvious at times, after all nobody cares about her, everyone wants her stories about Kerouac, Ginsberg, and of course Cassady himself.
Neal Cassady is someone she really tries to make a human of, trying to dispel many of the myths, legends surrounding him. Even Ken Keseys old films from the Merry Pranksters bustrip is fake image of Neal according to Carolyn.
Just like Lillian Hellman, Martha Gellhorn, she became forever connected to some very wellknown writers but like most can't stay out of their shadow.
And also her income is dependent on her stories, memories and of course her large collection of letters, pictures, from these writers.
Directors Malin Korkeasalo & Maria Ramström, does a good job trying to make a decent portrait of Carolyn Cassady with humanity and respect.
The biggest flaw of this film would be that after watching I still want to know more about Carolyn Cassady, that this film should have been longer.
There is a sadness over this film, Carolyn Cassady seems to be spending her twilight years sitting in her house, all alone, surrounded by only old memories, pics and just like Kerouac ended his book, thinking of Neal Cassady.
So future viewers who may have liked the beatnik culture and still feel that they m are missing a piece of the puzzle should check this film out.
