Heart Beat (1980)

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Critic Consensus: No consensus yet.

AUDIENCE SCORE

38%

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Movie Info

Based on a book by Carolyn Cassady, the former wife of Beat icon Neal Cassady, Heart Beat explores the couple's relationship with On the Road author Jack Kerouac, and stars John Heard as Kerouac, Nick Nolte as Neal and Sissy Spacek as Carolyn.
  • Rating:
    R
  • Genre:
    Drama
  • Directed By:
    John Byrum
  • Written By:
    John Byrum
  • On Disc/Streaming:
  • Runtime:
  • Studio:
    Warner Bros.

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Cast

Nick Nolte
as Neal Cassady
Sissy Spacek
as Carolyn Cassady
John Heard
as Jack Kerouac
Ray Sharkey
as Ira
Ann Dusenberry
as Stevie
Anne Dusenberry
as Stevie
Margaret Fairchild
as Mrs. Kerouac
Tony Bill
as Dick
Mary Margaret Amato
as Waitress
Kent Williams
as Ogden
Susan Niven
as Ogden's Secretary
Marcia Nasatir
as Receptionist
Mickey Kelly
as Receptionist
Luis Contreras
as Mexican Junkie
Sharon Lee
as Blonde in Car
Stephen Davies
as Bob Bendix
Jenny O'Hara
as Betty Bendix
Don Brodie
as Dispatcher
Candy Ann Brown
as Claudia
Tom Runyon
as Seaman
Juliana Tutak
as Cathy
Candy Brown
as Claudia
Steve Allen
as Himself
John Larroquette
as Tv talk show host
Ray Vitte
as Undercover Agent
John Hostetter
as Poet
Karen Landry
Bill Cross
as Bartender
Terry Winkless
as Youth in Bar
Gary Baxley
Sunshine Parker
as Gas Station Attendant
Garth Eliassen
as Sleeping Yokel
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Critic Reviews for Heart Beat

All Critics (3) | Top Critics (2)

Heart Beat, which is supposedly about Jack Kerouac and his friends in the Beat Generation, is Bob and Carol and Ted and Alice without Alice and without humor.

Apr 28, 2018 | Full Review…
Boston Globe
Top Critic

The characters are wonderfully well played by Nick Nolte Sissy Spacek and John Heard -- they have scenes together in which the round-robin of everyday dialogue is almost poetic -- but nobody has given their characters anything to do except to be.

Oct 23, 2004 | Rating: 2.5/4 | Full Review…
Chicago Sun-Times
Top Critic

The analysis of the beats comes across as superficial.

Aug 20, 2014 | Rating: C+ | Full Review…
Ozus' World Movie Reviews
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Audience Reviews for Heart Beat

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Heart Beat Quotes

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