Not Kerouac's Big Sur

I corresponded with Carolyn Cassady today regarding the recent documentary on Big Sur.  I liked the film mostly for the passages they read from the book and what I thought was footage of the real location. Turns out, nothing filmed was all that authentic. That was Big Sur but that was not the area Kerouac frequented. I was also diappointed to hear that there was soooooooooooooooooo much more to Carolyn's interview and not much of it was included. In fact her entire family was interviewed and that would have been awesome to see because no one knows Kerouac better than Carolyn and the Cassady children.  Instead the actors got most of the time with their feelings and impressions of the book and the man. That is all fine if the filmmakers needed filler but with Carolyn Cassady what were they thinking?

When I watch a documentary like this, and key people get very little camera time, I always assume it's because they didn't want to talk. It's Carolyn Cassady! If she spoke for 90 minutes on camera I would have a hard time trying to even attempt to edit that. What is sad is what will become of that footage? Will it be released as a special feature on the DVD? It is unfortunate that so much time was spent with the impressions of Kerouac and not truth. This only adds to the Kerouac myth, there is so much of it. I want more of the truth, less of the myth. Carolyn Cassady's , "Off the Road", is on my Christmas wishlist. If I can wait that long.