I’m Not There (2007)
Biography, Drama, Music |.
I’m Not There is a musical drama film directed by Todd Haynes and co-written with Oren Moverman. It is an unconventional biopic inspired by the life and music of American singer-songwriter Bob Dylan. Six actors depict different facets of Dylan’s public personas: Christian Bale, Cate Blanchett, Marcus Carl Franklin, Richard Gere, Heath Ledger (his final film to be released during his lifetime), and Ben Whishaw.
A caption at the start of the film declares it to be “inspired by the music and the many lives of Bob Dylan”; this is the only mention of Dylan in the film apart from song credits, and his only appearance in it is concert footage from 1966 shown during the film’s final moments.
I’m Not There uses a nonlinear narrative, shifting between six characters in separate storylines “inspired by the music and many lives of Bob Dylan”. Each character represents a different facet of Dylan’s public persona: poet (Arthur Rimbaud), prophet (Jack Rollins/Father John), outlaw (Billy McCarty), fake (Woody Guthrie), “rock and roll martyr” (Jude Quinn), and “star of electricity” (Robbie Clark).
Production notes published by distributor The Weinstein Company explain that the film “dramatizes the life and music of Bob Dylan as a series of shifting personae, each performed by a different actor—poet, prophet, outlaw, fake, star of electricity, rock and roll martyr, born-again Christian—seven identities braided together, seven organs pumping through one life story.”
Director: Todd Haynes
Writers: Todd Haynes (story & screenplay), Oren Moverman (screenplay)
Stars: Christian Bale, Cate Blanchett, Marcus Carl Franklin, Richard Gere, Heath Ledger, Ben Whishaw
Cast:
| 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 |
| Kim Roberts | … | Mrs. Arvin |
| Eric Newsome | … | Sixties Narrator |
| Angela Galuppo | … | Folk Girl |
| Jane Wheeler | … | TV Host |
| Julianne Moore | … | Alice Fabian |
| Peter Friedman | … | Morris Bernstein / Barker |
| David Gow | … | Variety Show Host |
| Fanny La Croix | … | Actress |
| Kim Gordon | … | Carla Hendricks |
| Matthew Harbour | … | Fan #1 |
| Kyle Switzer | … | Fan #2 |
| Terry Haig | … | Gerry Hamlin |
| Greg Kramer | … | Drunk |
| Gordon Masten | … | Moonshiner |
| Bill Croft | … | Thief / Butcher |
| Charlotte Gainsbourg | … | Claire |
| Gabrielle Marcoux | … | Molly – Age 6 |
| Jessey LaFlamme | … | Carlie – Age 3 |
| Jennifer Rae Westley | … | Louise |
| Pierre LeBlanc | … | Director / Father of Tumbleweed Girl |
| Tim Post | … | Newscaster |
| Richard Robitaille | … | Director #2 |
| Ivan Freud | … | Performer #1 |
| Holly Uloth | … | Performer #2 (as Holly O’Brien) |
| Danny Blanco Hall | … | Black Doctor (as Danny Blanco-Hall) |
| Susan Glover | … | Mrs. Peacock |
| Vito DeFilippo | … | Mr. Peacock |
| Andrew Simms | … | Mr. Snow |
| Lisa Bronwyn Moore | … | Mrs. Snow |
| Jessica Kardos | … | Nurse |
| Garth Gilker | … | Man in Hospital Bed |
| John Koensgen | … | Physician |
| Mark Camacho | … | Norman |
| Lorne Brass | … | Folk Guru / Chester |
| Andrew Shaver | … | Mike |
| Tavis Eachan Triance | … | Jude’s Musician: The Royal Mountain Band |
| Frederic Charest | … | Jude’s Musician: The Royal Mountain Band |
| Warren Brewer Auld | … | Jude’s Musician: The Royal Mountain Band |
| Simon P.F. Nixon | … | Jude’s Musician: The Royal Mountain Band |
| Andrew Greene | … | Festival Guy #1 |
| Paul Van Dyck | … | Festival Guy #2 |
| Al Vandecruys | … | Festival Director |
| Leif Anderson | … | Sound Man |
| Brett Watson | … | College Student |
| Wyatt Bowen | … | Dazed Kid |
| Paul Johnston | … | Bearded Scott |
| Niko Romberg | … | Kid with Glasses |
| Clarice Byrne | … | One Girl |
| Maggie Castle | … | Another Girl |
| Joe Cobden | … | Sonny |
| Kristen Hager | … | Mona / Polly |
| Richard Jutras | … | Reporter #1 |
| Daniel Richard Giverin | … | Reporter #2 / Policeman (as Daniel Giverin Richard) |
| Matt Holland | … | Reporter #3 |
| Noel Burton | … | Reporter #4 |
| Bruce Greenwood | … | Keenan Jones / Garrett |
| Michelle Williams | … | Coco Rivington |
| Kyle Gatehouse | … | Hotel Waiter |
| Jason Cavalier | … | Roadie |
| Greta Papageorgiu | … | Stewardess |
| Trevor Hayes | … | Sydney |
| Marie-Hélène Chartrand | … | Woman Talking to Claire |
| Marie-Julie Rivest | … | Strange Woman |
| Jesse Todd | … | Strange Man |
| Lina Roessler | … | Publicist |
| Sherry Haynes | … | Dame |
| Johann St-Louis | … | John |
| Mike Caruso | … | Paul (as Mickael Sébastien Vitanza) |
| Pierre-Luc Lebeau | … | George |
| Jean-Nicolas Déry | … | Ringo |
| Kathleen Fee | … | Duchess |
| Emmanuel Schwartz | … | Gawky Teen |
| Pauline Little | … | Lady with Tape Recorder |
| David Cross | … | Allen Ginsberg |
| Eugene Brotto | … | Peter Orlovsky |
| Shawn Baichoo | … | Carnival Geek |
| Benz Antoine | … | Bobby Seale / Rabbit Brown (as Antoine Benz) |
| Craig Thomas | … | Huey P. Newton |
| Catherine Colvey | … | Mrs. Jones |
| Max Walker | … | Kid in the Crowd |
| Jean-Pierre Lalonde | … | 2nd Kid in the Crowd |
| Capone | … | Henry – Billy’s Dog |
| Hollywood | … | Billy’s Horse |
| Paul Spence | … | Homer (as Paul J. Spence) |
| Alison Folland | … | Grace |
Sources: imdb & wikipedia