DVD Release Date:  May 6, 2008
Theatrical Release Date:  November 21, 2007
Rating:  R (for profanity, sex and nudity)
Genre:  Fictionalized Biopic, Drama
Run Time:  92 min.
Director:  Todd Haynes
Actors:  Cate Blanchett, Christian Bale, Heath Ledger, Richard Gere, Marcus Carl Franklin, Ben Whishaw, Charlotte Gainsbourg, Julianne Moore, Bruce Greenwood

Earlier this year, Bob Dylan received a Pulitzer Prize Special Citation for his "profound impact on popular music and American culture, marked by lyrical compositions of extraordinary poetic power."  The singer-songwriter was listed among Time magazine’s “Top 100 Most Influential People of the 20th Century” in 1999 and, in 2004, made Rolling Stone magazine’s “Greatest Artists of All Time” list, second only to the Beatles.  These are but a handful of his many awards, which point to Dylan’s oft-admired talent and career.

Born in 1941 in Duluth, Minnesota, under the name of Robert Zimmerman, Dylan created the now-famous pseudonym during his college years, while studying at the University of Minnesota.  In his 2004 autobiography, Chronicles, he claimed that it was a hybrid between his first name and the poet Dylan Thomas. 

The young Dylan initially played rock and roll, but he soon began to gravitate toward folk music, which earned him a loyal fan base—albeit mostly in countercultural circles.  His songs were infused with literary, political and social messages, and gave him the reputation of a leader.  He’s also known for his eclecticism, and his style borrows from a wide variety of influences that include country/blues, gospel, Irish and Scottish folk music and even jazz and swing. 

Dylan has always shunned the media, so the many facets of his personality—which, in recent years, have enlarged to include born-again Christian—continue to intrigue the public.  No doubt, this is why director/co-writer Todd Haynes (Far from Heaven) chose to have six different actors play Dylan in his fictional biopic.  Each represents a unique timeframe, but also a different personality (even though four of the “Dylans” are roughly the same age).  One Dylan is played by an African-American boy.  One is played by a woman (Cate Blanchett).  None go by the name of Bob Dylan (or even Robert Zimmerman, for that matter).  And if you think that’s unclear, just wait.

The youngest Dylan is Woody Guthrie (Marcus Carl Franklin)—not to be confused with the real Woody Guthrie, Dylan’s musical idol.  Although he’s just 11 years old, this African-American Woody talks like a seasoned adult and travels around the country on boxcars, practicing his folk music.  For some reason, he’s welcomed into genteel Southern families like a star, despite the era.  Jack Rollins (Christian Bale), Dylan #2, is another folk singer, but one who can’t fit into society—which is why he becomes a Christian.  He uses his music to reach people for Jesus.