Traces the Beats from Allen Ginsberg and Jack Kerouac's meeting in 1944 at Columbia University to the deaths of Ginsberg and William S. Burroughs in 1997. Three actors provide dramatic interpretations of the work of these three writers, and the film chronicles their friendships, their arrival into American consciousness, their travels, frequent parodies, Kerouac's death, and Ginsberg's politicization. Their movement connects with bebop, John Cage's music, abstract expressionism, and living theater. In recent interviews, Ginsberg, Burroughs, Kesey, Ferlinghetti, Mailer, Jerry Garcia, Tom Hayden, Gary Snyder, Ed Sanders, and others measure the Beats' meaning and impact.
| Actor | Role |
|---|---|
 Johnny DeppJack Kerouac | Jack Kerouac |
 Dennis HopperWilliam S. Burroughs | William S. Burroughs |
 John TurturroAllen Ginsberg | Allen Ginsberg |
 Allen GinsbergSelf (archive footage) | Self (archive footage) |
 William S. BurroughsSelf (archive footage) | Self (archive footage) |
 Philip GlassSelf | Self |
| RRobert CreeleySelf | Self |
| AAnn ChartersSelf | Self |
| GGeorge SteadeSelf | Self |
 David AmramSelf | Self |
 Ed SandersSelf | Self |
| GGregory CorsoSelf | Self |
| KKyle RoderickSelf | Self |
| LLawrence FerlinghettiSelf | Self |
 Ken KeseySelf | Self |
 Gary SnyderSelf | Self |
 Jerry GarciaSelf | Self |
| JJack MichelineSelf | Self |
| MMichael McClureSelf | Self |
| SStephen RonanSelf | Self |
| PPhilip WhalenSelf | Self |
 Terry SouthernSelf | Self |
 Timothy LearySelf | Self |
 Paul KrassnerSelf | Self |
| DDiane Di PrimaSelf | Self |
 Tom HaydenSelf | Self |
 David DellingerSelf | Self |
| JJohn SampasSelf | Self |