The Coens Are Doing It Again
We’re already excited for fictionalized Dave Van Ronk biopic
February 27, 2012
Since the Oscars were last night all movie chatter should probably focus on that, and there will duly be a post soon, but first, can we talk about the forthcoming Coen Brothers movie about Dave Van Ronk?? They took over stretches of East 9th Street to recreate Greenwich Village in the early 1960s, when Van Ronk reigned as “the mayor of MacDougal Street.” New York has photographs (note the “Kettle of Fish” facade: The bar moved around the corner to Sheridan Square, but used to be on MacDougal). Van Ronk himself was not Jewish (and nor, presumably, will be the Coens’ fictional alter ego, Llewyn Davis), but the folkie milieu, up to and including Van Ronk protégé Bob Dylan (like the Coens, a Minnesotan), very much was. Sometimes I get anxious that the Coen Brothers are doing all the great stories and there won’t be any left. But then I’m thankful that at least they tend to do them justice. IMDB says it’s due in 2013. Here’s hoping it gets moved up to the fall.
Oh, and yeah, Justin Timberlake’s in it.
Marc Tracy is a staff writer at The New Republic, and was previously a staff writer at Tablet. He tweets @marcatracy.
