The movie is disappointingly flat, but at least it's not mawkish. Fuck keeping it clean. Ain't nobody putting us in turnaround. We ain't recouping shit. An unusually rich music doc, The Ballad of Ramblin' Jack has three concerns.
Some people are born authentic, others achieve authenticity.
Ramblin' Jack never made the big time. A bit meandering itself, Ramblin' Jack has a home-movie quality and not just because of the amazing amount of old footage the filmmaker has excavated. There's plenty of family stuff to ponder. Young Elliott was expected to be a doctor, but he found himself a new father. Astonished to discover Woody Guthrie living in Coney Island, Elliott all but moved into the Guthrie household.