Warning: Some SPOILERS lie ahead for A Complete Unknown!
The discovery of Johnny Cash’s letters to Bob Dylan led to a departure from source material for the director and star of A Complete Unknown, a musical biopic that focuses on Dylan’s life from 1961 to 1965. The film, adapted from Elijah Wald’s book Dylan Goes Electric, had originally excluded Cash.
Boyd Holbrook, who plays Johnny Cash, said that the role was not in the book Dylan Goes Electric, but was added after director James Mangold found out that Cash and Dylan were “pen pals” through some research they did together. Holbrook read the letters, which he described as “great” and “on the back of airplane sickness bags,” offering a glimpse into the lives of two famous musicians traveling in isolation and maximum fame.
Mangold echoed Holbrook’s sentiments, saying, “It’s a beautiful series of letters. Johnny started writing to Bob after his Freewheelin’ album came out.” The movie draws inspiration from real life, with the friendship between Cash and Dylan beginning through back-and-forth letters, which led to the two meeting in real life at the 1964 Newport Folk Festival.
However, some aspects of the movie have been altered for artistic purposes. For example, the significant first meeting between Dylan and Cash is not accurate, as they met long before the 1964 Newport Folk Festival, as confirmed by Dylan’s eulogy for Cash.
Overall, A Complete Unknown still remains a well-received musical biopic, with an 96% audience approval rate and 79% critic approval rate on Rotten Tomatoes. The movie has been praised for its nuanced portrayal of relationships and its introduction of Dylan’s music to a new generation of fans.
