Would you believe that there were hipsters before there were hipsters? It’s true, and Next Stop, Greenwich Village, Paul Mazursky’s 1976 film, follows the lives of a few of these early 1950’s bohemian Beatniks. It’s the story of Larry Lipinsky (Lenny Baker) as he breaks free from his overbearing Jewish mother and escapes to Greenwich Village for his big break as an actor, while forming a tight circle of eccentric artist friends (among them Christopher Walken, in one of his earliest film roles). This movie is like an early prototype of Friends, as it deals with that time of life when your friends are your family, but with just a dash of the Oedipus complex thrown in.
Greenwich Village was not a blockbuster by any means, but it is instead an engrossing snapshot of a very distinctive community at a point in time not widely portrayed in movies. Mazursky does a captivating job of layering strange fantasy sequences and realistically raw human relations in a way that is both interesting and unsettling. In this film’s quietest moments, it is heartbreaking, but the joyful moments are that much more exuberant and infectious. Bill Conti’s jazzy score heightens the sense of the period, while the witty banter creates an atmosphere that is somehow sophisticated and whimsical at the same time.
Greenwich Village also boasts a talented cast, including Shelley Winters as mother Lipinsky – a performance that will make you cringe and set your teeth on edge. And keep an eye out for Bill Murray and Jeff Goldblum in amusing bit parts. Lenny Baker, who was primarily a theater actor, shines in this Golden Globe nominated role; and it doesn’t hurt that his Marlon Brando impressions in the film are spot on. Ultimately Next Stop, Greenwich Village tells a coming of age story about leaving home and pursuing your dreams (in this case those of aspiring artists) but still never forgetting your roots, no matter where you go.