In Devil May Care, Bob Dorough, the 86-year-old musical legend behind Schoolhouse Rock, proves how creativity can keep you young; he rises at dawn to compose new tunes, travels the world for gigs, and drinks his younger band-mates under the table. Ever the enduring hipster, Dorough is the unlikely “leading man” in a film that charts his resilience and celebrates his panache — and just happens to give an offbeat history of American popular culture as he recounts collaborations with Miles Davis, Lenny Bruce, Lawrence Ferlenghetti, Maya Angelou, Sugar Ray Robinson, The Fugs, Charlie Parker, David Johanssen (to name a few). Throughout the film — and precisely because of it — we see contemplation and vulnerability pierce the showman’s cloak, even as his indomitable spirit reverberates beyond the film. Provocative and character-driven (with a quirky, charismatic character), this is an “anti-biopic,” a film of wide interest for its story, its visual style and its diverse soundtrack.

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