On the Road

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So, I had been waiting for a very long time to see this film before I was finally able to view it on vide-on-demand, as Austin was not included in the very limited release it finally got after being picked up by IFC. It has found it's way to only 107 theaters and has brought in about $9 million, but about 90% of that has been from foreign revenue. Despite it's star-studded cast and being an official selection at Cannes, it's only made about $720,000.00 domestically.

As you've probably guessed, the movie is based ont the book of the same name; On the Road by Jack Kerouac. Here's some of the amazing actors in the film; Amy Adams, Steve Buscemi, Kirsten Dunst, Garrett Hedlund, Terrence Howard, Kristen Stewart, and Viggo Mortensen. For those not familar with the book, it is a wildly popular book written on a long continuous scroll by Kerouac about his travels in the late 1940's as he hitch-hiked back and forth across America with his friend. All of the characters were based on real-life people. It was quite the sensation and had a very big impact on it's generation. Since it's launch, it has been regarded as the defining novel of the beatnik generation. (Beatnik? Think jazz, poetry, drugs, sex, black clothes, dancing.)

Years ago, I, myself, attempted to read On the Road. I was unsuccesful in finishing it. I made it about
halfway through. Maybe I just wasn't in the right mood. Or, perhaps, it's more of a generational thing, but I know tons of people my age that love the book. This movie had been in talks about being produced in some shape or form for decades. It took the director, Walter Salles, about ten years to actually get the movie to materialize. The book has a rambling plot, which is the core of the essence, and is so widely loved that the adaptation was tricky to say the least. A lot hindered on getting the right tone to the movie and not necessary getting the right plot points. From the parts of the book I did read, the movie seemed to follow along somewhat accurately. The plot was definitely rambling and more about the connection and tone, rather than storylines.

I thoroughly enjoyed the cinematography in this film. Interesting camera angles were often used over the conventional ones, just like a beatnik would have wanted. The lighting was superb. It gave it that smoky grainy look that fit perfectly with the period being portrayed. The wardrobe, makeup, and hair were perfect without being stereotypical. It was very easy to forget this wasn't really filmed in the 1940's.

I should preface this section by saying that I am a big Kristen Stewart fan and have yet seen a performance of hers that I have not liked, nay, loved. That being said, I have even more respect for her after this performance. This character was quite different than others she has done and it required her to be extremely vulnerable, physically and emotionally. For those critics she has, I think they will enjoy seeing her playing a more extroverted character. She also agreed to a salary lower than $200,000.00 in order to get the movie made. The highest paid actress last year agreed to 'pocket change' because she believed in this film. Awesome. Garrett Hedlund was completely charismatic and vulnerable in his role. As I didn't have any preconceived ideas of these characters, he really made a great Dean Moriarity for me. After reading the book, I actually didn't care much for Kerouac's character much but after seeing Sam Riley's performance, I changed my mind. He brought compassion and character to the role that I didn't see in the book, personally. Amy adams was simply a delight as a frazzled crazy mother. Terrence Howard and Viggo Mortensen both transformed into their characters and seemed as though they had been transported through time. Kirsten Dunst was the perfect choice, in my humble opinion, as her character needed to have the perfect balance of strength
and vulnerability, which she pulled off.

I really enjoyed this movie and I felt the rambling rebellious overtones that, I believe, were the core of the source novel. Being such a highly regarded book however, it is bound to have it's critics I'm sure. I didn't have any preconceived ideas about these characters so I was able to be fully invested in each actor as a believable portrayal. I would definitely recommend this film for fans of the book, to at least see it come to life in a way that has not been done before. For those not familiar with the book, I would recommend for anyone who enjoys character-driven pieces about the spirit of the youth and living outside the confines of society or anyone who enjoys beautifully framed scenes about the American past. "Help me get out of here, all of these people are mad". On the Road.