On The Road
Produced by Nathanael Karmitz, Charles Gillibert, Rebecca Yeldham
Screenplay by Jose Rivera
Based on On the Road by Jack Kerouac
Starring Garrett Hedlund, Kristen Stewart, Sam Riley, Amy Adams, Tom Sturridge, Danny Morgan, Alice Braga, Elisabeth Moss, Kirsten Dunst, Viggo Mortensen
Sundance Selects / Rated R
I’m not going to lie. I had really low expectations of On the Road. I knew that Kristen Stewart was in it. I knew that dude from Tron: Legacy was in it. I can honestly say I was shocked, and I thoroughly enjoyed the movie.
On the Road, an adaption of Jack Kerouac’s novel, is about Salvatore “Sal” Paradise, a philosophical depressive who is searching for his life’s purpose and material for his novel-in-progress during the late forties. After meeting carefree vagabond, Dean Moriarty, Sal finds himself inspired to travel across the country collecting stories and experiencing the exciting life of the “beat generation.”
The director, Walter Salles, guides us along beautiful roads of America through rain, sunshine, and snowstorms. While I didn’t live in the late forties I had a very strong sense of nostalgia watching this film. Perhaps it was the narration of the main character delivered fluidly throughout the film. Perhaps it was the uneasy camera that stayed close to the faces of each character capturing their drug-induced happiness, sexual highs, and ultimate emotional turmoil. The voices, the cinematography, it doesn’t matter, I was unexpectedly mesmerized.
Dean Moriarty, played exceptionally by Garrett Hedlund, is an anti-hero. He provides exuberant freedom to his companions but ultimately sacrifices them for his greater good. Hedlund performs the role with phenomenal authenticity and sensuality. He produces wide smiles that crush hearts (of countless women and men) and delivers his lines in a deep raspy voice that’s comforting, sexy, and incredibly hypnotizing. The actor’s dapper composure and wild-boy performance are enthralling. Everyone (strangers, wives, lovers, friends) loses themselves to their passion for him to their own detriment and despite their better judgment. He doesn’t shamelessly manipulate anyone though. Dean genuinely loves all of his companions, his freedom, the road, and really does want to give everyone everything even though he is completely incapable of doing so.
While the story is motivated by the location of Dean, we are led across the country by Sal. His wholesome demeanor and boy-next door behavior is lovable and we are excited to witness his experiences. Sam Riley does an excellent job of being a subtle but poignant character among a powerhouse cast.
Kristen Stewart. I actually did not want to punch you in the face. The actress’s blank drug-tired eyes and sullen mannerisms are appropriate in her role as Dean’s first wife, Marylou. She did a great job. Dean’s second wife Camille, the more sophisticated and innocent of Dean’s wives, is captured terrifically by Kirsten Dunst. She held a steady strength in her role and was memorable even though onscreen briefly.
Contrasting Stewart’s promiscuous appeal and Dunst’s girl-next-door presentation is Carlo Marx, played by Tom Sturridge. Marx is an amazing character in the film as I find it rare to see a sensitive, experimental, and so deeply torn-in-love male onscreen. He was touching and heartbreaking.
I want to add that even in the slightest of cameos, Amy Adams can do no wrong. Viggo Mortensen and Steve Buscemi were vivid and wonderful additions to the story as well.
I fear this movie will get overlooked. Partly because it’s late in the Oscar season, and partly because you need to be able to somehow relate to the story – the journey, the drugs, or the blind lust for passion. But I feel the negatively mainly comes from folks who get squeamish during sex scenes. Salles presents these scenes candidly and raw, they are neither romantic nor pornographic. They are realistic, messy and fun.
On the Road captures the hedonistic abandonment of a young generation. While it may seem aimless and self-absorbed, that is youth, that’s the point of the story. It’s a great film that deserves to be seen. Enjoy the reckless abandon. Recommended.
