On the Road (2012)

Young writer Sal Paradise has his life shaken by the arrival of free-spirited Dean Moriarty and his girl, Marylou. As they travel across the country, they encounter a mix of people who each impact their journey indelibly.

Director:

Walter Salles

Writers:

Jack Kerouac (book), Jose Rivera (screenplay)

Stars:

Sam Riley, Garrett Hedlund, Kristen Stewart

2 wins & 3 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Sam Riley	...	Sal Paradise / Jack Kerouac
Garrett Hedlund	...	Dean Moriarty / Neal Cassady
Kristen Stewart	...	Marylou / LuAnne Henderson
Amy Adams	...	Jane / Joan Vollmer
Tom Sturridge	...	Carlo Marx / Allen Ginsberg
Alice Braga	...	Terry / Bea Franco
Elisabeth Moss	...	Galatea Dunkel / Helen Hinkle
Danny Morgan	...	Ed Dunkle / Al Hinkle
Kirsten Dunst	...	Camille / Carolyn Cassady
Viggo Mortensen	...	Old Bull Lee / William S. Burroughs
Ximena Adriana	...	Oaxacan Girl
Sarah Allen	...	Vicki
Clara Altimas	...	Newlywed Woman
Leif Anderson	...	Chevy Owner
Ricardo Andres	...	Terry's Father

Storyline

Young writer Sal Paradise has his life shaken by the arrival of free-spirited Dean Moriarty and his girl, Marylou. As they travel across the country, they encounter a mix of people who each impact their journey indelibly.

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Plot Keywords:

writer | three word title | male male kiss | gay kiss | nudity | 

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Taglines:

The best teacher is experience.

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Genres:

Adventure | Drama

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated R for strong sexual content, drug use and language

Details

Official Sites:

Official site

Country:

France USA UK Brazil Canada

Language:

English French

Release Date:

23 May 2012 (France)

Also Known As:

Na putu

Filming Locations:

USA

Box Office

Budget:

$25,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend:

$39,550 (USA) (21 December 2012)

Gross:

$717,753 (USA) (26 April 2013)

Company Credits

Production Co:

MK2 Productions, American Zoetrope, Jerry Leider Company

Technical Specs

Runtime:

124 min 137 min (original)

Sound Mix:

DTS Dolby Digital

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

While this movie took so many years to make, many actors auditioned for the lead roles. One pair was formed by Brad Pitt and Ethan Hawke whom auditioned when they were young. In 2005, Joel Schumacher planned a version with Colin Farrell and Billy Crudup as the lead characters. When Walter Salles finally was able to do the movie he auditioned many actors including James Franco (as Jack Kerouac) and Joseph Gordon-Levitt. He eventually cast Garrett Hedlund and Sam Riley.

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Goofs

Among Sal's books is a copy of Saul Bellow's "Seize the Day", which had not yet been published at the time of the story.

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Connections

References The Red House (1947)

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Soundtracks

"Hard to Love What You Kill"
Written and Performed by Jake La Botz

User Reviews

It's Not bad, Considering How Hard an Adaptation it is

Hemingway was terrified of being boring. Compared to Hemingway, Kerouac was completely & utterly fearless.

So let's take a page out one of Kerouac's best books, start at the beginning, & let the truth seep out.

I first encountered "On the Road" in the public library when I was in 6th grade. It spawned a fascination, an obsession, an addiction. Between the age of 12 & 18, outside of school, the Beat writers were all that I read. I devoured them. And in the years since my youth Kerouac has morphed from an obsession to a comfort author, I read him to help cushion the blows life brings. "Maggie Cassidy," is still my favorite.

That being said, I walked into this flick with extremely low expectations. I'm more than familiar with the source material & couldn't see how it could translate into anything but a dull film. I expected the film to stagnate. I wasn't really disappointed in this. Anyone that has read "On the Road" has to question the wisdom of attempting to translate that into a decent movie.

Like the novel, there are parts of this film you just have to fight through in the hopes that he'll move off his love for grape picking & into something interesting again.

The plus side is, once you make it past the stagnation, the plot picks up again & you feel the sense of freedom having overcome the monotony of Kerouac. But on the other-hand, I'm fairly certain that's the point.

The bottom line is that if you are familiar with Travelin' Jack you know what to expect before you walk into the film & you walk out with an experience far better than you would have thought it's be. It's an enjoyable film.

However, if you're like most of the world & for some reason do not read, you'll be expecting the legend without understanding the reality & you will hate it, for no other reason than the lack of background necessary to expect Kerouac to be, well, Kerouac.