On the Road (2012)

Director:

Walter Salles

Writers:

Jack Kerouac (book)
Jose Rivera (screenplay)

Release Date:

23 May 2012 (France)

Genre:

Adventure | Drama

Tagline:

The best teacher is experience.

Plot:

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. |

Plot Keywords:

Writer | Three Word Title | Male Male Kiss | Gay Kiss | Nudity

Awards:

2 wins & 3 nominations

Cast

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
Dan Beirne	...	Newlywed Man
Tetchena Bellange	...	Walter's Wife
Glen Bowser	...	Denver Police
Doug Boyd	...	Grocery Store Owner
Kim Bubbs	...	Laura
Steve Buscemi	...	Tall Thin Salesman
Jason Cavalier	...	Disgruntled Driver
Joe Chrest	...	Virginia Cop
Patrick John Costello	...	Chad King (as Patrick Costello)
Michael Daigle	...	Papa Leo Paradise
Eric Davis	...	Paul
Larry Day	...	Policeman New Jersey
Janyève Denoncourt	...	Joanie 17 months
Sean J. Dillingham	...	Cotton Foreman
Paul Dillon	...	Montana Slim
Joel Figueroa	...	Victor
Frank Fontaine	...	Paul's Father
Clara Furey	...	Inez
Isa Garcia	...	Johnny
Kyle Gatehouse	...	Migrant Worker
Barbara Glover	...	Okie Woman
David Gow	...	Parking Lot Boss
Marie-Ginette Guay	...	Ma Paradise
Imogen Haworth	...	Nin Paradise
Matthew Deano	...	Ray (as Matthew Hayes Deano)
Robert Higden	...	Sam Pharmacy
Arthur Holden	...	Maitre D
Kaniehtiio Horn	...	Rita Bettancourt (as Tiio Horn)
Terrence Howard	...	Walter
Omoze Idehenre	...	Black Woman
Asao Ikegami	...	Japanese Co-worker
Giselle Itié	...	Tonia
Daniel Kash	...	Henry Glass
Joey Klein	...	Tom Saybrook
Greg Kramer	...	Mississippi Gene
Neil Kroetsch	...	Denver Barber
Jake La Botz	...	Okie Hitchhiker
Jordane Lavoie	...	Amy 1 month
Roc Lafortune	...	Hotel Clerk
Adam LeBlanc	...	Remi Boncoeur
Terry Leonard	...	Pecos Truck Driver
Alison Louder	...	Dorie
Bronwen Mantel	...	Paul's Mother
Rocky Marquette	...	Alfred
Lilia Mendoza	...	Venuzuelan Girl
Murphy Moberly	...	Ray Lee (as Murphy Ian Moberly)
Luc Morrissette	...	Old Tramp
George Morris	...	Old Bartender
Coati Mundi	...	Slim Gaillard
Jacob Ortiz	...	Johnny
Felix Pennell	...	Blond Kid
Chris Ratz	...	Migrant Truck Driver
Niko Romberg	...	Migrant Worker
Andaluz Russell	...	Dona Gregoria
Michael Sarrazin	...	Irish Catholic Priest
Barry Del Sherman	...	Dynamite Truck Driver
Mark Trafford	...	Broadway Sam
Gina Vargas	...	Whorehouse Girl 2
Madison Wolfe	...	Dodie Lee (8)
Moira Wylie	...	Paul's Old Aunt
Daniela Wong	...	Whorehouse Girl 1
Giovanna Zacarías	...	Red Head
Martin Auguste	...	Walter's Jazz Band
Wray Downes	...	Walter's Jazz Band
Martin Heslop	...	Walter's Jazz Band
Moise Yawo Matey	...	Walter's Jazz Band
Archie Alleyne	...	Slim's Band
Jude Charles	...	Slim's Band
Ronald Johnston	...	Slim's Band
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
LaFonda Baker	...	Dorothy Banks (uncredited)
Bennie Bell	...	Towns Person (uncredited)
Anthony Bougiouris	...	Saybrook Dancer #! (uncredited)
Lisandre Bujold	...	Extra (uncredited)
John Burnside	...	Ghostly Hobo (uncredited)
Joseph Randy Causin	...	Migrant Worker (uncredited)
Jeffrey T Ferguson	...	Lunchbox Guy (uncredited)
Jenessa Grant	...	Farmer's Daughter (uncredited)
Emily D. Haley	...	People on the Street (uncredited)
Jennifer Herrera	...	Student (uncredited)
Kymberly Jenal	...	Townsperson (uncredited) (as Kimberly Reed)
Veronica Loud	...	Dinah Luke (uncredited)
Emilie Paquet	...	Bar Attendee (uncredited)
Mark Rayner	...	Neighbor (uncredited)
Terry Lee Smith	...	Pedestrian (uncredited)
Sona Tatoyan	...	Maggie (uncredited)
Timothy A. Vasquez	...	Towns Person (uncredited)
Michael Wozniak	...	Businessman (uncredited)

Directed by
Walter Salles

Writing credits
Jack Kerouac		(book)
Jose Rivera		(screenplay)

Produced by
Patrick Batteux	....	executive producer: USA
Peter Cavaney	....	associate producer
Francis Ford Coppola	....	executive producer
Charles Gillibert	....	producer
Nathanaël Karmitz	....	producer
Lyse Lafontaine	....	local executive producer
Jerry Leider	....	executive producer
Tita Lombardo	....	line producer: Mexico
Catalina Restrepo	....	line producer: Northern California
Walter Salles	....	associate producer
Rebecca Yeldham	....	producer
Michael Zakin	....	co-executive producer

Original Music by
Gustavo Santaolalla

Cinematography by
Eric Gautier

Film Editing by
François Gédigier

Casting by
Richard Hicks
Andrea Kenyon
David Rubin
Randi Wells

Production Design by
Carlos Conti

Art Direction by
Martin Gendron		(supervising art director)
Hania Robledo

Set Decoration by
Francine Danis
Gabriela Matus
Maria Nay

Costume Design by
Danny Glicker

Makeup Department
Marisa Amenta	....	key makeup artist
Chantal Bergeron	....	assistant hair stylist
John Caglione Jr.	....	special makeup designer
Michelle Côté	....	first assistant hair stylist
Gretchen Davis	....	local key makeup artist
Annie Jalbert	....	wig maker
Sandra Linn Koepper	....	key makeup: Louisiana & Arizona
Lizane La Salle	....	assistant makeup artist: : extras
Anne Moralis	....	wigmaker
Magali Métivier	....	assistant makeup artist
Jean-Jacques Puchu	....	key hair stylist
Aimee Stuit	....	makeup artist
Collette Tolen	....	assistant hair stylist
Nathalie Trépanier	....	makeup artist: extras
Fanny Vachon	....	makeup artist

Production Management
Debbie Brubaker	....	unit production manager: Northern California
Nicolás Celis	....	unit production manager: Mexico
Samantha Goodowens	....	unit production manager: New Orleans
Samantha Goodowens	....	unit production manager: Phoenix
Benjamin Hess	....	production manager
Sarah Leres	....	unit production manager: Mexico
Nicky Luca	....	assistant unit manager
Linda Rogers-Ambury	....	unit production manager: Calgary
Daniel Ross	....	unit manager: Montreal
Hélène Ross	....	production manager: Canada
Manon Rufer	....	assistant unit manager

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Alexandre Bernard	....	third assistant director
Federico Berón	....	assistant director
Erik J. Carpenter	....	second second assistant director: Arizona
Jean-François Duplat	....	additional third assistant director
Sofía Guzmán	....	second second assistant director: Mexico
Victor Herrera McNaught	....	first assistant director: Mexico
Patrick Heyerdahl	....	second assistant director: Mexico
Sean Hobin	....	additional first assistant director
Myron Hoffert	....	first assistant director
Tara Howie	....	trainee assistant director: Calgary
Amy Hughes	....	second assistant director
Jeanne Leblanc	....	third assistant director
Kevin McNamara	....	second second assistant director
Bethan Mowat	....	second assistant director: Montreal
James Roque	....	second assistant director: Louisiana
Sherman Shelton Jr.	....	second second assistant director
Julian Valdes	....	second second assistant director: Mexico

Art Department
Susan Alegria	....	assistant art director: San Francisco
Nate Belove	....	property master: San Francisco
Gail Briant	....	signwriter: New Orleans
Jason Byers	....	scenic artist: San Francisco
Annie Carpentier	....	props
Michel Clément	....	assistant art director
Carl Counts	....	art department coordinator: New Orleans unit
Delaney Davis	....	art department assistant
Carrie Foster	....	art department co-ordinator
Brian Freeman	....	carpenter
Gregory T. Geniusz	....	set dresser
Alain Giguère	....	head scenic painter
Denis Hamel	....	property master
Halsted Craig Hannah	....	original artworks
Elena Hernandez Paz	....	art department coordinator
Doni McMillan	....	set dresser
Jean-François Merlot	....	scenic painter
Blanche Moreau	....	art department assistant coordinator
Keith Mosca	....	property master: Arizona
Christina Myal	....	assisted in graphics for set decoration
Pat A. O'Connor	....	leadman: New Orleans unit
Luis Antonio Ordoñez	....	assistant art director
Tom Richardson	....	lead scenic artist: San Francisco
Leonard R. Spears	....	set decorator: New Orleans unit
Alex Touikan	....	set designer
Erik van Haaren	....	construction coordinator
Yanick Veilleux	....	set dresser
Leia Verner	....	set dec assistant
Bill Walters	....	on-set dresser
Kevan Weber	....	set dresser
Niko Zahlten	....	set dresser

Sound Department
Jérémy Babinet	....	foley editor
Niels Barletta	....	sound mastering engineer
Wade Barnett	....	adr recordist
Javier Bennassar	....	sound designer
Javier Bennassar	....	sound effects editor
Damien Bera	....	sound re-recording mixer
Mélanie Blouin	....	assistant foley recordist
Christophe Brajdic	....	sound consultant
Steve Browell	....	sound effects editor
Byron Bullock	....	sound editor
Pascal Chauvin	....	foley artist
Matthieu Choux	....	adr assistant
Brian Copenhagen	....	production sound mixer: San Francisco
Vincent Cosson	....	adr mixer
Vincent Cosson	....	foley mixer
Dominique Devoucoux	....	sound effects editor
Maxime Ferland	....	boom operator
Steven Ghouti	....	adr supervisor
David Green	....	adr recordist
Vincent Gregorio	....	assistant sound editor
Vincent Grégorio	....	assistant sound editor
Eliott Hartley	....	foley editor
Elliot Hartley	....	foley editor
Martín Hernández	....	supervising sound editor
Steven Huerstel	....	boom operator: U.S. crew
Jean-Paul Hurier	....	sound re-recording mixer
Michael Jesmer	....	adr recordist
Sang Kim	....	assistant sound editor
Jonathan Lafond	....	sound assistant
Goeun Lee	....	foley editor
Goeun Lee	....	sound editor
Travis MacKay	....	adr mixer
Dave McMoyler	....	sound designer
James Moriana	....	foley artist
Cody Peterson	....	sound recordist
Alejandro Quevedo	....	sound effects editor
Caroline Reynaud	....	foley editor
Patrick Rousseau	....	sound recordist
Leslie Shatz	....	sound mixer
Natasha Shumny	....	sound effects editor
Franck Tassel	....	foley artist
Vanesa Lorena Tate	....	sound designer
Vanesa Lorena Tate	....	supervising dialog editor
Vanesa Lorena Tate	....	supervising sound editor
Eric Thomas	....	boom operator: San Francisco
Callie Thurman	....	assistant sound editor
Brett Voss	....	foley mixer
Gayle Wesley	....	supervising assistant sound editor
Jeffrey Wilhoit	....	foley artist
Greg Zimmerman	....	adr recordist

Special Effects by
Ryal Cosgrove	....	special effects supervisor
Gustavo Harry Farias	....	special effects
Federico Ransenberg	....	special effects technician
Marc Reichel	....	special effects

Visual Effects by
Michael Beaulac	....	digital compositor
Marie-Eve Bedard-Tremblay	....	visual effects coordinator: Oblique FX
Benoit Blouin	....	digital effects artist
Cynthia Carrier	....	visual effects artist
Cynthia Carrier	....	visual effects coordinator
Bertrand de Saint Seine	....	titles and credits
Charles-David Deschenes	....	visual effects assistant
Patrick Dion	....	digital compositor
Aélis Héraud	....	visual effects compositor
Jean-Francois Lafleur	....	digital effects artist
Emilien Lazaron	....	visual effects coordinator
Pierre-Simon Lebrun-Chaput	....	matte painter
Martin Lipmann	....	senior compositor
Louis Morin	....	visual effects supervisor
David Raymond	....	visual effects artist

Stunts
Tyler Hall	....	assistant stunt coordinator
Tyler Hall	....	stunt driver
Terry Jackson	....	stunts
David McKeown	....	stunt coordinator
David Rigby	....	stunt driver

Camera and Electrical Department
Giovanni Bommarito	....	grip
Ronan Boudier	....	second assistant camera
Wesley Bryant	....	lamp operator
R. Adam Chambers	....	gaffer: San Francisco
Daniel Chrétien Jr.	....	best boy electric: Montréal
Daniel Chrétien	....	gaffer: Montreal
Jarrid Clinkinbeard	....	lighting technician
Jarrid Clinkinbeard	....	set generator operator
Brandon Dauzat	....	second assistant camera: Louisiana unit
Sarah Dubien	....	assistant camera
Nicolas Eveilleau	....	first assistant camera: France
Jeph Folkins	....	second assistant camera: San Francisco
Carter Lee Garrett	....	lighting technician
Gonzalo Gonzalez	....	best boy electric
Mark Harrison	....	grip
Sean Patrick Hill	....	dolly grip: Arizona
Soupharak Keoborakoth	....	second assistant camera: "a" camera
Kareem La Vaullée	....	steadicam operator
Boris Lévy	....	assistant camera
Allen Parks	....	gaffer: New Orleans
Kyle Pugsley	....	grip: San Francisco
Dany Racine	....	first assistant camera: "a" camera
Chris Reynolds	....	first assistant camera: U.S.A. units
Jonathan E. Robinson	....	loader
Kyle Robson	....	grip
Von Scott	....	film loader
John Stewart	....	best boy/electric
Luke Towers	....	second assistant camera: Alberta unit
Michael Trejo	....	grip
David Vernerey	....	gaffer
Sergio Villegas	....	grip: New Orleans
Marc Wall	....	dolly grip: San Francisco
Stephen L. Whitcomb	....	second assistant camera
Jarrod Wilson	....	key grip: Arizona
Alex Worster	....	camera loader: San Francisco unit

Casting Department
Chris Bowe	....	casting associate: Arizona
Julie Breton	....	extras casting
Elizabeth Coulon	....	casting director: louisiana
Patrice Farner	....	extras casting
Nina Henninger	....	casting: San Francisco
Faith Hibbs-Clark	....	casting director: Arizona
Charlotte N. Laihonen	....	extras casting assistant
Karen P. Morris	....	casting associate
Jonathan Oliveira	....	casting assistant: Toronto

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Sophie Beasse	....	key wardrobe dresser
Cori Burchell	....	costume supervisor
Darren Clark	....	wardrobe assistant
Aline Gilmore	....	assistant costume designer
Kristine N. Haag	....	costumer: preparation
Melanie Hocking	....	additional costumer
Katina Kordonouris	....	wardrobe
Laurence Lacoste	....	extras costumer
Valérie Levesque	....	assistant costume designer
Valérie Levesque	....	wardrobe buyer
Ashley Martin	....	costumer
Erick Martinez	....	dresser
Heather Moore	....	costume coordinator
Michele K. Short	....	assistant costume designer
Giselle Spence	....	seamstress: New Orleans
Ann Walters	....	costume supervisor: New Orleans
Nancy Wei	....	costumer
Valerie White	....	costume supervisor: San Francisco unit

Editorial Department
Steven Bodner	....	additional digital intermediate colorist: New York
Matt Breitenbach	....	additional digital intermediate on-line editor
Nicolas Criqui	....	assistant editor
Charles Fréville	....	colorist: dailies
Isabelle Julien	....	colorist
Jay Rabinowitz	....	additional editor
Giulia Rodino	....	second assistant editor
Lívia Serpa	....	associate editor
Perri Silver	....	post-production assistant
Charlotte Soyez	....	additional assistant editor
Molle DeBartolo	....	digital intermediate producer: New York (uncredited)

Music Department
John M. Davis	....	music editor
Lynn Fainchtein	....	music supervisor

Transportation Department
Morris Aroesti	....	driver
Shay Morgan Brook	....	driver: set decoration
Donald Burdett	....	driver
Lyssa J. Caster	....	transportation captain
Doug Dovichi	....	transportation coordinator
Pauline Sissie Franklin	....	transportation captain
Réal Hamel	....	picture car coordinator
James Ivanovich	....	transportation coordinator
Alexandre Juaneda	....	transportation coordinator
Criss Mavian	....	transportation co-captain
André Michaud	....	driver: director
Deborah Muscarello	....	picture car coordinator
Shawn Rader	....	driver
Jared Robbins	....	transportation captain

Other crew
Chantal Allard	....	production assistant
Christopher Arcache	....	production assistant
Jimena L. Arguelles Izaguirre	....	production assistant: Mexico
Jose Manuel Ballesteros	....	catering coordinator
Nicole Barré	....	child acting coach
debra Bruce-Nazarian	....	dialect coach: sam riley
Christina Buchli	....	production legal
Jerome Butler	....	adr voice
Jerome Butler	....	dialect coach
Jason Chandler	....	production assistant
Cameron Chapman	....	production coordinator: Alberta
Gregory Chiodo	....	location manager
Scott Corser	....	production assistant: Arizona
Ariane Dagenais-Plante	....	location scout: Montreal
Christopher Davis	....	production assistant
Liana Dee	....	first production accountant
Carol DePasquale	....	script supervisor: California Unit
Marc Desaulniers	....	production assistant
Yves Desjardins	....	production coordinator
Rita Duffey	....	location production consultant: New Orleans unit
Andrée-Anne Faucher	....	production assistant
Christian Fluet	....	production accountant
Felix Gehm	....	location manager: San Francisco
Marc-André Goyer	....	travel coordinator
Zach Grant	....	assistant production coordinator: Arizona
Sarah Gray	....	first assistant accountant: New Orleans Unit
Mel Green	....	production assistant
Leo Haidar	....	legal counsel
Denton Hanna	....	location manager: Arizona
Charles Harrington	....	location manager
Nicole Heitzmann	....	production accountant
Lewis Herrera	....	production coordinator
Sam Horton	....	production secretary: New Orleans Unit
Jean-Patrick Joseph	....	special equipment supplier
Chris Kahlert	....	medic on-location
Chrissy Kernes	....	accounting clerk
Nutan Khanna	....	clearance/product placement coordinator
Adrian Knight	....	location manager
Iran Kuykendall	....	production assistant
Matt Kyhn	....	production assistant: Arizona
Nathalie Lagacé	....	first assistant accountant
Gabriel Lavina	....	production assistant
Daniel Lee	....	location assistant: San Francisco
Julia Lenardon	....	dialect coach: prep, Montreal
Scott Matthew MacDonald	....	production assistant
Zack Mandell	....	location assistant
Travis Alan McAfee	....	key set production assistant: Arizona unit
David Ross McCarty	....	location manager
Khanya Mkhize	....	adr voice group
Casey Moore	....	office production assistant: New Orleans Unit
Carlos Moreno Jr.	....	adr voice
Chris Nausley	....	production assistant
Mylène Papillon	....	production assistant
Emilie Paquet	....	production assistant
Diane Pitblado	....	on-set dialect coach
Jason Quimby	....	location manager: second unit, New York
Paul Rahfield	....	production assistant
Pablo Ramos	....	script supervisor: Argentina
Leah Jennings Richard	....	key office production assistant: New Orleans
Anthony Rossi III	....	production coordinator: New Orleans unit
Valerie Ryan	....	location manager
Jason Sallee	....	key assistant location manager: Arizona
Ignacio Sarchi	....	production assistant
Paola Scagnet	....	production coordinator: Argentina
Lise Servant	....	payroll accountant
Virginie Simon	....	legal counsel
Noah T. Smith	....	production assistant: Arizona
Jonathan Sprankle	....	production assistant: location unit, Louisiana
Mark C. Stevens	....	key set production assistant: New Orleans
L. La Mar Stewart	....	set production assistant: San Francisco
Michael Thompson	....	production assistant: Arizona
Sophie Timbal	....	production accountant
Linda Torino Tondreau	....	assistant location manager
Linda Torino Tondreau	....	location manager
Elizabeth Tremblay	....	script supervisor
Adrian Kali Turner	....	ADR looping
Claudia Valdez	....	production coordinator: mexico
Jason Viera	....	production assistant: Northern California
Chelsea Wehner	....	production assistant: San Francisco
Derrick Bentley Wells	....	production assistant

Thanks
Michael Frislev	....	special thanks
Robert Messinger	....	special thanks
Chad Oakes	....	special thanks

Production Companies

• MK2 Productions (as MK2) (presents)
• American Zoetrope (presents)
• Jerry Leider Company
• Vanguard Films (in association with)
• Film4 (in association with)
• France 2 Cinéma (as France 2 Cinema) (in co-production with)
• France Télévisions (as France Televisions) (with the participation of)
• Canal+ (with the participation of)
• Ciné+ (as Cine+) (with the participation of)
• MK2 Productions (as MK2)
• VideoFilmes (in co-production with)
• Nomadic Pictures (uncredited)
• SPAD Films (uncredited)

Distributors

• MK2 Diffusion (2012) (France) (theatrical)
• Cinéart (2012) (Netherlands) (theatrical)
• Cinéart (2012) (Belgium) (theatrical)
• Cinéart (2012) (Luxembourg) (theatrical)
• Alliance Films (2013) (Canada) (theatrical)
• Broadmedia Studios (2013) (Japan) (theatrical)
• Concorde Filmverleih (2012) (Austria) (theatrical)
• Concorde Filmverleih (2012) (Germany) (theatrical)
• Concorde Filmverleih (2012) (Liechtenstein) (theatrical)
• Concorde Filmverleih (2012) (Switzerland) (theatrical) (German speaking region)
• Distribution Company (2013) (Argentina) (theatrical)
• Filmcoopi Zürich (2012) (Switzerland) (theatrical)
• Future Film (2012) (Finland) (theatrical)
• IFC Films (2012) (USA) (theatrical)
• IFC/Sundance Selects (2012) (USA) (theatrical)
• Icon Film Distribution (2012) (Australia) (theatrical)
• Icon Film Distribution (2012) (UK) (theatrical)
• Orlando Films (2013) (Israel) (theatrical)
• Sundance Selects (2012) (USA) (theatrical)
• AMC Networks (2013) (USA) (TV)
• American Movie Classics (AMC) (2012) (USA) (TV)
• Concorde Home Entertainment (2013) (Germany) (DVD)
• EuroVideo (2013) (Germany) (DVD) (rental)
• Falcon Films (2012) (Lebanon) (all media) (Middle East)
• Film1 (2013) (Netherlands) (TV) (limited)
• IPA Asia Pacific (2012) (Thailand) (all media)
• IPA Asia Pacific (2012) (Vietnam) (all media)
• Midget Entertainment (2012) (Denmark) (all media)
• PARLUX Entertainment (2013) (Hungary) (all media)
• PlayArte Filmes (2012) (Brazil) (all media)
• Sundance Selects (2012) (USA) (all media)
• Twin Pics (2012) (Netherlands) (DVD)
• Twin Pics (2012) (Netherlands) (DVD) (Blu-ray)
• Wanda Visión S.A. (2012) (Spain) (all media)
• Zon Audiovisuais (2012) (Portugal) (all media)

Other Companies

• A & R Brochu Construction  set construction
• Chapman/Leonard Studio Equipment  camera dollies
• Coulon Casting  casting
• DTC Grip & Electric  grip and lighting equipment
• Dolby Laboratories  sound mix
• Equipment & Film Design  grip and lighting equipment
• Good Faith Casting  casting (Arizona)
• Heenan Blaikie Lawyers  Canadian legal services
• Hollywood Trucks  entertainment transportation
• Intelligent Media  international monitoring agency
• Millennium Studios  set decoration rental house
• Silver Screen Supply  portable cooling units
• Silver Screen Supply  portable power systems and cables
• Sixteen19  post production services
• Soundelux  post-production sound services
• Studio Line  sound post-production (ADR)
• Tate Post  sound post-production
• Verve Records  soundtrack
• Visual Motion  camera trucks and trailers provided by
• Wildfire Studios  post-production sound services

Also Known As:

MPAA:

Rated R for strong sexual content, drug use and language

Runtime:

124 min | 137 min (original version)

Country:

France | USA | UK | Brazil | Canada

Language:

English | French

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

DTS | Dolby Digital

Certification:

Switzerland:16 (canton of Geneva) | Switzerland:16 (canton of Vaud) | Netherlands:16 | Sweden:11 | Brazil:16 | New Zealand:R18 | UK:15 | Australia:MA15+ | Ireland:16 | USA:R | Denmark:11 | Italy:T | Portugal:M/16 | Canada:14A (British Columbia/Manitoba/Ontario) | Canada:18A (Alberta) | Hong Kong:IIB | Germany:12 | Japan:R15+

Filming Locations:

USA

Company:

MK2 Productions

Trivia:

Viggo Mortensen's character is based on writer William S. Burroughs. Burroughs's novel Naked Lunch (1991) was adapted onto film by David Cronenberg. Mortensen appeared in Cronenberg's films A History of Violence (2005) and Eastern Promises (2007).

Goofs:

Anachronisms: 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.

Quotes:

Dean Moriarty:Hey Sal... I love you as ever.

Movie Connections:

References The Red House (1947)

Soundtrack:

Hard to Love What You Kill

Revisionist treatment with pluses and minuses

There are very few works of 20th-century American literature that can be called indispensable to our understanding of our culture. And one of these few is Jack Kerouac's On the Road. As everyone knows, it's the thinly-veiled autobiographical account of Kerouac and his friends in their pointless but exuberant adventures across America. For 50 years, it's been waiting to be made into a movie. Now, at last.

So, everyone already knows the story… well, no; chances are, if you're like me, you read the book and yet remember almost nothing of the story. The book burns through its shreds of storyline as if they were just tinder for the blaze of its energy; the real fuel is the pacing, even with all its redundancy. It's the momentum that sucks us into the breathless chaos of Kerouac's world. We come away impressed by the energy, not the content.

Film could certainly have been used to amplify this effect, but this is not that film. Instead, we have a more conventional treatment, focusing on character development. It's a nice production, with an attractive cast. But the story comes at us very differently from the book experience. The manuscript has been rewritten to add breathing space and objectivity. We see Sal Paradise, only half-formed at the start of the story, pull himself together to become a serious writer. We see the endlessly exuberant Dean Moriarity ultimately coming to grips with the progressive self- destruction attributable to his amorality, and suffering. This might be a fair reading of Kerouac's ultimate feelings about that part of his life, but it's not the feeling that Kerouac shares with us in the book. We have lost our innocence; our last chance to revisit it, even for a few hours, is taken away.

I'm not going to rage against this re-conception of the story, though, because it makes other changes from the book that might be improvements. Several episodes that were censored from the book are restored in the film. (Some discussion of this at http://www.univie.ac.at/Anglistik/easyrider/data/BeatEros.htm). So the movie is more historically accurate, and far more sexually explicit than the book. (That could also explain its delayed US release). In one poignant scene, Carlos Marx (Allen Ginsberg) is whining to Sal about how vulnerable he feels due to his poorly-returned love for Dean. To the best of my recollection, that conversation was not in the book (please tell me if you believe otherwise), but was expressed in a private letter from Ginsberg to Kerouac many years after the fact. This kind of thing changes the emotional flow of the story, certainly, but it adds depth, too.

Few of us will actually suffer nostalgia for the gritty overindulgences of the Beats. But remember, this came at a time when society was absolutely saturated with the message that everyone should be "normal," safe, predictable. Without the tiny minority of Beats attacking that message, and specifically without On The Road to chronicle that attack, the cultural revolution of the 1960's would have been even more difficult than it was, and perhaps less effective. Good, bad, or ugly, we must embrace this story.