Kerouac's Road: The Beat of a Nation

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Kerouac's Road: The Beat of a Nation

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1h 29m

Documentary

Biography

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KEROUAC'S ROAD: THE BEAT OF A NATION explores Jack Kerouac's legacy through stories of modern "on-the-roaders" and those who knew or were inspired by him. Featuring Josh Brolin, W. Kamau Bell, Matt Dillon and more, it reveals a rarely seen side of Kerouac and offers a fresh take on On the Road and its lasting impact on America.

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Alissa Wilkinson

New York Times

For superfans, Kerouac’s Road: The Beat of a Nation will play like a party, and probably drive the repeat reader right back to the book.

Aug 1, 2025

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Andrew Osborne

culturevulture.net

One of the strengths of this offbeat layer cake of a documentary is its acknowledgement of its subject as a flawed man mired in his time who nevertheless tapped into a shared national yearning for rebellion that feels both timely and timeless.

Aug 21, 2025

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Kelly Vance

East Bay Express

Director Ebs Burnough and writer Eliza Hindmarch take a different tack from most of the numerous treatments of the late author’s story. After a dazzling opening credits montage, the talking heads make their cases with appropriately surprising candor.

Aug 14, 2025

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Jaylan Salah

InSession Film

It tackles the American dream through the perspective of an immigrant who, in his attempt to understand a country that once felt foreign to him, has etched his name forever into its mythos.

Rated: B+

Aug 8, 2025

Full Review

Anne Brodie

What She Said

Kerouac’s legacy roars back to life in this well-made collage of reminiscences as to how his road novel changed the US. The opposite of the way things are now as Americans chase careers, jobs, wealth, status

Rated: 4/4

Aug 8, 2025

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Amber Wilkinson

Eye for Film

Often fascinating, thanks to the first-person recollections of Kerouac’s friends and sense of humour of his biographers, while the modern-day stories add an emotional vibrancy – but ... attempts at broad inquiry, means this is sprawling and diffuse.

Rated: 3/5

Aug 3, 2025

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David

From the starting point 70 years on from Kerouacs On the Road, the set of modern stories beautifully unfolds as we continue to recon with what it can and does mean to be an American.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

08/03/25

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Cody B

I grew weary of the 3 stories of people who had nothing to do with Kerouac. I wanted to see a movie about Kerouac not all these modern people. Even following the Rainbow gathering people would have made more sense to me. Disappointing.

Rated 2 out of 5 stars

08/16/25

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Micala Y

Jack Kerouac: Beat of a Nation shines when it focuses on Kerouac himself, with rich archival footage and personal stories that bring the Beat legend to life. But the film's detours into three unrelated modern journeys — though moving — feel disconnected from On the Road, tied only by loose themes of freedom and struggle. The political undertones may engage some viewers but distract others from its strongest material: Kerouac's own story.

Rated 2 out of 5 stars

08/14/25

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Darren B.

I wanted to like this. The Kerouac footage is excellent. Ann Charters’ and Joyce Johnson’s interviews complement the documentary. I just couldn’t find much personal connection to the three everyday people’s stories which dominate the narrative. The kid from Philly had hardly begun his life’s journey.

Rated 2 out of 5 stars

08/12/25

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Stephen C

Real footage in 1 hour and 29 minutes!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Dubbed and subtitled in worldwide studios!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

08/05/25

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Ebs Burnough

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Synopsis

KEROUAC'S ROAD: THE BEAT OF A NATION explores Jack Kerouac's legacy through stories of modern "on-the-roaders" and those who knew or were inspired by him. Featuring Josh Brolin, W. Kamau Bell, Matt Dillon and more, it reveals a rarely seen side of Kerouac and offers a fresh take on On the Road and its lasting impact on America.

Director: Ebs Burnough
Producer: Eliza Hindmarch, John Battsek, Ebs Burnough
Screenwriter: Eliza Hindmarch, Eliza Hindmarch
Distributor: Freestyle Digital Media
Production Co: Universal Documentaries
Genre: Documentary, Biography, History
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Aug 1, 2025, Limited
Runtime: 1h 29m