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On the Road

Play trailer Poster for On the Road R Released Dec 21, 2012 2h 19m Drama Play Trailer Watchlist
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46% Tomatometer 151 Reviews 34% Popcornmeter 10,000+ Ratings
An aspiring writer (Sam Riley), his new friend (Garrett Hedlund) and his friend's seductive wife (Kristen Stewart) heed the call of the open road.

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Critics Consensus

Beautiful to look at but a bit too respectfully crafted, On the Road doesn't capture the energy and inspiration of Jack Kerouac's novel.

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Critics Reviews

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Sophie Mayer Sight & Sound More an extended Urban Outfitters advertisement than an essay on, or into, the exciting experiments of Beat Cinema. Jul 31, 2018 Full Review Tom Long Detroit News It's not a wreck of a movie; it's not a sleek race car either. But there's heat to be felt here. Rated: B Mar 22, 2013 Full Review Ann Hornaday Washington Post Walter Salles's warm but strangely staid adaptation of a piece of literature that was never meant to be tamed as cinema. Rated: 2/4 Mar 22, 2013 Full Review James Croot Stuff.co.nz ... A solid, atmospheric and evocative take on what is a seminal slice of 20th Century literature. Rated: 3.5/5 Sep 5, 2023 Full Review Joanne Laurier World Socialist Web Site Brazilian director Walter Salles (born 1956) has attempted to make a movie that retains the feel of the Kerouac literary classic. Feb 28, 2021 Full Review Jim Ross TAKE ONE Magazine Walter Salles' adaptation of ON THE ROAD is an intoxicating but frustrating film. You will be drawn in by the visual and aural hedonism and you'll ignore the self-indulgence and lack of control - but only up to a point. Feb 13, 2020 Full Review Read all reviews

Audience Reviews

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Ian E Pretty bad - only redeeming features are it saves reading the book - if you haven't already read it. And introduces Kirstin's Stewart & Dunst and Elizabeth Moss in what must have been pretty early roles. Rated 1.5 out of 5 stars 08/08/24 Full Review Sarah G Too bad, what could have been from an amazing book. Rated 0.5 out of 5 stars 06/13/24 Full Review Jerod S Hard to capture Kerouac in a movie and this one gets a little character-frantic. Overall it's an interesting journey of Sal and his crazy friend Dean. Rated 3 out of 5 stars 12/25/23 Full Review Audience Member I really enjoyed the book from my favourite nostalgia era. I don't agree with the rotten tomatoes. I feel the movie exposed the hedoism and the escapism of conservative family suburban drudgery. Personally I loved the book and the movie. I am a bit of a natural writer myself. Rated 5 out of 5 stars 02/04/23 Full Review dave s I read Jack Kerouac's On the Road about 40 years ago and seem to recall enjoying it. The movie adaptation? Not so much. For the uninitiated, the story centres on Sal Paradise, an idealistic budding writer, and Dean Moriarty, a Proust-reading conman and narcissist. Sal, Dean and their pseudo-intellectual friends, all of whom speak in incomprehensible Beat platitudes, are in search of the elusive and undefinable "it" (whatever "it" may be). They don't like conforming to society and resort to theft, vandalism, impaired driving and general bad behavior to prove it. The film itself, directed by Walter Salles, is filled with a cloying jazz score, annoying "snap" editing, bleached out colour tones, and jittery hand-held camera work. While it may be true in spirit to the Kerouac novel, that doesn't mean it's easy or pleasant to watch. Rated 1.5 out of 5 stars 03/30/23 Full Review steve d I don't know if it is because the source material is dated or the film fails to capture it, but there is nothing going on in the film. Stewart is the one bright spot. Rated 2 out of 5 stars 03/30/23 Full Review Read all reviews
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On the Road

(L-R) Sam Riley as Sal Paradise and Garrett Hedlund as Dean Moriarty in "On the Road." Garrett Hedlund as Dean Moriarty in "On the Road." Garrett Hedlund as Dean Moriarty in "On the Road." Kristen Stewart as Marylou in "On the Road." Sam Riley as Sal Paradise and Alice Braga as Terry in "On the Road." (L-R) Sam Riley as Sal Paradise and Garrett Hedlund as Dean Moriarty in "On the Road." (L-R) Sam Riley as Sal Paradise, Kristen Stewart as Marylou and Garrett Hedlund as Dean Moriarty in "On the Road." Sam Riley as Sal Paradise in "On the Road." View more photos

Movie Info

Synopsis An aspiring writer (Sam Riley), his new friend (Garrett Hedlund) and his friend's seductive wife (Kristen Stewart) heed the call of the open road.
Director
Walter Salles
Producer
Nathanaël Karmitz, Charles Gillibert, Rebecca Yeldham, Roman Coppola
Screenwriter
Jose Rivera
Distributor
IFC Films
Production Co
Jerry Leider Company, Videofilmes, MK2 Films
Rating
R (Language|Drug Use|Strong Sexual Content)
Genre
Drama
Original Language
English
Release Date (Theaters)
Dec 21, 2012, Limited
Rerelease Date (Theaters)
Mar 22, 2013
Release Date (Streaming)
Apr 4, 2017
Box Office (Gross USA)
$717.8K
Runtime
2h 19m
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