On the Road

I loved this movie. I think people are nit picking that it did not capture the spirit of the book. But to me, it captured the most important thing. In an age of Reality T.V. shows, 500 cable stations, video games, social networking... you don't need those things to have fun in life when your young. At the end of the day, when your old and gray, your life will be about memories, and who will remember when they played a video game or watched a T.V. show? oh yeah... Jazz music is not for prudes or squares, the music is eternal and always will be.

nice movie!

I read the book a long time ago, suffice it to say I don't really recall much of it. The film blew me away though. The complexity and depth of these characters is what the movie was about for me. I had my hesitations about watching it, since there were so many negative reviews, so I waited a year. And was able to watch without prejudice or expectation early this morning. Honestly I don't even know what words to use to explain my reaction.

It's surely going to be difficult for those who haven't read the book: a lot of plot lines appear from nowhere only to reappear in passing an hour later. It seems like the director is expecting you to help him with your imagination and memories of Kerouac's novel. Still, it is a very solid work, visually beautiful, which captures some very central feeling of "On the road".

I lived in NYC and attended Columbia in the wake of Kerouac and Ginsberg, hung out in the same jazz clubs and drank the same cheap wine, and i can tell you with some authority that this film captures the youthful, sweaty, gritty, confused, bisexual gropings toward some deeper truth in the intensity of experience that characterized the Beats. If you read the book, you know that, like the movie, it's the story of a circle of friends transfixed and enamored by the wild, stoned-out, bigger than life Dean Moriarty, who somehow represents for them an ubermensch who lives life to the fullest and drains every drop of pleasure from the moment. In the end, he's completely drained by life and left shivering in the street in the cold, as his friends abandon the extremities to which he can't resist succumbing. The movie gets the spirit and the story right, and if you didn't enjoy it, you probably wouldn't like the book. What really stands out is how young and sincere these kids were--the baby-faced Allen Ginsberg, the youthful Sal, all in their early 20s, in the process of stumbling their way toward some poetry and novels that would define their generation--and how they prefigured in their inchoate rebellion the generations that follow. Excellent casting, particularly for the role of Dean, great acting, and terrific, period music. If you have any interest in the Beats, this is the movie to see!

I was surprised how awful this movie is due to it's cast. The cast is great, however, this movie is horrible. If you want to go to sleep, turn on this movie.

This was beautifully filmed. From the actors, to the scenery, to how they brought the book to life...really lovely. Sure it was slow & sad some times, but so was the book. It's about not missing out on life, keeping up with time, enjoying it while you can, but also it portrays the weird days and mornings after, the struggle to both survive and enjoy, the reality that some people really don't concern themselves with what they do to other people....it really touched me and made me feel the same way the book did, even without certain topics.

This moving was ok but really had a difficult time picking a plot. I know Sal was having writers block so he used Dean as a muse who was also using Sal. I never read the book so I have no idea how it compares this movie but I'm sure it could of had more of a story. Main points sex, drugs, and travel with no real friends.

This movie has 1. A great cast 2. Good photography 3. Great book to base on It would have been great but I was left feeling empty and as if the last couple hours invested watching were miserably wasted in a film that didn't translate to it greatness nor it buzz no wonder in the end there was no nominations. I will blame it on the script, they made a beautiful movie but not a great inspiring movie.

Just DON'T !!!