
On the Road
Seen it?2012 | 142 min | Adventure, Drama
Why it’s a Weeknight Watch
With middling reviews (45% on Rotten Tomatoes) and a lukewarm 5.6 out of 10 from audiences, it's a mixed bag. Fine if it's on; don't plan your night around it.
Based on critics, audiences, awards, box office and buzz. Details below.Is it for you?
- Who'll love it
- Made for adventure fans. If you loved I'm Thinking of Ending Things or 127 Hours, start here.
- The mood
- Exciting.
- The pace
- Takes its time with its characters, at 2 hr 22 min.
- What might put you off
- Rated R: meant for adults.
Sal Paradise is a young writer whose life is shaken and ultimately redefined by the arrival of Dean Moriarty, a free-spirited, fearless, fast talking Westerner and his girl, Marylou. Traveling cross-country, Sal and Dean venture out on a personal quest for freedom from the conformity and conservatism engulfing them in search of the unknown, themselves, and the pursuit of “it” -- the pure essence of experience.
How it earned its rating
- CriticsBelow par
45% on Rotten Tomatoes, 56 on Metacritic
- AudiencesBelow par
5.6 out of 10
- AwardsNot counted
No major awards or nominations
- Box office & staying powerBelow par
$9 million worldwide on a $25 million budget; still draws a steady audience long after release
- Buzz & cultural impactSolid
About 116K people sought it out in the past year
Trailer
More like this
I'm Thinking of Ending ThingsSaturday SpecialAnother road-trip drama, and a Saturday Special.
Interstate 60Weeknight WatchAnother road-trip adventure, though it's more of a weeknight watch.
127 HoursFriday Night FlickAnother critically acclaimed adventure.
ScarecrowSunday Safe BetAnother road-trip drama, and a safe bet for a quiet night.
The RoadSaturday SpecialAnother adventure, and a Saturday Special.
Want more like this, picked just for you? Get my picks
Cast & crew
Directed by Walter Salles
- Garrett HedlundDean Moriarty / Neal Cassady
- Sam RileySal Paradise / Jack Kerouac
- Kristen StewartMarylou / LuAnne Henderson
- Amy AdamsJane / Joan Vollmer
- Tom SturridgeCarlo Marx / Allen Ginsberg
- Danny MorganEd Dunkle / Al Hinkle
- Alice BragaTerry / Bea Franco
- Elisabeth MossGalatea Dunkel / Helen Hinkle
- Kirsten DunstCamille / Carolyn Cassady
- Viggo MortensenOld Bull Lee / William S. Burroughs