On the Road, the latest film by director Walter Salles, is the most recent of a number adaptations of beloved novels to hit the big screen within the past few months. Twilight, The Hobbit and Life of Pi all descended upon theatres in late 2012 and garnered large box office rewards. While filmmakers turn to successful novels for inspiration (and probably with hopes of cashing in on pre-existing fan bases), reactions to film adaptations are often mixed. Perhaps unsurprisingly, audiences’ pre-conceived notions about their favourite books invariably colour their perception of any director’s efforts at literary interpretation.
On the Road is adapted from Jack Kerouac’s 1957 novel of the same name, which tells the story of Sal Paradise (Sam Riley), a young writer living in New York. Sal befriends Dean Moriarty (Garrett Hedlund) and his wife Marylou (Kristen Stewart). The carefree and adventurous Dean galvanizes Sal’s stale existence, and the duo take to the road and head west. The film centres upon the friends’ adventures and the people they meet as they travel from place to place.
In Kerouac’s novel, Sal’s decision to hit the road is motivated by a pressing need to see the world, rather than sit idly in his mother’s living room, writing about things he has never seen. But the film adaptation of On the Road fails to capture the acuity of Sal’s desire to explore the American West, resulting in a weak connection between plot points, many of which go unexplained.
On the Road boasts an impressive cast, with Riley, Hedlund, and Stewart in the lead roles. Riley’s voice in the film is practically a character unto itself, perfectly capturing the thick, raspy inflection of a man who has smoked far too many cigarettes and drunk far too much whiskey. Riley plays the naïve Sam with an easy smile, holding his own against a seasoned supporting cast that includes the likes of Amy Adams, Elisabeth Moss, Kirsten Dunst, and Viggo Mortensen. The supporting actors do a fine job with their small roles, but unfortunately, none of them are on screen long enough to leave a lasting impression.
Hedlund is compelling as Dean Moriarty, but he doesn’t quite muster the enthusiasm and love of life that Kerouac’s character exudes throughout the course of the novel. Stewart’s Marylou is a forlorn young woman, wallowing in angst and failed love. While Marylou is a sympathetic character in Kerouac’s novel, in Salles’ film, she comes across as little more than an uninspired version of all the other roles that Stewart has played up to this point.
On the Road attempts to translate Kerouac’s most famous novel to the screen with little success. Though there are some moments where the words of Kerouac’s novel come alive, those who have not read the novel will be confused and those who have read it will be disappointed.
