Click here to see The Gothamist's rather negative opinion of a movie version of On The Road.
Candidly, I worry greatly about the film. If it's bad - and that's a big if since we haven't even seen a trailer - it may have the unintended consequence of steering people away from Jack's novels. On the other hand, if it's good, and people flock to see it, I worry that many of those people will decide that reading the book is unnecessary.
And that would be a shame, because reading Jack is the best and only real way to appreciate his genius.
I suspect lots of people will go see the film. Kristen Stewart fans will. Viggo Mortensen fans will. Steve Buscemi fans will. Jack Kerouac fans will. Beat Generation fans will. What's hard to predict is how much it will pull the average moviegoer with no interest in Jack or the Beats or any of the film's stars.
I'd like to think that Salles has done a good job. That's what it comes down to, because a great director can inspire great performances from even mediocre actors.
My fingers are going to be quite tired of being crossed by the time this film is released stateside.
I had the pleasure to meet with Kristen Stewart for almost 40 minutes while she was at the boot camp in Montreal. We mainly discussed about the sad story of Jan Kerouac, Jack's abandonned daughter. Upon leaving, I said : Madame, if someone deserves a movie, it's Jan.
ReplyDeleteMust say that I then had the pleasure to meet with a very attentive, intelligent and sensitive person. I wish her the best at Cannes with her role in On The Road.
What is left for me to know is how, the 1978 taped interview --- more than 7 hours --- with Lu Ann Henderson (Marylou) presented to Walter Salles and the main actors at the 2010 boot camp in Montreal, by Gerald Nicosia and Lu Anne's own daughter, Anne Marie Santos, has touched the producer and the actors. The real story behind Jack's fiction brings a much needed insight to the novel.
"One and Only", a must read before seing the movie if one wants to see what is hidden beyond the frames. Viva Editions
J.A. Michel Bornais
Editing staff
Le Trésor des Kirouac
Association des familles Kirouac inc.
Québec City, Canada