Still mad about the whole business of On The Road
coming out everywhere else first—and then in the United States! This quintessential American film comes to
the United States last of all. Well,
technically not “last”—it will come out next year in Spain, Hungary, Argentina,
and Hong Kong. But it’s come out in
twenty-one other countries first (and one more, if it really showed at the
Marin Film Festival in October, which I can’t confirm. Hey, my friends in Marin—Did any of you see
it then??)
So all these “anticipations” of the film as we move
up to the December 21st U.S. release date probably seem pretty silly
to folks in areas that have already gotten the film, months ago. I know it premiered at Cannes in May, with a
lengthy press conference. I know it was
in the running for awards there—but won nothing major.
I also see that it has now been trimmed a bit. According to the IMDB (International Movie
Database) it originally ran 2 hours and 17 minutes. It now has been cut to 2 hours and 4
minutes. Well, The Business does what it
must. Until I get to see both versions,
I’ll be missing those additional thirteen minutes.
But that was always an issue with Kerouac, as with
some others. Whereas my other favorite
writer, Christopher Isherwood, asks himself “Why am I telling them this?”
Kerouac simply tells. In his first
published novel, The Town and the City (which
I still have not read), Kerouac edited and rewrote extensively. But after that he held to the ideal of “no
revisions.” I can see why some people
would prefer to trim On The Road. It can seem rambling and even pointless to
some.
I notice, incidentally, that the film is described
as “Action/Adventure/Drama.” Well, PR
has got to call it something. I just hope that people new to Kerouac don’t come
expecting something like Indiana Jones!
Oh, I feel a train wreck coming, but hope I’m
wrong. Just read a review on the IMDB
that was not encouraging. But of course
I have to see the film just to find out.
I often disagree with reviewers.
And so we plunge on, towards finding out the truth.
It will be interesting in some way, no doubt. I see opinions about sociology and
demographics. Hm. Guess I’ll hang on for the ride!
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