How confident am I about Walter Salles' adapation of Jack Kerouac's classic novel On the Road, one of my favorite novels and loved by hipsters/hippies/artists/students everywhere? Um, kind of. Salles is a wonderful director, and The Motorcycle Diaries is one of my favorite films. But although On the Road has Salles going for it and a solid cast, with various up-and-coming heavyweights like Garrett Hedlund and Sam Riley and established actors like Amy Adams, Kirsten Dunst, and Viggo Mortensen, I have one main problem with the film, and it has two words: Kristen. Stewart.
Let me explain: I don't like Kristen Stewart. At all. I don't enjoy her as an actress, either in the Twilight films or otherwise; I resent her consistent sullenness; and don't even get me started on her cheating on Robert Pattinson. It's not that I'm some woman-hating woman, but Stewart's inability to seem happy with her life, and the Pattinson fiasco, ultimately frustrate me. So for me, Stewart's role as Marylou, the promiscuous, insightful child bride of Dean Moriarty (Hedlund), can either make or break the film. If she turns in a visceral, sensual performance, then maybe we'll have an actual movie - but if she just pouts and poses through it, like she has in other work like Snow White and the Huntsman, then I may flip my shit.
And yes, this second On the Road trailer certainly has more of Stewart: that's her dancing, that's her sharing glances with Hedlund, that's her pissing off other women with her presence. Um, art imitating life?
On the Road hits American theaters on Dec. 21, 2012. For the new trailer, click through!
