Kerouac’s Road: A thoughtful but flawed revisit of On the Road’s legacy

This documentary examines Jack Kerouac’s On the Road through a contemporary lens, balancing praise for its literary energy with critical attention to its dated views on race and women. Directed by Ebs Burnough, the film features a star-studded set of interviewees who dissect the work’s strengths and blind spots. Literary critic Jay McInerney explains the effort behind Kerouac’s stylistic construction, while musician Natalie Merchant reflects on what the book still resonates with today, even as she notes that her own children struggle to finish it. W Kamau Bell offers sharp critique of the book’s racial exclusions and imagines an alternative road trip with James Baldwin. Joyce Johnson recounts personal anecdotes about Kerouac. The film’s strongest moments come from its focused literary analysis; its weakest parts attempt to connect Kerouac to modern American life, which feels tenuous and occasionally contrived. Overall, the documentary is elegant and generous, but not wholly persuasive in reconciling a controversial classic with today’s sensibilities.