Kerouac's Road: The Beat of a Nation

Kerouac’s Road: The Beat of a Nation explores how the legacy of Jack Kerouac’s iconic novel On the Road reflects in today’s America. The film interweaves stories of modern-day “on-the-roaders” who share connections to Kerouac’s life, alongside those influenced by him or knew and loved him. Featured participants include Josh Brolin, W. Kamau Bell, Natalie Merchant, Matt Dillon, David Amram and Joyce Johnson. On the Road remains as relevant today as it was in the 1950s, but both the book and Kerouac himself have never been explored in this way before. The film reveals a rarely-seen side of Kerouac—not just the iconic, all- American, handsome beat poet, but a writer deeply affected by his small-town immigrant upbringing, grappling with his sexuality and struggles with alcoholism. With never-before-seen material from Kerouac’s personal archive, the documentary offers a poignant meditation on America as a nation, and the enduring myths and dreams of the road.