Movie Week - Roadie

via tribecafilm.com

I’ve always felt like Ron Eldard should be a much bigger star.  The first time I saw him was in way too short-lived Bakersfield P.D.  (Oh how I miss that show.)  But he was so good at being funny, that when he showed up on ER being equally good at being serious, I paid attention to the guy. 

When I saw that he was the star of the indie flick Roadie, I was immediately sold.  Plus the cast included Jill Hennessy and Bobby Cannavale, so how could I not be interested in watching this?  In fact it’s actually showed up here before. 

So how was it? 

Roadie is an experience.  It’s a film about a guy who’s been a roadie for Blue Oyster Cult for two decades, who gets fired and has no choice but to go back home to Queens.  But once he’s home he starts living a lie and bumps into his a lost love. 

It’s a trip to think about the life of a roadie, when they’re not on the road.  I’ve been to plenty of concerts and seen my fair share of set up guys.  I was pretty impressed with how immaculately dressed the roadies for The Dead Weather were, but I didn’t really think about what they did on their off time. 

But seeing Jimmy trying to score up another gig was painful to watch.  And then seeing how the shame he felt for doing what he loved affected him, was brutal.  It’s genuinely refreshing to see the slacker lifestyle pretty accurately portrayed in a movie. 

Jimmy’s relationship with his mom was pretty touching.  It was sad, but in a really sweet kind of way.  She loves her son and she wants to show him off and while he’s not fully into it, he is a loving son. 

I guess Roadie really connected with me on a few levels.  Who hasn’t had the feeling of going back home and feeling too big for it?  Or bumping into “the one that got away” and wondering what if?  It’s certainly a film that stands on it’s own merits, but it might have extra resonance with some audiences. 

Basically it’s about taking a character on a journey, by taking him home. 

If you consider yourself a fan of Eldard, Cannavale or Hennessy you should really check out Roadie.