In 1968 Francis Ford Coppola purchased the rights to Jack Kerouac's 1957 iconic novel of a generation, On the Road. Over four decades later the film adaptation of On the Road was finally released in spring 2012 by MK2 Productions and American Zoetrope. Its long journey to the screen demonstrates the sometimes convoluted path a project can travel from book to film. Always tenacious, Coppola would not let go of the rights to On the Road, nor would he compromise about the seminal novel of the Beat Generation and its potential artistic life on film.
When Coppola bought the rights to On the Road his own artistic life was centered in San Francisco. Coppola spent many mornings writing scripts in cafés in the North Beach section of San Francisco, including parts of The Godfather. It is likely he was in spitting distance of City Lights Bookstore, where the San Francisco Bay Area Beats congregated and where Lawrence Ferlinghetti agreed to publish Allen Ginsberg's epic poem Howl. This storefront, a modest yet dynamic structure, is responsible for publishing many literary works that would likely not have found a home elsewhere; it was heady inspiration for a young, literate filmmaker.
From the beginning Coppola had unwavering demands for realizing the film. He believed the lead characters, Sal Paradise and Dean Moriarty, should be played by unknown actors and that the film should be in black and white. Both of those demands were not likely to attract studio backing.
The story of On the Road is largely autobiographical. The narrator, Sal Paradise, is the voice of Kerouac. Kerouac's main buddy Neal Cassady is portrayed in the adventurous, anything-goes maverick character Dean Moriarty. The backdrop of the story is after World War II and centers on a group of free-wheeling, hard-drinking, drug-taking adventurers soaking up the jazz of saxophonist Charlie Parker and trumpeter Miles Davis while carousing with girls and experiencing an alternate lifestyle that came to be known as the Beat Generation. Paradise is divorced and Moriarty is in a rocky marriage to Marylou. Sal works his way cross-country, meeting an eclectic group of characters including Carlo Marx (based on Allen Ginsberg). Sal is heading for San Francisco and making detours, meeting up with Dean periodically along the way. The subtext of On the Road is a generation in search of self and spiritual meaning. Kerouac's novel became the literary anthem of a generation and continues to resonate and influence artists into the twenty-first century.
In an article in The Telegraph in 2004 Coppola is quoted as telling author David Gritten in 1997 in Paris, “I tried to make it, but couldn't get the money. Now it keeps becoming more important.”1 Coppola knew it was critical to have a nuanced screenplay that would translate the spirit and intensity of the autobiographical novel. A number of highly respected screenwriters attempted writing a script that Coppola would greenlight. Michael Herr, who had contributed to the narration for Apocalypse Now and for Stanley Kubrick's Full Metal Jacket, made an attempt, but Coppola passed on his script.
The next treatment came from poet/author/screenwriter Barry Gifford. He had written several well-received novels about two characters, Sailor and Lula, with personalities that fit the Beat lifestyle. The first book of the series, Wild at Heart, was made into a film by David Lynch. He also wrote the script for Lynch's Lost Highway. Gifford had written an oral history of Kerouac titled Jack's Book and an essay called Kerouac's Town, so he had great familiarity with the author and his themes, but Coppola did not pick up the script.
In the 1990s father and son Roman tried their hand, but Coppola moved on. The next writer under consideration was esteemed author Russell Banks. His novels include The Sweet Hereafter and Affliction, both made into movies. His characters often have social difficulties and live out unusual existences. Banks had met Jack Kerouac when he traveled to Chapel Hill where Banks was teaching. A friend of Banks asked if they could stop by. Kerouac and a band of friends took over his house for about a week. It was 1967, and Kerouac was in poor health and an alcoholic stupor, but Banks still considered it a remarkable experience. Kerouac was an idol and near the end of his life. It seemed that Francis was ready to accept Russell Banks's adaptation, but development did not progress forward.
Then in 2004 a film from esteemed Brazilian film director and producer Walter Salles titled The Motorcycle Diaries came on the scene and received positive acclaim. It was the autobiographical story of a young Che Guevara's motorcycle road trip in search of himself. Coppola was enthralled. He asked its screenwriter, Jose Rivera, to prepare a script for On the Road with the intention to use Salles as director. Coppola would executive produce. The film was in development as far back as 2008. Salles collaborated with trusted colleagues from The Motorcycle Diaries: playwright Rivera, whose screenplay adaptation for The Motorcycle Diaries was nominated for an Academy Award; cinematographer Eric Gautier; production designer Carlos Conti; composer Gustavo Santaolalla; and members of his producing team.
Before directing The Motorcycle Diaries, Salles had reread On the Road, which he read originally in his early 20s. To help prepare for the film, Salles and a small film crew traced the trip that Kerouac took and talked to old Beats who were still alive as he travelled the route. Salles, who is revered in Latin America and is a graduate of University of Southern California Film School, believed that tracing Kerouac's road map informed him about the man and the decade in which he emerged. He recognized the enormous responsibility of filming a novel that affected an entire generation and is being rediscovered by a new one.
In 2010 On the Road was in production. As Coppola had envisioned, the two lead actors were just at the beginning of their careers. Other, more seasoned actors surround them. British-born Sam Riley was cast as Sal Paradise. He has received positive recognition in several British independent films, but this is clearly his breakthrough role. Garrett Hedland was cast as Dean Moriarty. He first appeared in Troy and Friday Night Lights in 2004. On the Road takes his career to another level. Kristen Stewart, well known for the Twilight saga, plays Moriarty's wife Marylou. Kirsten Dunst, who has worked repeatedly with Sofia Coppola, is cast as another love interest in the film. Tom Sturridge, born in England, began his career as a child actor and appears in the key role of Carlo Marx. Viggo Mortensen, Steve Buscemi, Terrence Howard, Amy Adams, and Elizabeth Moss, all established and award-winning actors, provide a strong supporting ensemble. On the Road had its world premiere at a familiar Coppola venue. The film opened as an official entry at the Cannes Film Festival and received a warm reception and solid reviews.