Movies: 18470 | TV Series: 3282 | Added today: 0 | Storage: 65898 GB

| Genres: | Dr |
| Starring: | Ron Eldard, Bobby Cannavale, David Margulies, Lois Smith, Arian Moayed, Jill Hennessy, Lucy Spain |
| Director(s): | Michael Cuesta |
| Country: | Unknown |
| Year: | 2011 |
| IMDB Rating: | 5.1 |
For over 20 years, Jimmy Testagross has lived his childhood dream being a roadie for his childhood heroes, Blue Oyster Cult. But the bands Arena-Rock glory days are a distant memory. County fairs and club gigs pay the bills. And Jimmy has become a casualty of these leaner times. With no place to go, no job prospects, and no real skills outside of being a roadie, Jimmy needs to regroup. So he returns to his childhood home in Queens, Ny. There, he revisits old relationships his ailing, widower mom, a high school crush, a former nemesis and, most importantly, his relationship with himself. Jimmy, the middle-aged man-child, has never grown up. He still carries the resentments and frustrations of his youth, and has allowed them to fester and define who and what he is. Confronted with his mothers illness, Jimmy has a choice let go of the past and take responsibility for both himself and the woman who raised and now needs him. Or continue to live a life of lies and frustration.
Visitor Reviews: (20)Trussell1890 02 May 2012
Thinking that men have sincere regrets at mid life makes this movierock. Real interpretation of what happens to people. Life happens! Didnot think the whole theme would work for me, yet it really did. It wasa look at real life, with regrets and why we make the decisions we do.Going with the flow, as most youths do and the fun it brings depictsthis movie. Letting yourself listen to the music and see things happenin the movie just because things happen keeps you thinking. Now whatwould I have done. Do we go with what feels good or do we set goals.The memory of times past and our life today depends on our past. Ourpath can change if we let it. I never review movies but if you are ababy boomer you should she this. Then be grateful for who you aretoday. And realize you can change things if you want. Makes you think.Sometimes thinking is the problem and not the solution but in this caseit isn't.See this film if you are forty or older! Never mind everyoneshould see it. Cheers or maybe not after this one!
Glenn Kenny 01 May 2012
While the excellent cast does its level, honest best with the material, the material itself feels secondhand throughout.
Chris_Pandolfi 30 April 2012
Jimmy (Ron Eldard) has been a roadie for the Blue Oyster Cult for thepast twenty-six years. Now in his mid-forties, he has just been fired.Roadies can potentially make hundreds if not thousands of dollars aweek, but he either wasn't very good at his job or he spent his moneyrecklessly. Whatever the case, he's left penniless and with no place tostay. He will repeatedly try to contact an unseen man named Bobby overhis cell phone, angrily demanding he be given another chance. In themeantime, he will return to his old neighborhood in Queens, where hewill reunite with his ailing mother (Lois Smith). He will lie and tellher that he manages the BOC, that he has written several of theirsongs, and that in a week's time he'll be with them on their SouthAmerican tour. He will also discover that his mother has kept his oldroom exactly as he left it as a teenager, the walls adorned withposters of rock idols, the shelves stocked with classic LP albums."Roadie" is a sad, reflective portrait of a desperate man clinging tohis own delusions. It's not enough that he has spent much of his adultlife as a roadie; he must pass himself off as someone he never was inthe naïve belief that it will make him look more important. All he'sdoing is feeding into his own broken dreams of rock 'n' roll stardom,and in the process keeping himself hopelessly stuck in the past. Andyet it's obvious that time has long since caught up with him. He's nota kid anymore; he can't hop around from city to city and country tocountry with the same stamina he once had. He has put on some weight,and while others will freely speculate on the number of women he hasslept with on the road, it's highly unlikely he has taken part inanything like that.Apart from his mother, Jimmy also reunites with his ex-girlfriend,Nikki (Jill Hennessy), who gets by singing in a local lounge. She'smarried to Jimmy's former nemesis, Randy (Bobby Cannavale), who evennow insists on referring to Jimmy as Testicles, an intentionalmispronunciation of his last name. In many ways, Nikki and Randy arejust as stuck in the past as Jimmy is. They will, for example, arrangeto relive their high school days with Jimmy by checking into a motelroom and indulging in booze, cocaine, and rock music. But it runsdeeper than that. As a teenager, Randy was essentially a bully; he nowchannels his hostility into subtler forms of obnoxious behavior, likemaking contrarian statements about the BOC. The cruel irony is that themeanest person in Jimmy's life is the only one to see right throughhim.As for Nikki, she puts up a good front, but it's obvious that within isa person who longs for more than a weekly gig in a barroom lounge. Herlove for Randy is perhaps more complicated than it need be; while shedoesn't appreciate his latent immaturity, and while she certainlydoesn't approve of his mistreatment of Jimmy, she will always makeexcuses for his behavior. Does she truly see past his character flaws,or is she desperately trying to put a positive spin on the man shesettled for? I'm not really sure. What I do know is that her feelingsfor Jimmy are evident, even as early as their very first scenetogether. Those old feelings haven't subsided. She will occasionallysuggest to Jimmy that he introduce her to people in the music industry,or at the very least pass along her demo CD. Knowing what we know aboutJimmy, you can't help but feel sorry for her in those moments.For a subplot that comprises the bulk of the movie, it's a shame it hadto be the most contrived and routine. Of course Jimmy would run intohis old flame upon returning home. Of course she has gotten married tohis enemy, who's little more than a one-note caricature. Of courseJimmy would stir within his old flame a long-dormant desire to besomething greater. Having said this, it's handled about as well as canbe expected. I certainly don't mind the fact that it features thesingle best line of the film, and the reason I say it's the best isbecause it's simultaneously hilarious and depressingly telling. It hasbeen reserved for Eldard; as Jimmy and Nikki listen to a record in hisold room, he looks at her and says with a straight face, "I don't focuson the past, Nikki. That's a waste of time."The subplot involving Jimmy and his mother is far more compelling,although I must admit, I had a hard time reading the latter character.Her mind drifts very easily. In one fell swoop, she will tell Jimmy hownice it is to have him home, lament about the life he never shared withher, express disappointment that he hasn't made more of himself,encourage him to get reacquainted with the neighbors, and offer to makehim lunch before becoming distracted by her backyard garden, which shespends a lot of time in. Are the filmmakers hinting at somethingserious, such as the early stages of Alzheimer's or dementia? It'spossible, although I can't say for sure. Regardless, I found therelationship between mother and son fascinating. Their scenes add anextra dimension to "Roadie," one that prevents it from becoming tooconventional.-- Chris Pandolfi (www.atatheaternearyou.net)
Ron Wilkinson 30 April 2012
A special treat for Queens New Yorkers, this no holds barred drama will reflect with less intensity the farther it travels.
specvman2003 23 April 2012
Could this movie have been better??? Probably; but as it stands themovie is still very good. Don't know that I would rate it an 8, but itwas a very solid 7 and borderline 8 or a very high 7. The acting wasgood and all the characters play their roles perfectly. There are somescenes that seem a tad out of place and a scene or two that areinserted for no apparent reason other than to come up with a reason totry and tie in the end of the movie (you'll understand when you watchit) hence my 7 rating. The soundtrack is great at times and debatableduring others. Its not a "must see" movie but it is definitely one tocheck out if your in the mood for a good flick.
Brian Orndorf 22 April 2012
An appealing mood of discomfort that's marvelously executed by the cast, hitting a few persuasive beats of disappointment and resignation that keeps the story grounded in an intriguing, lived-in reality.
My_Opinion-245-920801 21 April 2012
I must confess up to the point of actually watching the Roadie, I hadno idea what a roadie was or did. This is not my usual type of movie,however we should strive to challenge and expose ourselves to differentmovies. Just as you would a different language or cultural in order togrow and mature as an all around individual. The movie was interestingand I thought the plot, made a point in trying to relate to the viewerthe regret of decisions that we make as youth, that do not pan out orother wise never manifest themselves. The characters were very likableand came across genuine and authentic in the Roadie, which must bestressed is a very necessary thing in a film like this. There was afeel that that the movies' main character could have been anyone of us:in regards to decision or choices that were made in our lives thatnever quite pan out. Perhaps you could take it a bit further and saythat everyone in there life at least once or twice has not let go of anidea or notion until: well it was to late. Atlas, I would be remiss, ifI did not mention that the sound track for the Roadie is excellent.
Leslie Stonebraker 21 April 2012
Unable to outrun expectations for even 24 hours, Jimmy bounces around the awkward reality of his unchanged small town, seeking a way out of the trap.
Urantia 20 April 2012
Is this movie a musical tribute to roadies who vicariously act outtheir rock-n-roll fantasies through the live performances of theiremployers or is it a musical rebuke of all forms of career mediocritythat settle for a greasy hamburger without even looking at the gourmetsteak menu? For me, it was both.Many scenes had the realistic look and feel of a low-budget documentarythat exposes the dreary monotony of people talking a lot but sayingvery little. But other scenes played out more likeattention-captivating music videos where the classic-rock song playingin the background was perfectly synchronized with the fleeting framesof film it was linked to in such a way as to reveal more in a fewmusical measures than even the most eloquently constructed lines ofdialog could ever hope to express using the medium of thewritten-to-spoken word.Thematic elements of Roadie dealt with connecting to people and placesfrom one's past but despite being portrayed under the center-stagespotlight of honesty, these themes are never totally submerged in abottomless pool of pessimism where hopelessness and despair becomedeadly poisons to those who dare to dream and dream to dare. Instead, Ifound a few rays of sunny optimism shining through the dark clouds ofexperiential adversity and disappointment as though to subtly suggestthat just as wisdom is gained from taking an honest look at the manyseeds of mistakes (erroneous judgment) sown in the gardens of the pastso can wisdom be applied to improving the blossoming realization of thefuture by making better (wiser) choices in the decision-sproutingreality of the present moment! Led Zeppelin said it better than I ever could in a line from the lyricsfrom their 1971 hit, Stairway to Heaven: "There's still time to changethe road you're on."
Mark Sells 20 April 2012
Shows the unglamorous side of rock n' roll - the lies and denial, the sadness, and the regret of dreams long gone.
rayok 06 April 2012
OK the good news is as there are only 12 reviews on this film so thereis a chance someone will actually read mine, woohoo. The bad news isI'm not sure many people will watch the film, especially to the end andbe bothered to come here. For a start I doubt if anyone under the age of 30 could understand thesituation the lead finds himself in, let alone sympathise with him. Fora second not a lot happens. The film seems like a play, scenes in the house and the bar with 2 or 3people talking take up a large part of the footage, feelings andemotions are aired but there is no moving on or culmination, let aloneredemption. The movie only steps up a gear in the motel but then you are leftfrustrated and more disheartened with the characters. The film has adownbeat, melancholic feel and lacks complexity, there are nosurprises. The characters enter the film with nothing and leave withless. I watched it for the culture links and the expectation of the big manreturns to small town play out but it never really happened. Fineacting, interesting concept but failed to catch fire.
Bruce Lee 05 April 2012
There are a zillion reviewers out there who tell you almost any and alldetails about the movie; so I try not to do that. Also I try not togive out to much information or spoilers because that will kill theenjoyment of the movie for you. Basically I try to sum up the movie ina simple way and give you an idea if you would like it or not. I gavethe movie 5/10 because it wasn't terrible, but it wasn't good either.The main character in this movie was really good, and the acting ingeneral was pretty good, but to me the story wasn't all thatinteresting. You can have the best actors in the world but if the storyisn't that compelling it usually isn't a good movie to watch. The jokeabout the T.V. show Seinfeld being a "show about nothing" is funny, butit's not really true. I love Seinfeld and the writing in that show wasjust simply amazing, even though every episode is about the everydaylives of the crazy characters, you are almost always engrossed in theshow and wondering what is going to happen next, or what zany characterwill be developed, such as the Soup Nazi, The bubble boy, etc. etc.(way to many to name here, but you get the point). This movie may makesome people reflect on their lives, and how can they make them betteretc. but the basic story is really, really, boring. If you like BlueOyster Cult, or slow movies with good acting that this is probablyworth 2 bucks at a Red Box. I saw the movie for free so I can'tcomplain. Is it a must see movie, absolutely not, but if you are boredand have nothing to do, this movie is better than sitting around andwatching paint dry.
Nick Pinkerton 04 April 2012
Eldard, with eyes projecting adolescent vulnerability and a body lost to awkward midlife chub, is enough to redeem Cuesta's indie commonplaces.
petesea 03 April 2012
Jimmy was a roadie for Blue Oyster Cult all his adult life who has -painfully and wrongfully according to him - been fired by the band andleft by them somewhere in the wilds of Michigan. With nowhere else togo, he makes his way back home to Queens where he has not been sincehis father's death many, many years before. He has barely spoken withhis mother in the interim and now he overstates his role with the bandto her - manager, writer, producer, etc. He tries to collect himself todeal with this massive setback, but he is not making the situation anybetter with angry calls to the band's actual manager.I think that roadie is one of the coolest jobs in the world next torock star and Jimmy does as well. I, too, would have major problemsdealing with his rude awakening after so many years and the loss of hislivelihood and dream.Out for some butter for his Mom's famous tuna melts, Jimmy runs into ahigh school classmate who is and was quite a butt-head who is nowmarried to Jimmy's first love, Nikki. Jimmy and Nikki wind up back inhis boyhood room which is untouched by time and looks like a "rock androll museum" according to Nikki.Out of his vinyl record collection, Nikki pulls out Ratcity In Blue by,local 70s favorites, the Good Rats and they listen to a couple oftracks. This brings back memories of seeing the band every Saturdaynight with their friend Steph - who passed away unbeknownst to Jimmy.This movie is about real people, with lots of issues, who love musicand are dealing with some very real problems. If you enjoy music, havebeen on the road with a band or thought about doing so (one of mylife's regrets is turning down an offer to be a roadie) you will reallylike this movie.Full disclosure - I also own this "original" album with the cool pizzasleeve art, am a huge Good Rats fan and may have seen Steph, Nikki andJimmy at one of those Saturday night shows back in the day. Myheartfelt thanks go to Gerald and Michael Cuesta for a wonderful filmand soundtrack including these New York music legends and a greatversion of Jackson Browne's Stay by Adam Duritz of the Counting Crows.Did they misspell "Peppi" Marchello in the closing thanks to him?
Chris Barsanti 28 March 2012
...a one-note comedy whose darker undertones are never fully explored.
Alonso Duralde 28 March 2012
Roadie has the stench of freshman-year mandatory creative writing all over it, from its cribs of Eugene O'Neill and Arthur Miller to an ending that's embarrassingly, clangingly metaphorical.
Kyle Smith 15 March 2012
"Roadie" is short on narrative momentum, but it's a perfectly attuned character study of this rock relic and his middle-aged sorrows.
Todd Jorgenson 15 March 2012
Provides a touching look at a man whose life is in a period of transition.
Nick Schager 14 March 2012
Roadie takes its characters' suffering seriously without ever properly justifying said misery as enlightening or unique.
Matthew Stechel 13 March 2012
Roadie is a pretty good movie that's only about so-so while you'rewatching it, however the movie really resonated with me in the daysafter watching it. I appreciated the effort to make Ron Eldard'scharacter more then just a one dimensional lump of regret...i also likehis constant flip flopping between "what have i got to be regretful of?i did what i wanted to!" and "i've totally wasted my life" throughout,as i think that's exactly what a guy in his situation in real lifewould think upon coming home after twenty five years on the road onlyto realize he's right back where he was when he first left. While theinteractions between Ron Eldard and the rest of the cast kind of goback and fourth on the believable scale (Bobby Cannavale and JillHennessey are merely so-so as respectively a guy who used to taunt himin high school and his wife who was a long ago crush for Ron Eldard'scharacter..it probably doesn't help that neither of these charactersare likable in the least.) Its Ron Eldard himself who keeps this moviegoing forward...there are a lot of little moments throughout where hisreaction to what's going on in front of him is perfect. Eldard reallycaptures both the self-centeredness and the basic good heartedness ofthis guy...and while the director and the writer deserve all the creditfor keeping this character from veering too far into eitherdirection--it really falls to Eldard to keep him from appearing to beboth a selfish jerk and a mopey sad sack punching bag for the rest ofthe clearly unhappy people in the film to abuse. It really is a goodperformance that makes the whole film really seem a lot better then itprob would be with somebody else in the lead. Again as a whole the filmis only all right--but as a character study of this guy trying tofigure out the rest of his life while burdened with guilt about how heled the majority of his life so far--it was quite well done. Also as someone who lives here--i did love the full on locationshooting that's happening here, while i could do without JillHennesey's condescending attitude towards "never leaving queens" i didlove seeing certain locations on screen--enough to wanna shout "that'snear my house" to anyone who was in the theater with me (of courseseeing as how there were only about two other people there--i wiselydid not.)