Urantia Is this movie a musical tribute to roadies who vicariously act out their rock-n-roll fantasies through the live performances of their employers or is it a musical rebuke of all forms of career mediocrity that settle for a greasy hamburger without even looking at the gourmet steak menu? For me, it was both.Many scenes had the realistic look and feel of a low-budget documentary that exposes the dreary monotony of people talking a lot but saying very little. But other scenes played out more like attention-captivating music videos where the classic-rock song playing in the background was perfectly synchronized with the fleeting frames of film it was linked to in such a way as to reveal more in a few musical measures than even the most eloquently constructed lines of dialog could ever hope to express using the medium of the written-to-spoken word.Thematic elements of Roadie dealt with connecting to people and places from one's past but despite being portrayed under the center-stage spotlight of honesty, these themes are never totally submerged in a bottomless pool of pessimism where hopelessness and despair become deadly poisons to those who dare to dream and dream to dare. Instead, I found a few rays of sunny optimism shining through the dark clouds of experiential adversity and disappointment as though to subtly suggest that just as wisdom is gained from taking an honest look at the many seeds of mistakes (erroneous judgment) sown in the gardens of the past so can wisdom be applied to improving the blossoming realization of the future by making better (wiser) choices in the decision-sprouting reality of the present moment! Led Zeppelin said it better than I ever could in a line from the lyrics from their 1971 hit, Stairway to Heaven: "There's still time to change the road you're on."

Boba_Fett1138 It's not like this is a bad movie in any way but it's still one that will probably make you go 'so what!'. It's a redundant, little movie to watch really, that won't leave an awfully big impression on you afterward, though while watching it you also won't ever got bored or annoyed by any of it.You feel that the movie should had either gone for a completely dramatic and heavy approach or a fully comedic one. Now instead the movie feels somewhere stuck in the middle. It's a bit of both really, which makes neither work out as great or powerful as it could have. The movie never hits hard with any of its drama and it the characters and situations aren't quite quirky or entertaining enough to make you laugh. You could say that the movie plays things very safe and chooses the middle road.But having said all this, it's still a good enough, little movie, that's just lacking a certain edge. It's certainly good looking and well directed though. Movies like this are of course not every expensive to make but you could tell lots of time and care got put into this movie, along with a bit of love. You could tell the film-makers and actors all believed in the project and gave it all they got. Yes, I think it's foremost its acting that still makes this a maintaining movie to watch. The movie doesn't has the biggest stars but all are capable actors, who suit their roles well. It gives the movie its heart and still make this a pleasant watch. As far as these sort of realistic, little drama's go, that are being like a random slice of life, this is one of the more bland ones but it's definitely not an horrible movie. It's quite watchable really but it just doesn't leave a big, lasting impression on you.6/10http://bobafett1138.blogspot.com/

Chris_Pandolfi Jimmy (Ron Eldard) has been a roadie for the Blue Oyster Cult for the past twenty-six years. Now in his mid-forties, he has just been fired. Roadies can potentially make hundreds if not thousands of dollars a week, but he either wasn't very good at his job or he spent his money recklessly. Whatever the case, he's left penniless and with no place to stay. He will repeatedly try to contact an unseen man named Bobby over his cell phone, angrily demanding he be given another chance. In the meantime, he will return to his old neighborhood in Queens, where he will reunite with his ailing mother (Lois Smith). He will lie and tell her that he manages the BOC, that he has written several of their songs, and that in a week's time he'll be with them on their South American tour. He will also discover that his mother has kept his old room exactly as he left it as a teenager, the walls adorned with posters of rock idols, the shelves stocked with classic LP albums."Roadie" is a sad, reflective portrait of a desperate man clinging to his own delusions. It's not enough that he has spent much of his adult life as a roadie; he must pass himself off as someone he never was in the naïve belief that it will make him look more important. All he's doing is feeding into his own broken dreams of rock 'n' roll stardom, and in the process keeping himself hopelessly stuck in the past. And yet it's obvious that time has long since caught up with him. He's not a kid anymore; he can't hop around from city to city and country to country 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 has slept with on the road, it's highly unlikely he has taken part in anything 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's married to Jimmy's former nemesis, Randy (Bobby Cannavale), who even now insists on referring to Jimmy as Testicles, an intentional mispronunciation of his last name. In many ways, Nikki and Randy are just as stuck in the past as Jimmy is. They will, for example, arrange to relive their high school days with Jimmy by checking into a motel room and indulging in booze, cocaine, and rock music. But it runs deeper than that. As a teenager, Randy was essentially a bully; he now channels his hostility into subtler forms of obnoxious behavior, like making contrarian statements about the BOC. The cruel irony is that the meanest person in Jimmy's life is the only one to see right through him.As for Nikki, she puts up a good front, but it's obvious that within is a person who longs for more than a weekly gig in a barroom lounge. Her love for Randy is perhaps more complicated than it need be; while she doesn't appreciate his latent immaturity, and while she certainly doesn't approve of his mistreatment of Jimmy, she will always make excuses for his behavior. Does she truly see past his character flaws, or is she desperately trying to put a positive spin on the man she settled for? I'm not really sure. What I do know is that her feelings for Jimmy are evident, even as early as their very first scene together. Those old feelings haven't subsided. She will occasionally suggest 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 about Jimmy, 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 had to be the most contrived and routine. Of course Jimmy would run into his old flame upon returning home. Of course she has gotten married to his enemy, who's little more than a one-note caricature. Of course Jimmy would stir within his old flame a long-dormant desire to be something greater. Having said this, it's handled about as well as can be expected. I certainly don't mind the fact that it features the single best line of the film, and the reason I say it's the best is because it's simultaneously hilarious and depressingly telling. It has been reserved for Eldard; as Jimmy and Nikki listen to a record in his old room, he looks at her and says with a straight face, "I don't focus on 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 how nice it is to have him home, lament about the life he never shared with her, express disappointment that he hasn't made more of himself, encourage him to get reacquainted with the neighbors, and offer to make him lunch before becoming distracted by her backyard garden, which she spends a lot of time in. Are the filmmakers hinting at something serious, such as the early stages of Alzheimer's or dementia? It's possible, although I can't say for sure. Regardless, I found the relationship between mother and son fascinating. Their scenes add an extra dimension to "Roadie," one that prevents it from becoming too conventional.-- Chris Pandolfi (www.atatheaternearyou.net)

Trussell1890 Thinking that men have sincere regrets at mid life makes this movie rock. Real interpretation of what happens to people. Life happens! Did not think the whole theme would work for me, yet it really did. It was a 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 depicts this movie. Letting yourself listen to the music and see things happen in the movie just because things happen keeps you thinking. Now what would 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. Our path can change if we let it. I never review movies but if you are a baby boomer you should she this. Then be grateful for who you are today. And realize you can change things if you want. Makes you think. Sometimes thinking is the problem and not the solution but in this case it isn't.See this film if you are forty or older! Never mind everyone should see it. Cheers or maybe not after this one!