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Jan Wahl Movie Review: 'Admission' & 'On The Road'

 

(KCBS) – KCBS Entertainment Editor Jan Wahl reviews "On The Road", an adaption of Jack Kerouac's generation-defining novel starring Garrett Hedlund, Sam Riley, and Kristen Stewart. Also reviewed; "Admission", a comedy starring Tina Fey and Paul Rudd.

KCBS Entertainment Reporter Jan Wahl:

Jan Wahl Movie Review: 'Admission' & 'On the Road'

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ADMISSION (PG-13)

30 Rock meets This is 40. Tina Fey and Paul Rudd - I'm a fan of both. But in their new movie about higher education, do they flunk the test?

Admission Trailer #2 by AdmissionTheMovie on YouTube

Fey is a longtime admissions officer at Princeton. This is her story and she can play it, unfortunately the script often lets her down. Rudd is a likeable guy, better than both is Lilly Tomlin as a feminist and fun mother. She provides the comedy in this "dramady" but the film is saddled with a tale of adoption and desperation. Wait for DVD. This one unfortunately fails.

One hat.

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ON THE ROAD (R)

She was Joan Jett in The Runaways, a brilliant performance. Sure there are those Twighlight movies, but when given a good part, this young woman, Kristen Stewart, can act.

She's the teenage bride of Dean, a character based on Neal Cassidy, who goes on the road with Jack Kerouac at a time when the Beat movement had these free lovin' people driving the bus.

On the Road (2012) - Official Trailer [HD] by triviatrailers on YouTube

Director Walter Salles gives the film the dark, confusing yet sometimes euphoric feeling of the beloved novel, with some good actors, including Viggo Mortensen as William Burroughs and Kirsten Dunst.

Two & 1/2 hats.

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Home Viewing/DVD: Les Miserables, Zero Dark Thirty & This is 40

You can hear KCBS Entertainment Editor Jan Wahl's movie reviews on KCBS All News 740AM and 106.9FM Fridays at 8:53am & 4:53pm.

(Copyright 2013 by CBS San Francisco. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.)
 

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