Comedian Adam Carolla has been everywhere on TV over the last decade. He’s occasionally forayed into films, like the 2007 comedy The Hammer, which he starred in, produced, and co-wrote. His follow-up, Road Hard, is his first as a writer/director/star with co-writer/co-director Kevin Hench (who wrote The Hammer). Road Hard hits a bit closer to home for Carolla, and fans of the comedian will appreciate this “alternate universe” version of Carolla even if he’s not exactly playing the guy they know and love from his podcast.
Bruce Madsen (Carolla) is a comedian who was once a star on The Bro Show alongside Jack Taylor (Jay Mohr). Taylor has gone to be a star of a late night show (think Jimmy Kimmel), but Bruce failed to capitalize on his successful period. He’s back to touring on the road and watching his comedian friends get unfunny pilots on network television. On top of that, he’s living in the garage of the house where his ex-wife lives with her new husband (Dave Koechner) and has a daughter who just got into a college that costs $60,000 a year. The hungry comedian of Bruce’s younger years has become a tired, middle-aged man who just wants to get off the road.
Many will likely think that Road Hard is a biographical film, but that’s not exactly true. Since Carolla and Kimmel left The Man Show in 2003, both have found success. While Kimmel has become a popular late night host, Carolla has been on various television shows (including his current show, Catch a Contractor, which explores his passion for construction, which is also explored in Road Hard) and has become the most popular podcast host in the world. He’s also been married since 2002. Regardless, he’s certainly not a comedian struggling to make ends meet by squeaking by on the road. On top of all this, he still has a great relationship with Kimmel — he was a writer on the first season of Jimmy Kimmel Live! and continues to appear as a guest on the show (furthermore, Kimmel is the first name on the list of people “The Producers Wish to Thank” in the credits). More accurately, Road Hard is like a version of Carolla’s life had he not pursued other projects after the end of The Man Show.
There have been an uptick in movies made by stand-up comedians about being a comedian in recent years, such as Sleepwalk With Me, but it’s been a theme that has been explored at least as far back as Woody Allen’s Annie Hall. Road Hard hits on many of the same points — the foibles of touring and living most of your life in hotels, awful plane experiences, eating bad food, drinking too much, and trying too hard to get laid — with plenty of hilarious quips. Naturally the story takes a turn for the better towards the end, and that might be where Road Hard loses its core audience. Carolla’s smartass persona doesn’t really lend itself to the type of character you want to see with a happy ending. It would be far funnier to see him stay a sourpuss to the end instead of having a smile on his face.
Carolla isn’t much of an actor (and I’m sure he wouldn’t disagree), and like a lot of comedian-turn-actors you never lose the sense that you’re watching Adam Carolla kinda-sorta playing himself. There are also a number of great comedians in smaller roles, including David Alan Grier and Larry Miller (the latter in a funny role as Bruce’s agent), plus several others I won’t spoil. I also thought I spotted a photo of Bryan Cranston on the poster of a crappy sitcom called “Close Quarters” (he’s thanked in the credits, so I think I’m right). These are some of the best parts of the film because it gives a glimpse into the life of being a road-weary comedian looking for one last big break.
If you’re a fan of Carolla, you’ll likely enjoy most of Road Hard. It won’t make you want him to stop what he’s doing and jump feet-first into movies, but it’s still an enjoyable side gig from him. If you aren’t a fan of Carolla or even of stand-up comedy there’s not much here for you, but that doesn’t mean it’s a hard film to “get.” Road Hard is aimed at a very specific audience, and that audience will find plenty of laughs in it.
Road Hard opens Friday, March 6 in theaters in select cities and Video on Demand:
New York, NY at the AMC Village 7
Los Angeles, CA at the Sundance Sunset 6
Phoenix, AZ at the Harkins Theatres Valley Art
San Francisco, CA at the Balboa Theatre
Washington D.C. at the West End Cinemas
Chicago, IL at the Patio Theater
Minneapolis, MN at the St. Anthony’s Main
Cleveland, OH at the Tower City
Philadelphia, PA at the Roxy
Dallas, TX at the LOOK Cinemas
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