The common saying, you can never go home again, plays out on center stage in Michael Cuesta's
latest film, Roadie. In the film, an aging roadie named Jimmy, is fired by the Blue Oyster Cult
after some 20 odd years of carrying the band's gear from town to town. Broke and desperate, Jimmy
returns home to Queens to visit his aging mother and at the same time, runs into two former
classmates - Randy, who bullied him throughout high school, and his wife, Nikki, Jimmy's old
flame and an aspiring singer/songwriter. Slightly downbeat, Roadie shows the unglamorous side
of rock n' roll - the lies and denial, the sadness, and the regret of dreams long gone. Even
though other homecoming films such as Young Adult carry far more weight and depth of character,
Roadie stays the course with tough love. With a wonderful ensemble led by Ron Eldard and a
terrific classic rock mix, Roadie is one bittersweet trip.
