Roadrunner: A Film About Anthony Bourdain (2021)
When I was younger, I spent most days with my second set of parents (my grandparents). My grandmother had an affinity towards cooking and shows about it. Hence, we’d watch plenty showcasing the infinite takes on the cuisine the world has to offer. My grandfather, on the other hand, was a follower of both the History Channel and Nat Geo. Combine these two cultural influences, and you get an adventurous, ever-so-hungry spirit seeking the deepest depths of feeling the world has to offer. These worlds collided and solidified in the real-life Indiana Jones that was Anthony Bourdain.
Instead of The Office or Friends, I left Parts Unknown as background viewing while in college. His narration was always so gripping - I couldn’t get enough of Tony experiencing the world through his own unique and highly-introspective lens. He inspired me to travel more intentionally and to always look for the road less traveled - for a good story, of course. “Be a traveler, not a tourist.”
I’ll be honest - I had been holding off on watching this film for a long time.
Not only am I an avid viewer of Bourdain’s shows, but I also highly enjoyed the works of his friends (Chang, Choe, and Lurie), and I remember seeing a short clip of David Chang crying. He’s a tough guy with a similarly dark sense of humor and soul. I knew this would be the setup for an emotional rollercoaster. As expected, Roadrunner delivered on that. Anthony Bourdain was a great American storyteller - and seeing that star of a soul shine so brightly and fade away was painful. His beautifully thoughtful soul was in pain. He lived life fast and rushed from each addiction to the next. Like a roadrunner, he was always on the run.
Anthony’s persepctive has always been gripping - and I know I used that word earlier.. but it literally feels like he’s grabbing you by the collar and taking you on a wild ride - whether you like it or not. The team did a great job of capturing that in this 2-hour memoir of his unsummable life.
“You must be loyal to the nightmare of your choice.” Tony made a sacrifice - and that was his life in order for himself (and the rest of the world) to experience culture. His unquenchable thirst for the next thing he’d imagine would provide tranquility would often leave him feeling uncomfortable. His character arc is highreaching and cyclical… and unfortuantely, he falls for a doomed fate of his own choosing. The tragic hero is faced with a betrayal of someone he loved - and sacrifices himself to stop the pain (and maybe even take revenge on the world he never truly fit into?). I think this is one aspect of Bourdain I really found compelling. I think a lot of us can relate to these feelings he went through. No one is perfect - and he embraced that, but feeling as if you are alone is so much far worse. “Is it worse to be in an awful place by yourself or at a really nice place you can’t share with anyone?” This film is warning post to those who can relate. Seek help if you need it. You’re never really alone - and more people love you than you think (*see all of Tony’s friends who decided to voice their concern and love for him).
Bourdain was an adventurer, a pirate, a poet, a shy guy and the life of the party. The man started jujitsu at 58! He was happiest when his life was like a film, but unfortuantely, life can’t be a constant illusion. I found the most heartwrenching portion of the film to be around an hour and a half in when an Explosions in the Sky song is playing over a compilation of B-roll clips - people laughing, smiling, walking, and living their lives. Anthony briefly narrates this scene, “Travel isn’t always pretty - You go away, you learn, you get scarred, marked, and change in the process. It even breaks your heart.
