Review of Road Hard (2015) by Todd M — 07 Mar 2015

Road Hard, Adam Carolla's 'Private Parts'.

As I watched Adam Carolla's 'Road Hard' I was reminded of Howard Stern's 'Private Parts'. Both starred non-actors in the lead and told personal stories very close to the subjects. Though Private Parts was more of a bio-pic, Road Hard does tell a story very close to Adam's own career trajectory and involved scenes straight out of his life on the road. Kind of like Dragnet, "the story you are about to hear is true. Only the names have been changed to protect the innocent". Some of the scenes we've heard on Adams podcast, ie the deaf audience member at one of Adam's shows who had his own personal sign language interpreter, the nutty airline passenger with the service dog and conversations with his agent. But the biggest reminder to Private Parts was the non-actor in the lead role. Watching both Howard and Adam act was a little distracting at first but like being on a pig farm after a some time you no longer notice the stench.

What really made both movies good was the humor and the great acting going on around the lead actors. 'Road' is filled with talented comedic thespians. Jay Mohr, Howie Mandel, David Alan Grier, Larry Miller and David Koechner were spot on and hilarious. David Koechner was way under utilized. His character was a scene stealer, and should of had the opportunity to steal more. But the performance turned in by Diane Farr as the love interest was the best in the movie. She's attractive, talented, smart and witty. It was easy to see how Adam's character fell for her.

Road Hard isn't just a funny and enlightening look at the rigors of stand-up comedy, it's also heart felt with sweet and tender moments. As far independent rom-com's go Road Hard is right near the front of the pack.