{"id":7571,"date":"2021-07-08T14:50:28","date_gmt":"2021-07-08T21:50:28","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.kidsfirst.org\/kidsfirstnews\/?p=7571"},"modified":"2021-07-09T16:25:36","modified_gmt":"2021-07-09T23:25:36","slug":"roadrunner-a-film-about-anthony-bourdain-a-personal-honest-look-into-the-life-of-anthony-bourdain","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.kidsfirst.org\/kidsfirstnews\/2021\/roadrunner-a-film-about-anthony-bourdain-a-personal-honest-look-into-the-life-of-anthony-bourdain\/","title":{"rendered":"Roadrunner: A Film About Anthony Bourdain * A Personal, Honest Look Into The Life Of Anthony Bourdain"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\"><figure class=\"alignleft size-full is-resized\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.kidsfirst.org\/kidsfirstnews\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/07\/roadrunner.Bourdain.poster.jpg?resize=137%2C201&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-7572\" width=\"137\" height=\"201\"\/><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p>It&#8217;s not where you go. It&#8217;s what you leave behind&#8230;. Chef, writer, adventurer, and provocateur: Anthony Bourdain lived his life unabashedly. <em>Roadrunner: A Film About Anthony Bourdain<\/em> is an intimate, behind-the-scenes look at how an anonymous chef became a world-renowned cultural icon. From Academy Award\u00ae-winning filmmaker Morgan Neville (<em>20 Feet From Stardom, Won&#8217;t You Be My Neighbor?<\/em>), this unflinching look at Bourdain reverberates with his presence, in his own voice and in the way he indelibly impacted the world around him. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>KIDS FIRST! Film Critic Eshaan M. comments, \u201c<em>Roadrunner: A Film About Anthony Bourdain <\/em>offers an incisive look into the life and times of an enigma who raced through life with ferocity, grit, and a truly remarkable nonchalant attitude. A tale of a man who continued to barrel through life like a steam locomotive, picking up emotional baggage, shattering relationships, and joking about darkness all along the way.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Benjamin P. adds, \u201c<em>Roadrunner: A Film About Anthony Bourdain<\/em> is a personal, honest\u2014albeit loving\u2014look at and into the life of Anthony Bourdain and all the various detours it took.&nbsp; This documentary charts his journey from chef to writer to acclaimed TV host, as told by his closest friends, the people he worked with, and his family.\u201d See their full reviews below.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Roadrunner: A Film About Anthony Bourdain<br>By Eshaan M., KIDS FIRST! Film Critic, age 15<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<span class=\"embed-youtube\" style=\"text-align:center; display: block;\"><iframe loading=\"lazy\" class=\"youtube-player\" width=\"640\" height=\"360\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/CfYiZZ35ngs?version=3&#038;rel=1&#038;showsearch=0&#038;showinfo=1&#038;iv_load_policy=1&#038;fs=1&#038;hl=en-US&#038;autohide=2&#038;wmode=transparent\" allowfullscreen=\"true\" style=\"border:0;\" sandbox=\"allow-scripts allow-same-origin allow-popups allow-presentation allow-popups-to-escape-sandbox\"><\/iframe><\/span>\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\"><figure class=\"alignright size-medium is-resized\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.kidsfirst.org\/kidsfirstnews\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/07\/roadrunner-RR_FP_00276_rgb.jpg?resize=225%2C127&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-7575\" width=\"225\" height=\"127\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.kidsfirst.org\/kidsfirstnews\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/07\/roadrunner-RR_FP_00276_rgb.jpg?resize=300%2C169&amp;ssl=1 300w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.kidsfirst.org\/kidsfirstnews\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/07\/roadrunner-RR_FP_00276_rgb.jpg?w=576&amp;ssl=1 576w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 225px) 100vw, 225px\" \/><figcaption>Anthony Bourdain (left) and Ottavia Busia-Bourdain (right) star in Morgan Neville&#8217;s documentary, ROADRUNNER, a Focus Features release. Courtesy of Discovery Access \/ Focus Features<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p><em>Roadrunner: A Film About Anthony Bourdain <\/em>offers an incisive look into the life and times of an enigma who raced through life with ferocity, grit, and a truly remarkable nonchalant attitude. A tale of a man who continued to barrel through life like a steam locomotive, picking up emotional baggage, shattering relationships, and joking about darkness all along the way. A great story of one of the greatest raconteurs whose story ended too quickly. This is <em>Roadrunner: A Film About Anthony Bourdain<\/em>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Renowned chef and TV personality Anthony Bourdain seduced New Yorkers\u2019 stomachs years before he enraptured audiences with shows like <em>A Cook\u2019s Tour<\/em>, <em>No Reservations, <\/em>and of course, the famous <em>Parts Unknown<\/em>. And even before his culinary career, Bourdain hit one of the lowest lows of his life, with a destructive heroin and cocaine addiction that he attributes to a visceral, angry response to the love and affection of his parents. <em>Roadrunner <\/em>largely summarizes Tony Bourdain\u2019s adolescence, skipping to the publication of his bestselling memoir <em>Kitchen Confidential <\/em>which first launched him overnight into the show-biz. The film chronicles Bourdain and his crew\u2019s adventures, getting caught up in the Israel-Hezbollah conflict in Beirut, eating exotic items in the far reaches of East Asia, and making deep and long-lasting friendships all along the way. Bourdain forsook his home life for these travels. The film also documents the later chapter of Anthony Bourdain\u2019s life, wherein he was betrayed by love, struggled to cope with his emotions, his agoraphobia, and his growing sense of insecurity about fatherhood. In a heart wrenching sequence, the film documents Bourdain\u2019s suicide and the responses of his loved ones to this event.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\"><figure class=\"alignleft size-medium is-resized\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.kidsfirst.org\/kidsfirstnews\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/07\/roadrunner-RR_FP_00014_rgb.jpg?resize=225%2C127&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-7576\" width=\"225\" height=\"127\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.kidsfirst.org\/kidsfirstnews\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/07\/roadrunner-RR_FP_00014_rgb.jpg?resize=300%2C169&amp;ssl=1 300w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.kidsfirst.org\/kidsfirstnews\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/07\/roadrunner-RR_FP_00014_rgb.jpg?w=576&amp;ssl=1 576w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 225px) 100vw, 225px\" \/><figcaption>Anthony Bourdain stars in Morgan Neville&#8217;s documentary, ROADRUNNER, a Focus Features release. Credit Courtesy of CNN \/ Focus Features<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p>It\u2019s an incredible film, a journalistic undertaking by award-winning filmmaker Morgan Neville that won my heart. The magical voice of Bourdain guides the film. Scenes from his shows, archival footage, Bourdain\u2019s Instagram stories, and interviews with his close circle of friends and family, including his second wife Ottavia Busia-Bourdain and his friend Chef Eric Ripert, are tied together to tell an enchanting story that genuinely is not depressing or dark. To paraphrase Busia-Bourdain\u2019s quote in the film, Anthony Bourdain was more than the acts he committed near the end of his 61 years of life, and much like him, <em>Roadrunner <\/em>brings much light into the viewers\u2019 hearts. The editing and musical score, especially the careful inclusion of the title song from the 1970 film \u201cViolent City,\u201d about a man who takes revenge on his unfaithful lover, help move the story forward and provide a deeper meaning to an already superb film.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\"><figure class=\"alignright size-medium is-resized\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.kidsfirst.org\/kidsfirstnews\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/07\/roadrunner-RR_FP_00785_rgb.jpg?resize=225%2C127&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-7580\" width=\"225\" height=\"127\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.kidsfirst.org\/kidsfirstnews\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/07\/roadrunner-RR_FP_00785_rgb.jpg?resize=300%2C169&amp;ssl=1 300w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.kidsfirst.org\/kidsfirstnews\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/07\/roadrunner-RR_FP_00785_rgb.jpg?w=576&amp;ssl=1 576w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 225px) 100vw, 225px\" \/><figcaption>Anthony Bourdain stars in Morgan Neville&#8217;s documentary, ROADRUNNER, a Focus Features release. Courtesy of CNN \/ Focus Features<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p><em>Roadrunner: A Film About Anthony Bourdain <\/em>is a reminder to all of us that we have someone we can reach out to, we have a reason to live, we have a reason to enjoy every moment of our lives, and we have a reason to be the best version of ourselves. Given Bourdain\u2019s colorful personality, one wouldn\u2019t be surprised to learn that there is cursing throughout the film and mentions of suicide and taking drugs also pop up over the course of the 2-hour piece.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>I give<em> Roadrunner: A Film About Anthony Bourdain <\/em>5 out of 5 stars and recommend it for ages 15 to 18, plus adults. The film had its world premiere at the Tribeca Film Festival on June 11, 2021. It is scheduled to be released on July 16, 2021, by Focus Features, after which it will air on CNN and HBO Max on an unspecified date.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Roadrunner: A Film About Anthony Bourdain<br>By Benjamin P., Kids First! Film Critic, age 15<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<span class=\"embed-youtube\" style=\"text-align:center; display: block;\"><iframe loading=\"lazy\" class=\"youtube-player\" width=\"640\" height=\"360\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/ihEEjwRlghQ?version=3&#038;rel=1&#038;showsearch=0&#038;showinfo=1&#038;iv_load_policy=1&#038;fs=1&#038;hl=en-US&#038;autohide=2&#038;wmode=transparent\" allowfullscreen=\"true\" style=\"border:0;\" sandbox=\"allow-scripts allow-same-origin allow-popups allow-presentation allow-popups-to-escape-sandbox\"><\/iframe><\/span>\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\"><figure class=\"alignright size-medium is-resized\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.kidsfirst.org\/kidsfirstnews\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/07\/roadrunner-RR_FP_00081_rgb.jpg?resize=225%2C127&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-7577\" width=\"225\" height=\"127\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.kidsfirst.org\/kidsfirstnews\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/07\/roadrunner-RR_FP_00081_rgb.jpg?resize=300%2C169&amp;ssl=1 300w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.kidsfirst.org\/kidsfirstnews\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/07\/roadrunner-RR_FP_00081_rgb.jpg?w=576&amp;ssl=1 576w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 225px) 100vw, 225px\" \/><figcaption>Anthony Bourdain stars in Morgan Neville&#8217;s documentary, ROADRUNNER, a Focus Features release. Courtesy of Dmitri Kasterine \/ Focus Features<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p><em>Roadrunner: A Film About Anthony Bourdain<\/em> is a personal, honest\u2014albeit loving\u2014look at and into the life of Anthony Bourdain and all the various detours it took.&nbsp; This documentary charts his journey from chef to writer to acclaimed TV host, as told by his closest friends, the people he worked with, and his family.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>After an opening credits sequence that runs through the years leading up to Bourdain\u2019s career as a chef, <em>Roadrunner <\/em>begins its sprint in 1999 after he\u2019s secured a deal to write a book about his experiences in the restaurant world, <em>Kitchen Confidential<\/em>, the <em>New York Times<\/em> bestseller that would put Bourdain on the talk show circuit, and kickstart his ascent towards celebrity. In preparation for writing his second memoir, <em>A Chef\u2019s Tour<\/em>, he was approached by TV producers who pitched an ongoing series in tandem with the upcoming book, thus forming a partnership that would spawn multiple shows, win several Emmys and begin Bourdain\u2019s long tenure on television screens and secure his status as a world-famous traveler.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\"><figure class=\"alignleft size-medium is-resized\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.kidsfirst.org\/kidsfirstnews\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/07\/roadrunner-RR_FP_00798_RC_rgb.jpg?resize=225%2C127&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-7578\" width=\"225\" height=\"127\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.kidsfirst.org\/kidsfirstnews\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/07\/roadrunner-RR_FP_00798_RC_rgb.jpg?resize=300%2C169&amp;ssl=1 300w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.kidsfirst.org\/kidsfirstnews\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/07\/roadrunner-RR_FP_00798_RC_rgb.jpg?w=576&amp;ssl=1 576w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 225px) 100vw, 225px\" \/><figcaption>Anthony Bourdain stars in Morgan Neville&#8217;s documentary, ROADRUNNER, a Focus Features release. Courtesy of CNN \/ Focus Features<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p>This film is a challenge on many levels.&nbsp; For starters, Bourdain\u2019s suicide is still a recent event in the public eye, and, I\u2019m certain, a fresh wound for those who knew him. It\u2019s difficult to watch a feature-length story of someone\u2019s whole life, knowing that it\u2019s going to end so inevitably, suddenly, and sadly; however,<em> Roadrunner <\/em>succeeds by showing us Bourdain in his totality which balances the sadness of his inevitable end. And yet, audiences may find it unavoidable to wonder who he really was, along with his loved ones striving to answer the question: Who was Anthony Bourdain off-screen?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><em>Roadrunner <\/em>mirrors Bourdain\u2019s own frequent departures from home and journeys to parts unknown, taking us back and forth from his television world and his home life with his daughter. We see a conversation between Bourdain and a friend, where they discuss the paradox of wanting to return home when they\u2019re away, but immediately wanting to get back on the road when they get home. This tragic conversation gets right to the heart of the movie\u2019s title, <em>Roadrunner,<\/em> and just how reflective it was of Bourdain\u2019s own everyday life.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\"><figure class=\"alignright size-medium is-resized\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.kidsfirst.org\/kidsfirstnews\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/07\/roadrunner-RR_FP_00468_rgb.jpg?resize=225%2C127&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-7581\" width=\"225\" height=\"127\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.kidsfirst.org\/kidsfirstnews\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/07\/roadrunner-RR_FP_00468_rgb.jpg?resize=300%2C169&amp;ssl=1 300w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.kidsfirst.org\/kidsfirstnews\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/07\/roadrunner-RR_FP_00468_rgb.jpg?w=576&amp;ssl=1 576w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 225px) 100vw, 225px\" \/><figcaption>Anthony Bourdain stars in Morgan Neville&#8217;s documentary, ROADRUNNER, a Focus Features release. Courtesy of Focus Features, in association with Zero Point Zero<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p>After a TV episode goes awry, Bourdain talks about his faltering belief in the power of the table at which we eat and share, yet <strong><em>Roadrunner<\/em><\/strong> becomes a testament to that power. Nearly every interview in the film is organized across a table, where deeply personal details and anecdotes from those who knew Bourdain are exchanged. Director Neville operates with a wealth of outtakes from his TV shows and all the excess footage of Bourdain\u2019s 20 years on screen, but it\u2019s these genuine moments with Bourdain\u2019s tribe that cut the deepest.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>I give <em>Roadrunner: A Film About Anthony Bourdain<\/em>4 out of 5 stars and recommend it for ages 15 to 18, plus adults, for mild language and strong themes throughout. <em>Roadrunner <\/em>lands in theaters on July 16, 2021.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>It&#8217;s not where you go. It&#8217;s what you leave behind&#8230;. Chef, writer, adventurer, and provocateur: Anthony Bourdain lived his life unabashedly. Roadrunner: A Film About Anthony Bourdain is an intimate, behind-the-scenes look at how an anonymous chef became a world-renowned cultural icon. From Academy Award\u00ae-winning filmmaker Morgan Neville (20 Feet From Stardom, Won&#8217;t You Be My Neighbor?), this unflinching look at Bourdain reverberates with his presence, in his own voice and in the way he indelibly impacted the world around him. KIDS FIRST! Film Critic Eshaan M. comments, \u201cRoadrunner: A Film About Anthony Bourdain offers an incisive look into the life and times of an enigma who raced through life with ferocity, grit, and a truly remarkable nonchalant attitude. A tale of a man who continued to barrel through life like a steam locomotive, picking up emotional baggage, shattering relationships, and joking about darkness all along the way.\u201d Benjamin P. adds, \u201cRoadrunner: A Film About Anthony Bourdain is a personal, honest\u2014albeit loving\u2014look at and into the life of Anthony Bourdain and all the various detours it took.  This documentary charts his journey from chef to writer to acclaimed TV host, as told by his closest friends, the people he worked with, and his family.\u201d <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":13,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2}},"categories":[15],"tags":[3582,3589,3585,3581,3591,3587,292,3592,3584,3594,3588,3590,3593,3583,3586],"class_list":["post-7571","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-feature-film-reviews","tag-adam-beckmann","tag-allison-mosshart","tag-anthony-bourdain","tag-cairin-rogers","tag-christopher-collins","tag-david-chang","tag-documentary","tag-doug-quint","tag-eileen-meyer","tag-eric-ripert","tag-helen-m-cho","tag-josh-homme","tag-lydia-tenaglia","tag-morgan-neville","tag-ottavia-bourdain"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/paS5I2-1Y7","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.kidsfirst.org\/kidsfirstnews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7571","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.kidsfirst.org\/kidsfirstnews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.kidsfirst.org\/kidsfirstnews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.kidsfirst.org\/kidsfirstnews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/13"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.kidsfirst.org\/kidsfirstnews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=7571"}],"version-history":[{"count":7,"href":"https:\/\/www.kidsfirst.org\/kidsfirstnews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7571\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":7629,"href":"https:\/\/www.kidsfirst.org\/kidsfirstnews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7571\/revisions\/7629"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.kidsfirst.org\/kidsfirstnews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=7571"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.kidsfirst.org\/kidsfirstnews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=7571"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.kidsfirst.org\/kidsfirstnews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=7571"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}