Overview
Within its first 15 seconds, the trailer for Roadrunner: A Film About Anthony Bourdain states the obvious: "there's no happy ending". June 2021 marks three years since the American chef, author, host and documentarian passed away, and this doco can't explore his work and legacy without also touching upon on his unexpected death. To the surprise of no one, the film's sneak peek quickly gets emotional.
The latest project from Oscar-winning 20 Feet From Stardom director Morgan Neville — who also directed affecting Mister Rodgers doco Won't You Be My Neighbour? — Roadrunner steps through Bourdain's ups and downs, successes and struggles, and passion for both food and travel. It showcases his frank, no-nonsense approach and his sense off humour, too. In one clip, just before he jumps into the ocean, he pre-empts an obvious question. "Some of you might ask: how is this food related?" he notes. Then, he replies to himself: "fucked if I know."
Indeed, thanks to his long stints in front of the camera in everything from A Cook's Tour and Anthony Bourdain: No Reservations to The Layover and Anthony Bourdain: Parks Unknown, Roadrunner won't lack archival footage. The just-dropped trailer certainly doesn't. Bourdain's face and voice feature in the two-and-a-half-minute clip far more often than its talking-head interviewees, in fact, not that there's any shortage of those.
Neville's aim: to peer behind the scenes at the man behind the world-famous personality, and to understand his life and impact — including via using his own words. The end result is set to hit US cinemas in July, with release details Down Under yet to be confirmed. Fingers crossed that the documentary turns up locally sooner rather than later.
Check out the Roadrunner: A Film About Anthony Bourdain trailer below:
Roadrunner will release in US cinemas on July 16. Release details Down Under are yet to be confirmed — we'll update you when more details come to hand.
Top image: Focus Features.