There are always challenges in adapting classic works of literature like On the Road for the screen, and while plenty of films succeed on some level, they’re rarely perfect. There’s one thing that On the Road gets right, though, and it’s the casting of Garrett Hedlund as Dean Moriarty. Hedlund’s natural charisma and undeniable sex appeal carry the scenes he’s in. Otherwise, in spite of an admittedly solid performance from Sam Riley as Sal Paradise and a ridiculously talented bench for supporting cast—including Amy Adams, Elisabeth Moss, Steve Buscemi, Kirsten Dunst, Viggo Mortensen and Terrence Howard—the film often meanders, thanks to a fitfully melodramatic script.