The deplorable Texas school system educated me just enough to make it through a cheap “Star Wars” novel. Anything more is beyond me. So please forgive me for thinking that Kerouac is some sort of sushi sauce. Apparently, it’s also the name of a writer, a writer who wrote a classic novel called On the Road.

Like most novels it’s being adapted into a film, and since it’s a road movie they’ve found the perfect man to direct it: Walter Salles. Salles won acclaim last year as the director of the South American road movie The Motorcycle Diaries (and then dulled audiences this year with Dark Water). Though it kind of falls apart at the end as it becomes a preachy, message movie, the parts of the Motorcycle Diaries that focus on travel are nothing short of brilliant. The film isn’t just beautiful, it’s compelling. If Salles can bring that sensibility to On the Road and leave out the lepers, there’s potential here for a fantastic movie. This assumes of course that the smart people who were educated outside of Texas and have the brains necessary to read the novel are correct in how good it is. I’m too busy reading “Hank the Cowdog” to find out.

The novel “On the Road” follows the journey of Kerouac’s alter ego as he hitchhikes, train hops, and struggles his way across America. Look for production to begin bumming rides for the film in 2006.