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Roadie

Roadie

Bands make it Rock...Roadies make it Roll!

1980106 minPGMidcredits score: 30th percentile of all films
Director
Alan Rudolph
Starring
Meat Loaf, Kaki Hunter, Art Carney, Gailard Sartain

A young Texas good ol' boy has a knack with electronic equipment, and that talent gets him a job as a roadie with a raucous traveling rock-and-roll show.

Where to watch

Where can I watch Roadie?

As of October 24, 2026, MovieCove does not list Roadie on any major US streaming service.

Your rating, lists and review

Highlights

What stands out about Roadie?

Roadie earns 2 badges, led by Award Winner and Box Office Flop.

Reception

Is Roadie worth watching?

Roadie's Midcredits score is the 30th percentile of all films, from 2.5K ratings across 4 sources. 34% liked it (rated it 7 or higher out of 10).

Midcredits score

How well it was received

30th percentile

Better received than 30% of films

32nd percentile among Comedy31st percentile among 1980s
Acclaim (how much people like it)32nd
Approval (how many liked it)29th

56 /100

32nd percentile of all films

35th percentile among Comedy32nd percentile among 1980s

Rating distribution

A broad spread centered near 5.6 — solid but not unanimous.

34% liked it

29th percentile of all films

30th percentile among Comedy31st percentile among 1980s
34% rated it 7–1066% rated it 1–6

Critics 17% · Audience 58%

On Rotten Tomatoes, a bigger share of audiences approved than critics.

Awards

0 Oscars won · 0 Oscar noms · 1 wins / 1 noms overall

49th percentile

2.5K ratings across platforms

42nd percentile among Comedy46th percentile among 1980s
TMDB popularity, last 37 days to Oct 26Up 16% in 30 days

Box office

Budget$4.7M
Opening weekend$1M
Domestic gross$4.2M
Worldwide gross$4.2M

Returned 0.9× its budget — 61st percentile earner in its genre.

What reviewers say

Common ground

A messy, amateurish rock comedy with a killer soundtrack and a charismatic Meat Loaf.

Fans praised

  • Meat Loaf's charismatic, disarmingly sweet lead performance
  • Great rock cameos and eclectic soundtrack (Blondie, Alice Cooper, Roy Orbison etc.)
  • Fun, offbeat cult-movie energy and Texas-tinged atmosphere

Detractors panned

  • Incoherent, cliché-ridden plot that doesn't know what it wants to be
  • Uneven, sub-par acting from non-professionals (especially Meat Loaf and Harry)
  • Dull pacing and lackluster direction with forced redneck humor

What stands out

Sound and music80

Eclectic soundtrack with Blondie, Orbison, Cooper; highlight for most

AtmosphereDivisive60

Captures late-70s rock scene and Texas weirdness

ActingDivisive50

Meat Loaf charming and convincing to fans; camp calls him wooden and ineffective

HumorDivisive40

Silly, campy, redneck jokes; fans find it charming

CharactersDivisive40

Redfish is lovable hick/genius; other characters thin or grating

OriginalityDivisive30

Derivative of rock comedies; oddball but not fresh

PacingDivisive30

Starts tight then drags; slow spots for detractors

Plot and storyDivisive25

Silly, aimless, cliché-ridden love story

Preferred by

No notable difference between any of the groups: each pair ranks it within 10 percentile points.

  • US vs non-US 3 points apart

Watch experience

What is Roadie like to watch?

Conclusions only — categories and positions, no plot detail.

Easy laugh: browse every movie of this kind

Watch this when you want something light that makes you laugh.

It is gentle, takes its time and leaves you feeling good. Skip it when you want things to move fast.

ToneFeelDemandwhat the answer rests onexact position · filled zone: the category

What it asks of you

Patience.

What it feels like

Easy laugh.

Moods
JoyfulAbsurd
Heaviest: middle
Absurdist humor: Deliberately illogical; embraces nonsense.
Register
Whimsical · 2% of filmsWarmDeadpan · 1% of films: Delivered flat and unsmiling, which is the joke.
Told as
Three-act: Setup, confrontation, resolution — the default Hollywood shape.
ToneThe film plays its material as a knowingly silly, lighthearted comedy with a sincere heart for its characters and rock-and-roll spirit.
The rideThe film is lighthearted and silly throughout, with the middle containing the most chaotic roadie adventures.
StructureThe story follows a conventional beginning (Travis meets Lola, joins the tour), middle (adventures as a roadie), and end (realization about home and love). No nonlinear or experimental structure is indicated.

How it leaves you

what you carry away

Feeling good.

Feel-good
Why it leaves you this wayLeaves the viewer feeling light, amused, and with a gentle smile at the rock-and-roll happy ending.
How it ends · evidence
Happy ending

Story archetype

where it sits among all films
Monster — 21% of films. A threat menaces the hero's world and must be defeated.Rags — 3% of films. A rise from lowliness to fortune, status, or recognition.Quest — 10% of films. A journey toward a defined objective, with companions and obstacles.Voyage — 4% of films. Into a strange world and back again, changed.Comedy — 11% of films. Confusion and cross-purposes resolved into harmony.Tragedy — 9% of films. A flaw or fixation drives the protagonist to ruin.Rebirth — 13% of films. A stalled or darkened life reopened and renewed.Mystery — 7% of films. A question drives the story — who did it, what happened, what is real — until it is answered.No archetype — 22% of filmsPredator — 6% of films. A creature or killer hunts the protagonists (Jaws, Alien).Tyrant — 6% of films. A human villain holds power over the hero's world (Die Hard).Invasion — 2% of films. An external force attacks the home or world (Independence Day).Oppressive state — 2% of films. A government, its agencies or a secret faction inside them is the monster (V for Vendetta).Corporate villainy — 1% of films. A company or its bosses are the monster (Erin Brockovich).Institutional injustice — 1% of films. A court, prison, police force, school or church is itself the enemy (Spotlight).Class system — under 1% of films. The gap between rich and poor, or a rigid hierarchy, is the monster (Parasite).Technology turns — under 1% of films. Technology people rely on becomes the threat (The Terminator).Inner demon — 1% of films. The monster is within — addiction, illness, a dark double.Underdog triumph — 2% of films. Rise through competition or contest (Rocky).Social ascent — under 1% of films. A climb in class or status (Pretty Woman).Fame and fortune — under 1% of films. An artistic or showbiz rise (A Star Is Born).Rise and fall — under 1% of films. Wealth or power gained, self lost (Scarface).Hidden worth revealed — under 1% of films. The protagonist's true value finally recognized.Treasure hunt — 1% of films. Retrieve an object of value (Raiders of the Lost Ark).Rescue — 4% of films. Retrieve or save a person (Saving Private Ryan).Mission — 5% of films. Accomplish or destroy a defined objective (Mission: Impossible).Journey home — under 1% of films. The goal is getting back (Finding Nemo).Pilgrimage — 1% of films. The journey itself transforms; the destination is symbolic.Portal fantasy — under 1% of films. Transported into another world (The Wizard of Oz).Fish out of water — 2% of films. Displaced into an unfamiliar social world (Elf).Survival ordeal — 1% of films. Trapped in a hostile environment, fighting back (Cast Away).Time displacement — under 1% of films. Unstuck in time (Back to the Future).Descent — 1% of films. A night-journey into an underworld or subculture (After Hours).Romantic comedy — 4% of films. Lovers kept apart by confusion, united at last.Comedy of errors — 3% of films. Mistaken identity or misunderstanding drives the plot.Farce — 2% of films. Escalating absurd chaos and coincidence (The Hangover).Buddy comedy — 1% of films. A mismatched pair forced together (Rush Hour).Comedy of manners — 1% of films. Social codes and class satirized (Clueless).Hubris — 1% of films. Pride or ambition invites the fall (There Will Be Blood).Obsession — 2% of films. A fixation consumes the protagonist (Black Swan).Corruption arc — 2% of films. Step-by-step moral decay (The Godfather).Doomed love — 2% of films. Love destroyed by circumstance (Brokeback Mountain).Crushed by fate — 3% of films. Destroyed by forces beyond the protagonist's control.Redemption — 3% of films. Moral reawakening of a hardened soul (A Christmas Carol).Healing — 5% of films. Recovery from grief or trauma (Good Will Hunting).Liberation — 2% of films. Breaking free of a confining life (Room).Second chance — 2% of films. A stagnant life re-opened to love or purpose (Groundhog Day).Puzzle — 1% of films. A clue-by-clue puzzle you can try to solve before the reveal (Knives Out, Clue).Investigation — 5% of films. A long pursuit of the truth that may never be fully solved (Zodiac, Memories of Murder).Enigma — 2% of films. The mystery is what is real, or what is actually happening (Mulholland Drive).Voyage
Every story archetype, clockwise from the top
  • Monster 21%: Predator 6% · Tyrant 6% · Invasion 2% · Oppressive state 2% · Corporate villainy 1% · Institutional injustice 1% · Class system under 1% · Technology turns under 1% · Inner demon 1%
  • Rags 3%: Underdog triumph 2% · Social ascent under 1% · Fame and fortune under 1% · Rise and fall under 1% · Hidden worth revealed under 1%
  • Quest 10%: Treasure hunt 1% · Rescue 4% · Mission 5% · Journey home under 1% · Pilgrimage 1%
  • Voyage 4% (this title): Portal fantasy under 1% · Fish out of water 2% (this title) · Survival ordeal 1% · Time displacement under 1% · Descent 1%
  • Comedy 11%: Romantic comedy 4% · Comedy of errors 3% · Farce 2% · Buddy comedy 1% · Comedy of manners 1%
  • Tragedy 9%: Hubris 1% · Obsession 2% · Corruption arc 2% · Doomed love 2% · Crushed by fate 3%
  • Rebirth 13%: Redemption 3% · Healing 5% · Liberation 2% · Second chance 2%
  • Mystery 7%: Puzzle 1% · Investigation 5% · Enigma 2%
  • No archetype 22%

Voyage and return: Into a strange world and back again, changed. · Fish out of water: Displaced into an unfamiliar social world (Elf).

4% of films fit this archetype

with Comedy underneath

A loose fit — the map only half-holds this one.

Why this archetypeTravis leaves his Texas home for the rock tour world, is celebrated as a great roadie, then realizes home is best — a fish-out-of-water journey with a return theme. The plan is loose but supported by the synopsis.

What it's about

7 groups · 53 themes
Bonds — 27% of filmsSelf — 22% of filmsPower — 7% of filmsMorality — 16% of filmsSurvival — 15% of filmsSociety — 9% of filmsIdeas — 5% of filmsRomantic love — 15% of filmsMarriage — 2% of filmsFamily bonds — 21% of filmsParenthood — 2% of filmsFriendship — 9% of filmsLoyalty — 4% of filmsIdentity — 14% of filmsComing of age — 5% of filmsAging — under 1% of filmsSelf-worth — 7% of filmsAmbition — 7% of filmsPurpose — 9% of filmsMemory — 3% of filmsObsession — 3% of films. A fixation consumes the protagonist (Black Swan).Power — 2% of filmsCorruption — 3% of filmsGreed — 3% of filmsClass — 3% of filmsOppression — 4% of filmsFreedom — 5% of filmsJustice — 13% of filmsDuty — 2% of filmsRevenge — 4% of filmsGuilt — 3% of filmsRedemption — 6% of films. Moral reawakening of a hardened soul (A Christmas Carol).Forgiveness — 1% of filmsSacrifice — 4% of filmsBetrayal — 5% of filmsDeception — 9% of filmsSurvival — 17% of filmsWar — 1% of filmsViolence — 4% of filmsMortality — 2% of filmsGrief — 6% of filmsTrauma — 7% of filmsMental illness — 1% of filmsAddiction — 1% of filmsIllness and disability — under 1% of filmsCommunity — 14% of films. Consequences reach a town, institution or group.Isolation — 5% of filmsPrejudice — 3% of filmsDisplacement — 1% of filmsFaith — 3% of filmsTradition vs change — 2% of filmsFame — 3% of filmsLegacy — 4% of filmsFate — 1% of filmsFree will — under 1% of filmsTruth — 4% of filmsHope — 5% of filmsNature — 2% of filmsArt — 4% of filmsTechnology — 1% of filmsSelfRomanticlove
Every theme, clockwise from the top
  • Bonds 27% (this title): Romantic love 15% (this title) · Marriage 2% · Family bonds 21% · Parenthood 2% · Friendship 9% · Loyalty 4%
  • Self 22%: Identity 14% · Coming of age 5% · Aging under 1% · Self-worth 7% (this title) · Ambition 7% · Purpose 9% · Memory 3% · Obsession 3%
  • Power 7%: Power 2% · Corruption 3% · Greed 3% · Class 3% · Oppression 4% · Freedom 5%
  • Morality 16%: Justice 13% · Duty 2% · Revenge 4% · Guilt 3% · Redemption 6% · Forgiveness 1% · Sacrifice 4% · Betrayal 5% · Deception 9%
  • Survival 15%: Survival 17% · War 1% · Violence 4% · Mortality 2% · Grief 6% · Trauma 7% · Mental illness 1% · Addiction 1% · Illness and disability under 1%
  • Society 9%: Community 14% · Isolation 5% · Prejudice 3% · Displacement 1% · Faith 3% · Tradition vs change 2% · Fame 3% · Legacy 4%
  • Ideas 5%: Fate 1% · Free will under 1% · Truth 4% · Hope 5% · Nature 2% · Art 4% · Technology 1%

Bonds

Romantic love · 15% of filmsSelf-worth · 7% of films
Celebrates its theme: Affirms its theme — this is good and worth having.Intimate stakes: Consequences reach a person or a household.Single lead
How it treats its themeTravis pursues Lola through the rock world, while Lola's quest for a groupie experience contrasts with genuine connection.
StanceThe film celebrates rock-and-roll camaraderie and the simple sincerity of its Texas protagonist, with a lighthearted, affectionate eye.

The world

ContemporaryUrbanRuralIn transitRealistic
RockPopForeground music · licensed compilation · Craig Huxley
Setting1980s Texas and the touring rock-and-roll circuit
MusicFeatures performances by Blondie, Alice Cooper, Roy Orbison, and Hank Williams Jr.

Content guide

Is Roadie okay for kids?

PG

Roadie is rated PG.

No detailed content scores for this title yet.

What content warnings does Roadie have?

Not screened for content warnings yet.

Cast and crew

Who is in Roadie?

Cast

Meat Loaf
as Travis W. Redfish
Kaki Hunter
as Lola Bouilliabase
Art Carney
as Corpus C. Redfish
Gailard Sartain
as B.B. Muldoon
Rhonda Bates
as Alice Poo
Don Cornelius
as Mohammed Johnson
Sonny Carl Davis
as Bird
Joe Spano
as Ace
Alice Cooper
as Alice Cooper
Roy Orbison
as Roy Orbison

Crew

More like this

What are movies like Roadie?

The closest match to Roadie is Miss March (2009); both are road movies.

Balanced: every group counts the same, and production only breaks ties.

Explore by

What else shares a premise, people or place with Roadie?

2.5K other films share the rarest tag below, kind of film: road movie. Each tag opens Browse with the films that share it.