Road Scholar.

• Author: Rothenberg, Robert S.

Hallmark Home Entertainment 82 minutes/$19.98

Take a self-proclaimed Transylvanian poet-anarchist turned National Public Radio humorist, stick him behind the wheel of a cherry-red 1968 Cadillac convertible, turn him loose on the highways and back roads of America, and the result is a sly, devastatingly humorous exploration of the national psyche. Andrei Codrescu decided to celebrate his now drivers license with a cross-continental exploration of his adopted land, and his quirky adventures are an utter delight for viewers.

His trip starts out on a rational note, as he strolls through the museum on Ellis Island, reminiscing about how the government denied him citizenship for 10 years out of suspicion concerning his politics. From that point until he participates in a swearing-in ceremony for new citizens in San Francisco, Codrescu delightfully points out Americans' foibles, primarily by letting them talk about themselves. En route, he encounters religious...