Ever wonder how a radio station or network affiliate gets a celebrity to record a promotional tag? The answer to this question is the one worthwhile revelation provided by this ungodly little film, which documents the eight-day drive comedian Ray Romano and his buddy Tom Caltabiano make across Florida in order to reach a series of stand-up venues. While Caltabiano, a comedian himself and sometimes-writer for Romano’s now-defunct CBS show, tenderizes a crowd in one location, Romano offers an interview to a local TV station, after which he records a series of promos. This scene illuminates Romano’s generosity, which extends to the fans who constantly hound him throughout Florida—outside venues and inside fast-food joints—for his autograph. In between gigs, Romano behaves like a difficult child, refusing to leave his hotel room in one city, contemplating how and why a Dasina water bottle’s cap was opened at a restaurant, and trying to sustain an impossibly long note in his car while Caltabiano tries to sleep. It’s difficult to tell what’s worse, Romano’s shrill behavior on the road or his dorky, mostly uninspired everyman stand-up routine. This much is true, though: 95 Miles to Go is a grim reminder that not everybody loves Raymond.
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