One time I watched Easy Rider with my father. Now, my late father was a straight square guy, the kind of guy who was studying while hippies were doing hippy things in the 60s. So when we got to the scene in the classic movie where the characters trip out on drugs and the movie goes appropriately trippy, we looked at each other. He wondered what was going on. It was a foreign experience. I was just a teenager then and I had no idea either. How was I to know if it was accurately depicting what it's like to trip on drugs?
I remembered that experience as I was watching the movie Alice's Restaurant (1969). Who am I say whether this movie accurately depicts the feel and mood of the 60s? I know there were times when I wondered if it would make more sense to me if I were stoned. Perhaps it would have helped if I had been older than one when the movie came out.
I’m not sure what I was expecting from this movie but I can say what I saw was much darker, creepier, and more sad than I expected. I anticipated lots of depictions of free love and people flashing the peace sign and the younger generation egging on the cops. I was right on that count. Far out!
I knew parts of the song would play a role in the movie but I was disappointed that the movie did not really add anything to the events that unfold in the classic song. What I was not expecting was a sad drama with a funeral and a dysfunctional marriage. Maybe it is because I find the song funny and sort of inspiring — silly me! — that I thought the movie would be funny and aspiring as well.
Instead, I found the movie dragging at times. Perhaps this is an unfair assessment but I found myself liking Arlo Guthrie less after watching the movie and listening to his commentary.
There are, I suppose, a few people who are unfamiliar with the song, its background, and history. Wikipedia has a good summary of the background and of the evolution from a song to a movie. There is also a good Blogcritics interview with Arlo by Richard Marcus.
In short, the song (while up there in length with another great tune, "American Pie") tells a fascinating story. Actually it tells two stories. One story is about the time Arlo, after eating Thanksgiving dinner, thanked his hosts, one of whom was named Alice Brock, by trying to throw away the trash. Only the dump was filled (whoever heard of a dump being closed?) and so he littered and got busted for it by Officer Obie.
Article comments
1 - Richard Marcus
I've never been able to watch the whole movie myself, it never held my interest. I've always considered it a separate entity from the song, just becuase it's a movie. I was only 8 when the movie came out so I hadve no basis of comparison either, and maybe that's the point.
I think, as Al said in his review, it inadvertently is a very telling movie about the failures of the "hippie" movement.
Thanks for the contribution Scott, good review.
Richard
2 - Scott Butki
You're quite welcome, Richard. My pleasure. By accepting this assignment I felt forced to watch
it all but it certainly dragged and I could see
why you did not watch it straight through.
3 - Scott Butki
Arlo mentions that when he talks to people about the movie they generally have fond memories of
it being fun.
But when he re-watched it to do the audio commentary he was struck by how dark and sad
and dramatic it was and reminded viewers that part of the movie became a commentary
about the problems faced by the movement.
4 - Al Barger
Outstanding and thoughtful review, Mr Butki. The thing that seems to throw you is that the director and screenwriter were after something a lot different than the song. All the events of the song are collectively just a counterpoint in the movie both in the story line and the comedic tone to the main story about the internal issues of the hippies.
As per the song, sure there's trouble in the land with silly bureacracy and crazy warmongers- so it's understandable that their children are messed up and confused. Going into the nitty and gritty of their dysfunctions was WAY more artistically interesting and valuable than if it was just cool, hip enlightened folks mocking the squares.
5 - Scott Butki
Thanks a lot, Al.
6 - Scott Butki
This excerpt from the savant review nicely touches on what probably irked
me about the movie:
"Their biggest and bravest idea was to write a movie with no real plot, just a beginning and ending; the narrative focusing on the adventures of Arlo interwoven with the rise and fall of the dreams of Ray and poor Alice. "
7 - A.L. Harper
I have one comment darling.
I was just a teenager then and I had no idea either.
If you don't know when you're a teenager when will you know! *smile* I thought that when I edited this article. It has turned out very good by the way. I like the editing. *laugh*