The second is when Arlo is called to the draft board. While they consider him a great candidate for a solider after he acts bloodthirsty and says he is ready to kill, he is ultimately rejected because he was a litter bug.
The song does a great job of tying the two events together. In a later version of the song, he updates the material to include the possibility that the 18 ½-minute song is the true explanation for the 18-minute gap in the Watergate tapes. The song is fascinating and entertaining. My hope was the movie would fill in some gaps like, what happened between those two events and what was it really like at the induction center sitting with the criminal element?
Is the acting good? Yes. Does Arlo do an especially impressive job? Definitely. But is it clear why the song had to be stretched into a two-hour movie that seems more of a drag than a joy? Not really. It does not help that this movie just has not aged well. What may have seemed authentic at the time — like characters flashing the peace sign — just seems clichéd or a stereotype today.
You know it’s a bad sign when the bits of the movie you are most excited about are the cameos — folk singer Pete Seeger singing in one scene, the real Alice in another. Officer Obie plays himself, after reportedly telling Newsweek that if he was going to come off looking like a fool he’d rather do it himself. The judge also plays himself.
The DVD comes with an audio commentary by Arlo Guthrie wherein he explains about the history of the song and the movie. It is interesting and entertaining, perhaps more so than the movie itself. He says the movie seems too sad. While people have fond memories of the movie, the reality is, it’s full of dramatic, sad material.
"You can get anything you want at Alice's Restaurant," the song says. Yes, I'd like to order a listening of the song, but hold the movie please. As an historical footnote, it is interesting. But as a movie, it does not stand up well on its own.
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*