You won't be disappointed!

Let's be realistic.

The film makes a home in your brain and the only cure is to see it again.

The first must-see film of the year.

The reviews of the films posted here intrigue me. Each of us has his or her memory of the time if we lived then. Many works set in that period are frantic, tumultuous, and intense like that interval in our history. This film is reflective, tender, and elegiac. It is more like a memory of the time than a depiction of it. That might explain the negativity in some reviews. I understand the negative reviews.The film certainly does echo the dread, alienation, and complexity feeling one experienced as cannon fodder or potential cannon fodder or overheated and misplaced patriotism or not entirely pure protest. The film is not really about Vietnam or hippies but about recalling Vietnam and hippies. It is something of a dream like the "Summer of 42", a coming of age story that might not quite ring true to the actual moment.Obviously, the director deeply felt this film. It clearly is a personal work. I find the script tight, complex, and engaging. The direction is as tight and focused. The then young actors work brilliantly with the seasoned ones.Robert Downey, Jr. and Wynona Ryder were long ago two of my favourite then young actors and Kiefer Sutherland is every bit their equal. Mariette Hartley has long been an actress I very much admire. Bruce Dern is almost underrated though he has had many great roles. He has played in some of my all time favourite films and is a reason why those films are favourites. Mr. Dern underplays effectively here. Often his genius is to overplay but he modulates and does something else here. Meanwhile Joanna Cassidy is a national treasure.Films about the sixties require soundtracks that mirror the time and the selections here are splendid. In fact, the music does what the narrative does not quite do—voice the turbulence, desperation, and underlying rage of the late sixties.I must mention that this work is beautifully photographed and edited. It is a fine film about the late sixties and the tragedy that time was in our national life. I think that everyone worked at a high level to make this film It is a small masterwork.

first off - you cannot over dose on lsd, as robert downey jr.'s character claims. sure, running around in only your underwear may happen, but fainting and being rushed to a hospital without hitting your head on something first, generally doesn't happen while tripping.the writing kind of sucked, and the acting wasn't exactly award winning. maybe because i can't see winona ryder as anything but some loner girl who talks to beetle juice, or as a crazy lady who tells a village that tituba is doing witchcraft. she wasn't very convincing of the fact that she loved a free spirited "hippie." there are soo many better movies relating to the same topic, this one overall, was crap.

Granted there wasn't much of a plot to 1969 and the acting was fair, but nevertheless I thought the film did accomplish something important. It made you realize that this kind of "drama" - coping with the aftermath of a Vietnam KIA - played out in tens-of-thousands of homes throughout the country during the '60s and '70s. The sum of all that pain and anguish makes me cringe. I served in South Vietnam from the summer of '68 to the summer of '69 in the USMC and I am glad to see this kind of message portrayed in a movie. It keeps alive the suffering endured by family and friends from that time. Maybe that sounds morbid but I think it's important for the here and now to acknowledge and remember that suffering. We can use it to give us perspective on how fortunate we are to be able to flourish and live to a ripe old age. For me of course it has special meaning. I could have ended my life at 19 and would have missed so much.But that's what happened to so many. A horrible shame.

As the child of a hippie, I can fully "get" this film. Downey is brilliant as Raplh, the drug taking friend of Scott (Sutherland), I guess life CAN imitate art. Scott's overbearing father is played equally well by veteran actor Bruce Dern. And the girl who wants to save the world is played nicely by Ryder. However, the movie is truly fueled by Sutherlands performance. His portrayal of a borderline hippie comming of age is heart warming and endearing. I don't think there is another actor who could have done this role. The fims content is heavy and the acting is really good, but it is Sutherland performance that makes this fim so good. Not to mention a kick-ass soundtrack featuring bands like Cream, Canned Heat, CSNY, and of course, the king, Jimi Hendrix. I truly recommend this movie to anyone who is interested in a good tale about growing up hard.I give this one ****!