Self-important, over-dramatic, uninspired.

Really Surprised!

Intense, gripping, stylish and poignant

What begins as a feel-good-human-interest story turns into a mystery, then a tragedy, and ultimately an outrage.

Having seen director, Milos Forman's two Czech b/w classics, The Fireman's Ball and The Loves of A Blonde (or a blonde In Love, as I knew it) I saw this, his first US film upon its original release. I remember it being controversial although not a big hit, but I loved it. It barely has a narrative story line, no big stars, Buck Henry being the most well known, but it just made me feel good. It wasn't one of those films preaching at one side or the other (that's kids and parents!) and just seemed to present a little of what was happening towards the end of the sixties and derive some good natured humour from it. Watching it again, I was amazed at how well it still works. There are no embarrassing moments, it looks good, sounds good and probably does you good. I have no idea why the recent Park Circus DVD release box is so subdued but then this is not a jazzy, wacky film, just a relaxed, intelligent picture of a very strange time. Wonderful.

I saw this film 20 times i a row,- as a 5 to 6 years old kid,-(i had free access to a "Radical" cinema in Copenhagen , Denmark at "Husets Biograf" , where i also saw "2001" and all the films by Gunther Grass and Werner Hersog, 10 to 20 times i a row ! )-in the 70's-it blew my mind ,-and taught me something about Pot and,-grownups!!! I liked it then,- and i like it now ! i really like the scene where the girl has her boyfriend - who is a musician , playing in a band - home for dinner, and her father -pitifull-ask how much money he earn as a musician !!!(he earns more than the father!!! )-and the "Learn to smoke pot"-scene is a classic ! (Seen By Mikkel Grum Bovin Denmark)

It should come as no surprise to anyone familiar with eitherForman or Henry that this film is both insightful and understatedlyhilarious. There was a time in the early 1970s when the influx offoreign directors on the Hollywood movie-making frontier (amongthem Forman, Bertolucci, and Polanski, as well as cinematographers like Zsigmond and Kovacs) were just as sharpand scathing of the American cultural revolution as our own youngfilmmakers. If not more so. This film is flat-out funny; the humor isderived from the droll use of pop references and supposedlytaboo behaviors. Because hey are put across so straight-faced,they reflect back to us an image too ridiculous to considerseriously. I saw this film in an open-air theatre at a fest and thoughit was difficult to hear, the combined laughter of the audiencebrought the experience to hysterics. Hope this film makes it toDVD.

I discovered this by accident, and have to wonder why it has been so ignored these last 22 years. Forman's take on the America of the late sixties is a beautiful mood piece, at times amusing, at times moving, but always acted, directed and written with subtlety and wit. I would reccomend this as a definative film about the culture of the Sixties.