1969

Synopsis: Two friends, Ralph and Scott live in a small minded town at the onset of wide public dissatisfaction with the Vietnam war. While Scott's brother enlists, he and Ralph are outspoken in their opposition to the war. Scott's attitude alienates him from his father and he and Ralph leave town to enjoy their 'freedom'. Various events lead them back to town where they learn of the death of the brother. This event proves to be the catalyst needed to bridge the gap between father and son and enlightens them both to the true cost of war.
Genre: Drama, War
Director(s): Ernest Thompson
Production: Media Home Entertainment
  1 nomination.
 
IMDB:
5.8
Rotten Tomatoes:
55%
R
Year:
1988
95 min
290 Views


( "When I Was Young"

by the Animals)

The rooms were so much

colder then

My father was a soldier then

And times were very hard

When I was young

When I was young

I smoked my first cigarette at ten

And for girls, I had a bad yen

And I had quite a ball

When I was young

When I was young it

was more important

ain more painful

and laughter much louder

Yeah

When I was young

When I was young

I met my first love at 13

She was brown and

I was pretty green

And I learned quite a lot

When I was young

When I was young

When I was young

it was more important

ain more painful,

laughter much louder

Yeah

When I was young

When I was young

My faith was so much

stronger then

I believed in fellow men

And I was so much older then

When I was young

When I was young

When I was young

When I was young

(man) In 1969, Richard Nixon

was inaugurated president.

Bobby Kennedy and Martin Luther King

had been assassinated the year before

and the Beatles were still together.

Ralph and I were 19.

Two years out of high school

and we owned the world.

At least, the 83-mile stretch

from Barton State College home.

You know what freedom is?

OK, I'll tell you what freedom is.

Standing on the road

with your thumb out.

Got no cares, no problems in your life.

You can go anywhere you want

in the whole world.

- I wanna go home.

- That's one place you can go.

Douche bag! Go to hell.

I hope your tongue falls out.

Thank you. Thanks a lot, you scum!

You slug!

Thanks a lot, you f***ing mould.

I told my mother

I'd be there by dinner.

It's gonna be a late dinner.

All we need is a ride Ralf,

then we'll be home, I promise.

God... goddammit! Goddammit!

Something funny?

Hey! Give us a ride,

you motherhumper. Give us a ride!

Argh!

Hey.

Hey, Scott. Scottie.

Eat it. Eat this. There you go.

(Ralph) We should've

stayed collage man.

At least we could've got laid.

No, you could've got laid.

I've already decided if nothing...

...happens by the time I'm 20,

I'll cut it off.

- How you gonna pee there, Scott?

- Sitting down.

(Ralph laughs)

You think that's funny?

You've slept with 13 girls, Ralph.

You slept with that girl

with the thingies in her hair?

When? Last night?

Oh, sh*t.

You wanna get laid, man?

I'm gonna help you out.

I'll show you how easy it is.

Alright, the next car

that comes down that road...

...is gonna be the woman

of your dreams.

Come on. Look human,

look human, OK?

What do you want her

to look like, man?

I mean, name your requirements.

- Alive and from this planet.

- OK.

Look. Here she comes.

Here she comes.

What's she like?

Blonde? Brunette?

She got big boppers,

little boppers? Come on!

She's blonde. Blonde.

Strawberry blonde, actually.

Uh, she's 28 years old.

She wants a younger man.

She wants it.

She wants it real bad.

Not bad enough to stop for us,

though.

- Sh*t. Did you see her face?

- What are you telling man.

She's beautiful. She wants you.

Why do yo think she stop?

Thank you, Jesus. Thank you, Ralph.

I'm ready. I've been practising.

( "Aquarius"

by the Fifth Dimension)

Is something awfully funny?

No. No. I just thought

you were someone else.

Well, I'm not. I'm just me.

Sorry. Would you still like a lift

or am I too much of a disappointment?

No, no, that'd be great. Thanks.

(radio plays "Let The Sun Shine"

by the Fifth Dimension)

(man sings along tunelessly)

Let the sun shine in

The sun shine in

Let the sun shine

- Got enough room?

- Yeah, thanks.

You're big, aren't you?

- How big are you?

- About six even.

Really? Is that hard or soft?

- Hey, mister.

- Marshall. Call me Marshall.

I'm sorry. I didn't mean to offend.

Let the sun shine

Let the sun shine

Can I see it?

- What?

- I'll show you mine.

You can let us out here.

Ok. This is as far as we

wanted to go anyway.

You don't have to be rude.

It's my car, I can do whatever I want.

- Hey!

- Jesus.

No one touches my friend,

you f***ing homo.

(brakes squeal)

Sorry! I didn't know

you were married!

(Scott) Well, at least we got

a little farther down the road.

(laughs)

(trickling water)

Hey.

What are you doing?

Are you crazy?

We're gonna need it.

(congregation sings

"Christ The Lord Is Risen Today")

Alleluia

Sons of men and angels say

Alleluia

Raise your joys

and triumphs high

Alleluia

Sing, you heavens,

and earth, reply

Alleluia

(complex solo)

- (giggling)

- (woman) Shh.

(clears throat)

"And on the third day,

he rose again from the dead. "

"And his countenance was like... "

(whooping)

(clears throat)

"Go, ye, therefore,

and teach all nations. "

"I am with you always,

even to the end of the world. "

(man) Hey, Ralph!

What's happening?

Well, if it isn't Jesus Christ

and Mary Magdalene.

Hi, Ralph. How are you?

It's good to see you, wild buck.

Look at you, you look horrible.

How you doing, Dad?

What brings you girls down here?

Little brother.

Hi, Cottie. Alden,

are you a mailman?

Yeah.

Here. I got a special delivery

for you right there.

Look at you two.

- Can hardly tell us apart, huh?

- (she laughs)

How you doing, Bethany Willow?

Why can't you just call me Beth?

So, you jerks took a short cut, huh?

I was about to call the National Guard.

You should've. We coulda used the ride.

Uh-huh? Well, look at you.

I wouldn't have picked you up

with a dump truck.

The '60s hadn't really hit yet

in our little town in Maryland,

even though they were

almost over.

I mean that in the sense that

not much had changed.

Not in my lifetime anyway.

(girl on bike) Hi, puppy.

(woman) Do I live

by myself here?

Anyone going to join me

for dinner?

Not you.

Here you are, Happy. Go on.

Kids, it's Easter Sunday,

for Christ's sake.

You gonna rake the yard

before you go back?

No. Well, I gotta study.

You're gonna rake the yard,

aren't you?

On Easter Sunday? Wrong.

Come on, cut it out. Beth.

Don't do that.

OK.

- Peace.

- Peace.

- Mercy.

- Ow. Ow. Ow.

Stop it. Goddammit! Stop it.

Close your eyes

while I pray for you.

Dear Lord...

Amen.

(squealing and laughter)

(man) Go get 'em, Alden.

Scottie?

How's it going? Huh?

All right.

I like your hair.

- Yeah, I like yours too.

- Yeah?

- Superintendents, huh?

- Yeah.

It's hard to imagine

Dad ever being young like us.

Yeah, well. He might have been

young like you.

He was never young like me.

At my age he was alread

married and had me.

Well, he was in a hurry to get old.

That's not my trip.

I keep trying to picture myself...

getting out...

and getting married.

Having a real job, but...

I just can't see it.

So, how's your love life, huh?

You getting any?

- Yeah.

- Yeah?

Yeah, I've been doing that

a long time now.

No sh*t?

I didn't get laid till I was almost 20.

Really? That's a drag.

Yeah.

Well, I guess I was

on a slow trip, huh?

Hey, come here.

Get down here.

What do you think of my car, huh?

- It's OK.

- Yeah? Yeah? Tell me the truth.

- It's a piece of sh*t, Alden.

- Yeah?

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Ernest Thompson

Ernest Thompson (born Richard Ernest Thompson; November 6, 1949) is an American writer, actor, and director. He won an Academy Award for Best Adapted Screenplay for On Golden Pond an adaption of his own play of the same name. more…

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