Kiefer Sutherland Movie:

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1969 [Region 2] Reviews:
The Self Importance of Being Ernest Thompson
2009-08-17 - The Dawning of the Age of Aquarius? More like the yawning of the Age of Aquarius. Writer/Director Ernest Thompson has managed to make a very boring film about a year when EVERYTHING changed. There was Woodstock, but also Altamont. The My Lai massacre, and the Charles Manson Family murders. Nixon was inaugurated, and promptly began Operation Breakfast, the secret bombing of Cambodia. In court, Sirhan Sirhan admitted that he had killed presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy. James Earl Ray confessed to the assassination of Martin Luther King, Jr. Ted Kennedy drove off a bridge on his way home from a party on Chappaquiddick Island, Massachusetts. Mary Jo Kopechne died in the incident.

The Brady Bunch premiered on ABC. In Berkeley an empty lot owned by the University was seized to form People's Park. The Stonewall Riot in New York marked the start of the gay rights movement. Apollo 9 and Apollo 10 were launched, dry run and dress rehearsal for the planned manned moon landing. The Apollo 11 landed on the moon, soon followed by the second moon landing by Apollo 12 that same year.

David Bowie's "Space Oddity" was a hit, even being used by the BBC for their broadcast of the moon walk. The Stooges released their eponymously titled first album, which featured a song entitled "1969." Led Zeppelin released their first and second albums that year. Creedence Clearwater Revival released their second, third, and fourth albums in 1969. Jim Morrison of the Doors was arrested for allegedly exposing himself during a show in Miami. Judy Garland died of an overdose of barbiturates. Brian Jones was found dead in his swimming pool a month after leaving The Rolling Stones. Dmitri Shostakovich composed Symphony No. 14, Op. 135, for soprano, bass, string orchestra and percussion.

The Beatles gave their last public performance, on the roof of Apple Records. This impromptu concert was broken up by the police, as neighbors had complained of the noise. A film of the concert would be released entitled "Let It Be." The Beatles released Abby Road in 1969. In 1969 Paul married Linda and John married Yoko Ono.

Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid was the top grossing film of 1969, followed by The Love Bug. The third and fourth highest grossing films were Midnight Cowboy, which also won the Academy Award for best picture and best director, and Easy Rider. Gig Young won the Academy Award for best supporting actor in They Shoot Horses, Don't They? Bruce Dern, who plays Cliff, Scott's father in "1969" was also in They Shoot Horses, Don't They? as well as playing Keeg in The Cycle Savages that same year.

The film, "1969" is more of a personal memoir than an historical chronicle. It takes place mostly in Maryland, in a small town that hadn't caught up with the changes of the 60's, even though the decade was almost over. It does manage to capture a bit of the flavor and events of 1969, but the story doesn't really go anywhere. Focusing on two friends, Scott (Kiefer Sutherland) and Ralph (Robert Downey Jr.) they enter college, mostly to escape being drafted and sent to Viet Nam. Scott's brother does go to Nam, and leaves Scott his car, which they sell to buy a van that they paint with psychedelic designs. At Ralph's sister Beth's High School graduation Beth (Winona Ryder), the valedictorian, gives a speech opposing the war in Viet Nam. Her speech gets mixed reviews, but the reaction is more positive than the one for Ralph's impromptu performance. Overdosed on LSD he strips and announces that he has flunked out of college.

Bruce Dern plays Scott's father, Cliff. As a conservative veteran of World War II he is made to look more and more like a clown. There is a scene where they are at a school fair selling tickets to throw cream pies in Cliff's face. Scott's mother even says "cream your father" or did I imagine that? This is right where they learn that Scott's brother is missing in action. Does Dern ever look foolish. Foolish and sad.

I suppose the point of "1969" was to show how the country gradually came to believe that the war was a mistake, but it didn't work so well. A romance between Scott and Beth has zero chemistry. They flee to Canada only to turn back, but why? Instead of giving us a compelling reason to care about the characters we are given sentimental speeches that go over about as well as Beth's valedictorian speech -- or Ralph's.

Oh, well, in a film about 1969, there is plenty of good music to choose from. Though they are mentioned in the opening voice over narration, we never get to hear any Beatles. I guess Michael Jackson, who bought up their catalogue, wanted too much. There was still plenty of music from 1969 left over, and the following songs were on the soundtrack:

"Wooden Ships" performed by Crosby Stills & Nash, written by Crosby, Stills and Paul Kantner; "Aquarius / Let The Sun Shine In" performed by The Fifth Dimension; "Goin' up the Country" performed by Canned Heat; "Time of the Season" performed by The Zombies, written by Rod Argent; "Green River" performed by Creedence Clearwater Revival, written by John C. Fogerty; "Get Together" performed by Jesse Colin Young; "All Along The Watchtower" performed by The Jimi Hendrix Experience, courtesy of Auteursrechtenmaatschappi B.V. "ARM", written by Bob Dylan; "May This Be Love" performed by The Jimi Hendrix Experience, written by Jimi Hendrix; "When I Was Young" performed by The Animals; "Can't Find My Way Home" performed by Blind Faith with Steve Winwood; "Tuesday Afternoon" performed by The Moody Blues, written by Justin Hayward; and last but not least, "White Room" performed by Cream and written by Jack Bruce and Pete Brown.

A Scanner Darkly (2006) .... Winona Ryder was Donna Hawthorne and Robert Downey Jr. was James Barris
Masked and Anonymous (2003) .... Bruce Dern was Editor
Reality Bites (1994) .... Winona Ryder was Lelaina Pierce
Natural Born Killers (1994) .... Robert Downey Jr. was Wayne Gale
Chaplin (1992) .... Robert Downey Jr. was Charles Spencer Chaplin
Heathers - 20th High School Reunion Edition (1988) .... Winona Ryder was Veronica
The Lost Boys (1987) .... Kiefer Sutherland was David
On Golden Pond (Special Edition) (1981) .... (play by Ernest Thompson & screenplay by Ernest Thompson)
Angel Unchained/Cycle Savages (1969) .... Bruce Dern was Keeg in Cycle Savages
Roger Corman Collection (Bloody Mama / A Bucket of Blood / The Trip / Premature Burial / The Young Racers / The Wild Angels / Gas-s-s / X) (1966-1967) .... Bruce Dern was John in The Trip (1967) and Joe Kearns aka Loser in The Wild Angels (1966)

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Scott: We have naked people giving us free food!
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Very good movie!!
2008-11-25 - Thank you for the movie. Kiefer Sutherland is a great actor and always enjoy to watch his work. The movie 1969 is a good movie to watch.

Cliche-o-Matic
2008-09-02 - This movie rolls out every cliche of the coming-of-age and anti-war genres. Sensitive future writer protagonist? Check. Equally sensitive but troubled buddy? Check. Frigid [...] mom and hardass dad? Got it. Older brother shipping out, only to become cannon fodder on practically his first day in country? Yep.

(Warning: there be spoilers ahead.)

This movie feels as if it was transcribed directly from the writer/director's personal experience. That is not necessarily a good thing. The plot hits all the usual tropes - pot-smoking college students avoiding the draft, road trip in a VW van, budding romance with the best buddy's little sister. The film reaches its unlikely climax at the funeral of the previously mentioned older brother, in which Buddy's Little Sister delivers a tired anti-war sermon as if it's the first time anyone has said anything so brilliant. And to top it all off, the entire little town marches on City Hall to spring Buddy from jail (don't ask).

The only thing that saves this from a one-star rating is the cast. Keifer Sutherland is adorable as the sensitive future writer protagonist. Robert Downey Jr. plays the troubled best buddy (of course); he does what he can but the character is written inconsistently. Why would the free-spirited draft-dodger suddenly want to return to his hometown and get a job? Winona Ryder is cute as Downey's younger sister and Sutherland's love interest. Bruce Dern, Mariette Hartley and Joanna Cassidy are okay as the parents, but some of their actions seem to be without motivation.

I saw "1969" on cable at 2:45 a.m. That's exactly where it belongs.

Classic Movie / Awesome Soundtrack
2007-05-07 - Greetings,

This was a classic movie with a feel close to home, even though in the movie they delt with Vietnam its a real good movie today with the war in Iraq. The soundtrack brought back memories of the late 60's and the story balances out the music. If you enjoy Winona Ryder and Kiefer Sutherland than this is the movie for you..

1969
2007-04-13 - great movie, very emotional at times..long list of stars and music that brings back a flood of memories...good movie to watch for what was happening in the late 60's not only with vietnam but on the homefront to all the families.