I was afraid this would be a C movie full of violence, bad acting and cheap location shooting. When I'm watching obscure movies like this one, it's actually kind of like hitchhiking in the sense that you can get any kind of ride, from enjoyable to horrible.
At first glance the notion of accepting every ride seemed a bit ludicrous, but I realized I've never turned down a ride after a few dozen hitches of my own. It's the sensationalist propaganda that turns everything into danger, sex or another kind of extreme. Hitchhiking is perfectly normal and with that perspective the movie is very palatable.
The acting is really very good, everybody comes across very authentic. And the production values are great! Almost the whole movie takes place outdoors and in moving cars. There's some beautiful imagery when the girl looks out the window and her image is combined with a reflection of birds taking off.
The movie comments on society and relations between people. It's an intelligent and mature film that avoids clichés like the plague and tells it like it is. The world is beautiful and you are there to see it. The seaside shots are gorgeous. People jamming together to make brilliant music.
Unlike JohnSeal, I thought all the performances were great except Michael Burns in the lead role as Gary. He strikes me as bland, boring and unlikable. This sentiment was tempered somewhat when he revealed he's a physics student. I'm a physics student myself and something just clicked when he said that. Not to insult anybody, but some of the peers there do resemble Gary. Still, the script could have elevated itself by more abstract philosophical and physical discussions resulting from him engaging in this field.
Anyway, I loved the movie although it doesn't rise to the high thrones of hippie movies that Rainbow Bridge, Easy Rider and Captain Milkshake do. It resides lower, around Electra Glide in Blue, Medium Cool, Eggshells and Taking Off.
At first glance the notion of accepting every ride seemed a bit ludicrous, but I realized I've never turned down a ride after a few dozen hitches of my own. It's the sensationalist propaganda that turns everything into danger, sex or another kind of extreme. Hitchhiking is perfectly normal and with that perspective the movie is very palatable.
The acting is really very good, everybody comes across very authentic. And the production values are great! Almost the whole movie takes place outdoors and in moving cars. There's some beautiful imagery when the girl looks out the window and her image is combined with a reflection of birds taking off.
The movie comments on society and relations between people. It's an intelligent and mature film that avoids clichés like the plague and tells it like it is. The world is beautiful and you are there to see it. The seaside shots are gorgeous. People jamming together to make brilliant music.
Unlike JohnSeal, I thought all the performances were great except Michael Burns in the lead role as Gary. He strikes me as bland, boring and unlikable. This sentiment was tempered somewhat when he revealed he's a physics student. I'm a physics student myself and something just clicked when he said that. Not to insult anybody, but some of the peers there do resemble Gary. Still, the script could have elevated itself by more abstract philosophical and physical discussions resulting from him engaging in this field.
Anyway, I loved the movie although it doesn't rise to the high thrones of hippie movies that Rainbow Bridge, Easy Rider and Captain Milkshake do. It resides lower, around Electra Glide in Blue, Medium Cool, Eggshells and Taking Off.