Forced to teach for free so he could get his post-Vietnam war college degree, kicked out of his apartment (only handed a bag of his dirty clothes) and having his car exploding in public while he's driving olit are just some of the humiliating experiences that Elliot Gould goes through in this loud anti-establishment motion picture made during the height of the loud anti-establishment motion picture era. Gould screams throughout, whether it be on and off girlfriend Candice Bergen, pals Max Julien and John Rubinstein, landlady Billie Bird or college debt collector Irene Tedrow.
This film has moments where it hysterically spoofs the college age rebel without causes then becomes extremely violent showing campus unrest that leads to violent confrontations with the riot police. Those sequences are quite graphic, with protesting students screaming loudly as the police club others painfully, showing the fight against freedom of speech yet explaining how many of these protests were for the most absurd of causes. As a period piece, it's quite enlightening, and also exposes the fact that the irresponsibility of these rioters isn't any different in the era shown here than it is today. Older viewers who roll their eyes at young protesters today will find themselves rolling their eyes at the protesters in this movie who are actually older than they are.
Back when critics declared that they went to a movie that didn't have Elliot Gould in it, it's easy to see why his overexposure slowed down his success and moved him to B actor status. His character isn't really very likeable, truly chauvinistic and filled with self-importance and narcissism, that is an egomaniac with bad hair and silly mustache and ridiculous view of the world that he feels revolves around him and his passions and issue of the day. Bergen is beautiful but squeals most of her lines, but Julien and Rubinstein are quite memorable. Veteran character players Tedrow, Bird, Jeff Corey and Cecil Kellaway easily steal scenes from the overplaying Gould. Watchable for its place in cultural history, but definitely one that requires an aspirin along with popcorn.
This film has moments where it hysterically spoofs the college age rebel without causes then becomes extremely violent showing campus unrest that leads to violent confrontations with the riot police. Those sequences are quite graphic, with protesting students screaming loudly as the police club others painfully, showing the fight against freedom of speech yet explaining how many of these protests were for the most absurd of causes. As a period piece, it's quite enlightening, and also exposes the fact that the irresponsibility of these rioters isn't any different in the era shown here than it is today. Older viewers who roll their eyes at young protesters today will find themselves rolling their eyes at the protesters in this movie who are actually older than they are.
Back when critics declared that they went to a movie that didn't have Elliot Gould in it, it's easy to see why his overexposure slowed down his success and moved him to B actor status. His character isn't really very likeable, truly chauvinistic and filled with self-importance and narcissism, that is an egomaniac with bad hair and silly mustache and ridiculous view of the world that he feels revolves around him and his passions and issue of the day. Bergen is beautiful but squeals most of her lines, but Julien and Rubinstein are quite memorable. Veteran character players Tedrow, Bird, Jeff Corey and Cecil Kellaway easily steal scenes from the overplaying Gould. Watchable for its place in cultural history, but definitely one that requires an aspirin along with popcorn.