Easy Rider (1969)

Two bikers head from L.A. to New Orleans through the open country and desert lands, and along the way they meet a man who bridges a counter-culture gap of which they had been unaware.

Director:

Dennis Hopper

Writers:

Peter Fonda, Dennis Hopper

Stars:

Peter Fonda, Dennis Hopper, Jack Nicholson

Nominated for 2 Oscars. Another 8 wins & 12 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Peter Fonda	...	Wyatt
Dennis Hopper	...	Billy
Antonio Mendoza	...	Jesus
Phil Spector	...	Connection
Mac Mashourian	...	Bodyguard
Warren Finnerty	...	Rancher
Tita Colorado	...	Rancher's Wife
Luke Askew	...	Stranger on Highway
Luana Anders	...	Lisa
Sabrina Scharf	...	Sarah
Sandy Brown Wyeth	...	Joanne (as Sandy Wyeth)
Robert Walker Jr.	...	Jack (as Robert Walker)
Robert Ball	...	Mime #1
Carmen Phillips	...	Mime #2
Ellie Wood Walker	...	Mime #3 (as Ellie Walker)

Storyline

Netting a hefty profit from their latest drug deal, hippies Wyatt and Billy decide to outfit themselves with among other things motorbikes - Wyatt complete in what they call his Captain America gear and similar motif on the bike - and chucking any structure in their lives beyond the want to get there for the event, cycle from their home base of Los Angeles to New Orleans for Mardi Gras in just over a week. They don't plan to spend their proceeds on this trip - they saving that for a more carefree life in Florida after the fact - they sleeping in the great outdoors along the way. While Wyatt is more easy going, believing in the karmic nature and practicality of helping others when they can and in turn asking for help when they need it, Billy is a little more suspicious of the people they encounter, especially in hiding their wad of cash that is stuffed into the gas tank of Wyatt's bike, that money their future. They will find that not all counter-culturalists have the exact same ...

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Plot Keywords:

road movie | motorcycle | friendship | campfire | montage | 

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Taglines:

It's here! EASY RIDER ...the biggest hit in the cinema today! (British Quad)

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Genres:

Adventure | Drama

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Certificate:

R

Did You Know?

Trivia

Film fans should be aware that the "Original Screenplay" book that was published after the film came out is not only not the original screenplay, but it is not even a script at all. It is a "novelization" of the final film as it plays out on screen, and formatted to look like a script. It was a cheap, exploitation publication designed to capitalize on the films success, and attributed to the original screenwriters on the cover.

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Goofs

After Wyatt asks the farmer permission to repair the motorcycle tire in the barn, the cowboy who is shoeing a horse puts his left arm on the horse's back. Between shots he appears with his both arms by his sides.

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Quotes

Captain America: You gotta room? Hey man! You gotta room?
Billy: [after being flaked off by a motel manager] You asshole!

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Connections

Referenced in The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson: Dennis Hopper/Rich Hall/Joan Embery (1991)

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Soundtracks

When the Saints Go Marching In
(uncredited)
Traditional
Heard at the Mardi Gras

User Reviews

The American Dream/Nightmare

Dennis Hopper's Easy Rider is often cited as being an all time classic, and while I don't think this is a great film in terms of technical brilliance, it sums up the era it was made and the tongue in cheek, cynical take on the 'American dream' is both potent and well done. This film is very much a product of the sixties and, like many things from the decade, will always be fondly remembered. Dennis Hopper and Peter Fonda, men of substance and substance abuse, wrote the film together and Hopper directed it. These two were obviously in the thick of what was cool in the sixties, and that gives the film an element of authenticity as we feel like what we're seeing isn't too far away from the things really going on at that time. The plot is simple and more just a base for the film to deliver it's real sting than anything else. It follows two motorbike riders on their way from Los Angeles to the Mardi Gras in New Orleans. We follow their exploits as they travel the country meeting various people including, most notably, George Hanson; an offbeat lawyer, played by the great Jack Nicholson.

The American Dream has always been about freedom. But like George Hanson says; it's one thing to talk about being free, but something else entirely to actually be it. That's the theme of the entire movie, and the way that it plays out, and the ending especially, aptly portray the difference between saying something and actually doing it. The acting performances are a big part of the movie, and the two leads; Peter Fonda and Dennis Hopper stick out the most. The two actors brilliantly get into their characters, and after a while you forget that you're watching actors and start to think that these people really are these characters. Jack Nicholson turns up halfway through and steals the show. It's not hard to see why this actor went on to become one of the best of all time. Even here, he shows his charisma and ability to steal the show and that is what he would go on to become famous for doing later in his career. Last but not least, another great thing about Easy Rider is the music. Music was, of course, a big thing in the sixties; and it's a big thing about this movie. Classic rock accompanies the pictures of the two men rider their bikes, and it's very cool indeed. On the whole, this film is an out and out classic.

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English Spanish Greek, Ancient (to 1453)

Release Date:

26 June 1969 (Sweden)

Also Known As:

The Loners

Filming Locations:

Santa Monica Mountains, Los Angeles, California, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$360,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend USA:

$74,448, 14 July 2019

Gross USA:

$123,276

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$123,276

Company Credits

Production Co:

Pando Company Inc., Raybert Productions

Technical Specs

Runtime:

95 min

Sound Mix:

Mono Dolby Atmos Dolby Digital

Color:

Color Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1