1969 (1988)

Premise: Two friends, Scott (Kiefer Sutherland) and Ralph (Robert Downey Jr.), attend college to avoid the draft. After Ralph flunks out, they go on a road trip to hide from the draft board in the summer of '69. (I just couldn't resist ;))

Okay, I know I said no more Kiefer Sutherland movies, and I was serious. I put two movies on the exempt list, Desert Saints and Behind the Red Door. 1969 was not among them. Em protested for it, but I apparently gave it the air back hand. That said, I was channel surfing before I was supposed to go to Em's house one night, and I saw Flatliners and 1969 after it. As if, I thought, as if. So I checked the program description, and, sure enough, it was the right 1969. Now, let's think about this: If I has seen that 1969 was on, didn't tell Em, and cracked and told her later (as I likely would), she would have given me a back hand and not an air one. So I told her, and she came over. So you can't really hold me responsible, now can you?

Here's what's worse: this movie is pretty darn good. Can you imagine it, a good Kiefer Sutherland movie? Blows your mind, doesn't it? It's hard to describe, actually. The films occurs on multiple levels, and I cannot begin to describe them to you now. Serious, it's a multifaceted plot. Which I think is high praise of Ernest Thompson's screenplay and direction. It's like he wants you to experience first hand everything that you may have missed.

Sutherland's his usual talented self, and I'm right now trying to remember if I have had a chance to talk about Downey Jr. yet. I don't think so. Drug addiction aside, Downey Jr. is crazy talented. I mean it. His performances are effortless, shocking, charming, and balanced. It's almost as though he can perform a waltz through his acting on the screen. Wow, I had no idea I thought so highly of him.

The film's one downfall is Winona Ryder. She's actually not that bad in this film, but she has absolutely no chemistry with Sutherland. In fact, she has more chemistry with Downey Jr. In any case, there is nothing more boring to watch than a romantic pairing with no chemistry.

The strange thing about this film is that it is multi-layered yet it is plotless. Does that make sense? I suppose not. Perhaps you'll just have to see it for yourself, if you can ever find it in a video store.