Movie Review: Steal This Movie

Story: Boy, was I surprised! I went to this movie assuming I would just scoff and nit pick (which can be a great form of entertainment) my way through this depiction of the 60's and 70's. But this placard waving, bra-burning, card carrying, join a protest, left-wing Liberal fell hook, line and slogan for this film's noble attempt to remember Abbie Hoffman and the times in which he lived.

Is it a well crafted movie? Absolutely not! It is over simplified, trivialized, under budgeted and filled with caricatures. However, the memories that were stirred in me were ragingly passionate and sometimes sweet.

Producer/director Robert Greenwald (Xanadu -gasp!) tried to overlap a documentary /feature film approach. He usually misses the mark. He combines file film footage with recreations that are sometimes laughable -- sometimes very effective. The film is adapted from two books -- To America with Love: Letters from the Underground by Anita and Abbie Hoffman and American Rebel by Marty Jezer. The movie's title comes from Abbie Hoffman's Steal This Book.

If you lived through that time period you will enjoy the movie. If you are too young, go with an older person and then have a wonderful discussion. Power to the People!

Acting: Vincent D'Onofrio (Ed Wood, Men in Black) is physically too big to play Abbie Hoffman who was really more the stature of Dustin Hoffman or Puck. He looked stoned most of the time (perhaps that was what they wanted) but after I adjusted to the casting he was a reasonable facsimile of the real Abbie Hoffman. Janeane Garafolo as Anita, was understated (or maybe slightly embarrassed) and not her usual sarcastic self. In a bit of ironic casting, Troy Garity (Tom Hayden and Jane Fonda's son) actually plays his father who was a founding member of the SDS. Kevin Corrigan is terrible as Jerry Ruben (Yippee turned Yuppie). Kevin Pollack is very good as lawyer Gerald Lefcourt, who stuck with Hoffman throughout his troubles and never charged him a penny.

Pets: Again some pigs. Double oink!

Visual Art: Lots of tie dyed stuff and psychedelic posters. By the way, the guy that invented the lava lamp died the other day....just thought that was an appropriate insert for this review.

Soundtrack: Exceptional (I actually became weepy at some of the timing of the songs).

Theater Audience: Three other people besides us who were too young to have lived in the time period and probably snuck into the theater. Abbie would have liked that. We paid full fare.

Sappy Factor: 2

Quirky Meter: 3

Tissue Usage: A few tears.

Oscar Worthy: NO

Nit Picking Quotient: D'Onofrio's New England accent was terrible. His Brooklyn roots were showing (not that there is anything wrong with being from Brooklyn). Also, the voice over for Nixon sounded like a bad comedic impersonator.

Length: 108 minutes.

LOBO HOWLS: 5