One of the more powerful moments in that movie, IMHO, is at the end credits where the Beach Boys song “All Summer Long” is played. It seemed to have a haunting tone to it and I wonder if that might have reinforced the idea that a few moist or even teary eyes were had by a few who went to see it then.
Considering that when the movie was set (in 1962), the sitting US President at the time was still alive, Vietnam was pretty much off the radar, university campuses were likely quite quiet still, the British rock music invasion had not taken place yet, the cars were different and a lot of other things about North American life had not changed that good deal compared to about a decade later. Any thoughts on this?
The ending where they tell us what happened to the four main characters is the most poignant part. One killed by a drunk driver, one MIA in Vietnam, one living in Canada (presumable a draft dodger), and the one (portrayed by Ron Howard) who had the most potential to go away and live an exciting life ended up selling insurance in the same town.
IMO, the massive change in culture came in 1967. I like to compare movies made in ‘65-66 and compare them to movies made after ‘67.
Movies of the former had an innocence in their trying to be cool whereas the latter were all flower power, psychedelic and rebellion.
Yes, the young woman and I that viewed this film in August ‘74 felt the same way. “nostalgia for a time past’ was what she called it.