1969 (film) - Plot

Plot

In 1969, two best friends, Ralph Karr (Robert Downey, Jr.) and Scott Denny (Kiefer Sutherland) are college students from a stuffy, upper-middle class suburban town in Maryland. The film begins with Ralph and Scott hitchhiking from their college to their hometown on Easter weekend. The boys finally arrive on Easter morning and shout their greetings across the glen to their family during a lakeside Easter Sunrise service, much to the amusement of Ralph's younger sister Beth (Winona Ryder) and mother Ev (Joanna Cassidy) and embarrassment of Scott's mother Jessie (Mariette Hartley) and father Cliff (Bruce Dern). Tensions quickly begin to brew when they find out that Scott's brother Alden has enlisted; Scott and Ralph are outspoken in their opposition to the Vietnam War, which alienates Scott from his father. Alden doesn't want his father to see how worried he is about going to Vietnam, but gives Scott his old Chevrolet Corvair convertible as a gift before leaving, a gift Scott reluctantly accepts. Late in the afternoon, the family has arranged to deliver Alden to the bus station, where he will return to his Marine base and prepare to ship off to Vietnam. However, Jessie does not wish to say goodbye, and refuses to join them, going for a jog instead. On the bus, Alden notices his mother jogging along the adjacent highway and asks the driver to pull over. He and his mother wave goodbye across the highway, and as he gets back on the bus, she says quietly "Don't die".

Back at college, Scott is quizzing Ralph about Don Quixote in their dorm room, only to learn that Ralph hasn't even read it. When he notices Ralph lighting a marijuana joint, he asks for a hit; when Ralph passes him the joint, Scott throws it out the window and warns Ralph not to flunk out of college at the risk of being drafted into the army. The same day, the two receive a surprise visit from Ev and Beth Karr and Jessie Denny; as the five of them head over to the cafeteria for lunch, they run into an anti-war rally occurring on the front steps. A riot breaks out when the police arrive, and when a young man beaten by police crashes into Beth as he runs from the officers, Scott rescues Beth while Ralph jumps in front of the police to stop them from accosting other students. Ev and Jessie are deeply unnerved by the unnecessary violence against the protesters, and Beth finds herself growing closer to Scott as he comforts her.

During Beth's high school graduation a few weeks later, Ralph takes LSD, which Scott refuses to take. In his delirium while drugged, Ralph climbs on stage after the graduation ceremony is over, takes off most of his clothes, announces over the microphone to all present that he has flunked out of college, and then goes into a seizure while having a bad trip. After Ralph's hospitalization from this episode, he and Scott decide to spend the summer on the road, living out of their van (that Scott obtained by trading in Alden's car) and experiencing all the freedom the counterculture has to offer. However, since his bad trip, Ralph does not feel as excited as Scott about the counterculture, and wishes to return home despite Scott's attempts to dissuade him.

Eventually, the two men arrive back at their hometown in the middle of its summer festival. Ralph goes off to jump on stage with the rock band, and Scott heads over to the dunking tank to find his mother and father, and Ev setting out free soda at a nearby concession stand. When he notes that they are all looking anxious, Jessie reveals that Alden has been declared missing in action.

Emboldened by the news of Alden's disappearance, Ralph and Scott hatch a plan to steal their files from the local draft board office. Beth tags along and offers to keep watch outside of the local Federal Building as Ralph and Scott break into the draft board office to find their own files. They quickly find their own files, and discover that Ralph's file contains a notice that indicates he is eligible for the draft. Ralph decides to steal both of their files, but Scott develops cold feet and wants no part of it. Ralph is angry at Scott's reluctance and reminds him, "Look, you can't stay in college forever--they'll be calling you sooner or later." Scott steals Ralph's cigarette lighter to keep him from destroying the two files.

The local police notice Scott's van outside the Federal Building and stop to talk to Beth, who claims to be looking for her dog that got off the leash. They soon get suspicious when the supposedly lost dog appears just a few feet away, sniffing and barking near the draft board office's window, and they rush into the building. Scott runs from the room at Ralph's urging, and Ralph puts Scott's file away and hides in the office with his own. Ralph is soon found out, and arrested for the break-in. When Scott attempts to take equal blame for the break-in, Ralph lies that Scott had no part in it. The Dennys and Ev Karr arrive to find Ralph under arrest and Scott attempting to take equal blame, over Ralph's objection. The sheriff remarks that his own son came home paralyzed, so he certainly understands the boys' reluctance to go and serve. Cliff Denny is livid about Scott's claims and declares that Alden would be ashamed of his actions, and Scott declares angrily that Alden is dead. Cliff disowns his son in front of the police, and Jessie reluctantly leaves the scene with her husband. Ralph is taken off to jail but tells Scott that he'll take all the blame and that Scott should just go off and enjoy his summer of fun in the counterculture.

Scott is now determined to avoid Ralph's fate and plans to leave town and head to Canada to avoid the draft. Beth finds Scott in his van and convinces him to allow her to join him on his trip. They admit their attraction to each other and make love in the van. Later, the two decide to visit Ralph in jail to tell him that they are leaving. Ralph reveals in a very sarcastic tone that he actually wants to go to Vietnam. When he finds out that his friend and his sister have had sexual relations, he disowns Scott and ignores Beth.

On the night of the first moon landing, Mr. Denny is excitedly watching the moon landing on television but finds Jessie Denny has a nervous breakdown over the news about her son's disappearance. She orders her husband to just leave her alone. Mr. Denny decides to visit the Karr house and ends up dancing and drinking with a drunken Ev Karr, who is bitter about the loss of her husband and the impending draft of her son. This proves to be an ample distraction for Scott to get Beth out of the house so they can leave for Canada. When Scott goes home to say good-bye to his mother, Jessie orders him to go to Canada and get as far away from here as he can.

After a few days on the road, Scott and Beth get to the Canadian border and are about to cross when Beth realizes that running away from their families isn't going to help their cause. Scott reluctantly agrees and they head back to Maryland. When they get home, they learn of Alden's death. This event bridges the gap between father and son, enlightening both to the true cost of the war. Scott leads a huge march downtown in the midst of the Alden's funeral, and is able to get Ralph out of jail so they can reconcile. The film ends with a narration by Scott, announcing that his family and friends joined hundreds of thousands of other Americans in a march in Washington, D.C. to protest the war.