Counterculture
Unconventional appearance, music, drugs, communitarian experiments, and sexual liberation were hallmarks of the sixties counterculture, most of whose members were white, middle-class young Americans. To some Americans, these attributes reflected American ideals of free speech, equality, and pursuit of happiness. Other people saw the counterculture as self-indulgent, pointlessly rebellious, unpatriotic, and destructive of America's moral order. Authorities banned the psychedelic drug LSD, restricted political gatherings, and tried to enforce bans on what they considered obscenity in books, music, theatre, and other media. Parents argued with their children and worried about their safety. Some adults accepted elements of the counterculture, while others became estranged from sons and daughters.
The Boat That Rocked (2009)
Director: Richard Curtis
Starring: Bill Nighy, Kenneth Branagh, Philip Seymour Hoffman, Nick Frost, Tom Sturridge,...
Aka "Pirate Radio". In 1966, a rusty fishing trawler christened Radio Rock floats just outside British territorial waters, broadcasting illicit rock '... Read more
Grass (1999)
7.3/10
Director: Ron Mann
Starring: Woody Harrelson, Richard Nixon
Woody Harrelson narrates this documentary about the history of marijuana in 20th-century America, beginning with clips from educational films and expl... Read more
Almost Famous (2000)
7.9/10
Director: Cameron Crowe
Starring: Billy Crudup, Peter Frampton, Patrick Fugit, Philip Seymour Hoffman, Kate Hudson...
Former rock critic Cameron Crowe delves into the past with this affectionate story centering on high school student Patrick Fugit, who aspires to cove... Read more
Lords of Dogtown (2005)
7.1/10
Director: Catherine Hardwicke
Starring: Michael Angarano, Emile Hirsch, Victor Rasuk, Nikki Reed, John Robinson, Rebecca...
Stacy Peralta wrote the screenplay for this filmisation of his 2001 documentary 'Dogtown and Z-Boys'. Recalling the story of pioneer skaters Tony Alv... Read more
Desperately Seeking Susan (1985)
5.9/10
Director: Susan Seidelman
Starring: Aidan Quinn, Madonna , Mark Blum, Rosanna Arquette
A bored housewife ends up leading a double life after being confused for Susan, a woman she's been reading about in the personal columns. Delightfully... Read more
Across the Universe (2007)
7.4/10
Director: Julie Taymor
Starring: Evan Rachel Wood, Jim Sturgess, Joe Anderson, Dana Fuchs, Martin Luther McCoy, T...
A revolutionary rock musical, performed by the cast and inspired by the songs of The Beatles, that re-imagines America in the turbulent late 1960s, a... Read more
The Weather Underground (2002)
7.6/10
Director: Sam Green, Bill Siegel
Thirty years ago, a group of young American radicals called The Weathermen announced their intention to overthrow the U.S. government. Fueled by outra... Read more
Even Cowgirls Get the Blues (1994)
4.3/10
Director: Gus Van Sant
Starring: Uma Thurman, John Hurt, Rain Phoenix
Adapted from Tom Robbins' popular, counter-culture novel and starring Uma Thurman as the world's greatest hitchhiker, a passion she pursues when not h... Read more
Easy Rider (1969)
7.4/10
Director: Dennis Hopper
Starring: Dennis Hopper, Jack Nicholson, Karen Black, Peter Fonda, Phil Spector
Counter-culture road movie with Dennis Hopper (also directing) and Peter Fonda getting out their choppers to travel across the Southwest. On their wa... Read more
Masculin Feminin (1966)
7.6/10
Director: Jean-Luc Godard
Starring: Chantal Goya, Jean-Pierre Leaud, Marlene Jobert
Godard was at the peak of his powers when he directed this tale of a young man, fresh out of the army, who becomes disillusioned with his life. For a... Read more