1969

1969
By Peter John Gardner

I finished my initial draft for this film last Monday before the election. Since the plot to this movie is so threadbare, it became a smug, "Why I voted for Barack Obama" speech that you've read in countless other outlets. After watching the reactions from both sides to President Elect Obama's victory, I felt inclined to restart this entry from scratch, for better or worse.

With a movie like 1969, it's nearly impossible to write something that doesn't involve politics unless I wanted to center an entire post around Robert Downey Jr's fluxuating hairstyles throughout the 80s. I think I'll save that for a less topical movie.

1969 has a paper thin plot that you've probably already seen if you've watched any other movie documenting that time period or an episode of "The Wonder Years". The film stars Kiefer Sutherland and Robert Downey Jr. as two recent high school grads. They are both vehemently opposed to the Vietnam War, and Kiefer scoffs at his brother for enlisting which causes a rift between him and his father. Kiefer's brother dies in the war, and the father and son are forced to reconcile their differences over America's involvement in Vietnam. Once again, Downey is saddled with the "kooky best friend" role while Winona Ryder plays Kiefer's girlfriend but doesn't really do anything to advance the plot.

It doesn't matter which end of the political spectrum one may fall on, this is a divided nation of stubborn people. Forty years ago, we were divided over civil rights and the Vietnam War. Now we are divided over civil rights and the Iraq War. History washes, rinses, and repeats itself. What caused me to step back and decide not to talk about why I made the right choice for president is the straight up animosity coming from the other side regarding my candidate. Two days after the election, I was driving down Red Bug Lake Rd. when a white van started tailgating me so closely that they could probably tell that I was listening to Prince. When the vehicle pulled next to me, it started to push me to the right to the point where half of my car was off the road. When the van eventually whipped in front of me, I saw a McCain/Palin sticker as well as a sticker that said "REDEFEAT COMMUNISM" underneath a picture of a red Obama. Presumably this was done because I have two Obama stickers on the back of my car. So basically my life was threatened because this person doesn't know the actual definition of communism.

But there are annoyances on the winning side too. It's one thing for the winning side to gloat; after all we did have to suffer through 8 years of neo conservative rhetoric led by Captain Asshole, but it's time to stop rubbing it in people's faces. Remember how annoyed we would get having to see Bush/Cheney stickers years into that presidency? People that voted for McCain are people too who simply have a different philosophy on issues. Yes some are crazy, but so are some lefties.

The fact that people took a step forward and voted in the first African-American president is astonishing and a historic moment. I know it's easy to be on the winning side and say that it's time to get behind the leader and focus on fixing our broken country, so I won't do that. Not only for the aforementioned reason but because people won't. People are different and come in all shapes and sizes. They don't have to like our country's president just because you're on the winning team. They have a right to not like the guy and not support his decisions too. I encourage all people that didn't vote for Obama to keep him under the same watch and scrutiny that we gave President Bush because lord only knows that our eyes will still be clouded by the thrill of winning and thus blindly support any decision he makes.

Finally, no more movies set during this time period are allowed to use Jimi Hendrix's "All Along the Watchtower" anymore. Seriously, future generations are going to think that this is the only song Vietnam soldier's were allowed to listen to.