Rude Awakening (1989)
In the later 1960s, two hippies are forced to leave their friends as they are wanted by the FBI, who sees them as criminals. They hide in the jungle for 20 years, secluded from the outside world. In the later 1980s, the find out that a secret war is about to start in the US, and decide to return to New York to tell someone about it.
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Strong and Moving!
recommended
This is a gorgeous movie made by a gorgeous spirit.
All of these films share one commonality, that being a kind of emotional center that humanizes a cast of monsters.
"Rude awakening" is a creative "fish out of water" scenario, including a talking, pot smoking fish. Eric Roberts and Cheech Marin escape to a South American utopia, avoiding the Vietnam War, but returning twenty years later to help stop another war. Problem is the "Hippie Movement" has moved on to materialistic endeavors. Thus the stage is set for Roberts and Marin trying to adjust to their friends cop out lives. The supporting cast here is excellent, with Julie Hagerty, Louise Lasser, and especially Buck Henry and Cindy Williams as the "Stools". Disillusioned by the apparent lack of interest for their "save the world" cause, Roberts and Marin refuse to give up, and eventually succeed. The movie is a great nostalgia trip for the right audience. - MERK
I cannot understand why this movie is not rated higher. I have seen this movie several times and it gets funnier and better each time. It is unique and if you are a Baby Boomer that attended university during the 70's, it will bring back some beautiful and nostalgic memories of period of youthful innocence and curiosity that so quickly came and then disappeared. It was an age of new thoughts and philosophies that were lost to our Boomer generation during the oncoming greed and corruption that arose in the selfish "Yuppie" 80's. If you have not seen it ... I recommend you watch it with someone who lived through this time period. Further, if you have seen it before and failed to take it in and appreciate its a unique capturing of a special time in our Boomer generation, try it a second time and perhaps you will get it...because it is definitely there and worth a second chance.
Good film, the fish parts are great, The scenes with the Stools are great especially Mrs. Stool & Jesus, Terminally fun, Jesus goes through life completly stoned, while Fred struggles with coming down and finding the 60's have turned into the 80's and money talks, enviromental disasters are rife, and that not everyone is please to see him. Petra is a walking complex time bomb, wanting to be loved although running away, shes always trying to FIND herself to no avail while Sammy (ex 60's geek) makes some money which turns into more and a spoiled must have wife,hippy son and a am I good enough complex.Great film which brings back together 4 friends after the 60's with serious, funny, tragic and soul searching consequences.Watch out for the fish.
The lame gags and jokes fall flat, the actors practically phone in their lines, and the long and frequent preaching about the evils of corporations and conservatives really gets annoying. If you want to be lectured about the ozone hole, AIDS, the burning Cuyahoga River, the homeless, and the virtues of loopy 1960s-style pothead activism, then this is the movie for you. But if you want laugh-out-loud humor, then rent something else.