Group Project, 1975 film: Truckin'

For our 1975 film, my group decided to produce a low budget, experimental film both directed by, and starring, Dennis Hopper.  The film is a counterculture film that features many Grateful Dead references.  The main character, Rubin (a reference to the Jerry Garcia Band song, Rubin and Cherise), is a relatively straight-laced guy who meets a girl, Cherise (Briggite Bardot) in a coffee shop.  Intrigued by her, he asks if he will see her again, and she says only if he comes to a local Grateful Dead gig that night.  She has been following them on tour as many 'Deadheads' did then.  He agrees, and goes to the concert.  At the concert, he trips acid, and has a life changing, spiritual experience.  He then stays with the girl and follows the Dead on the rest of their tour.  The movie follows his change in thought over the course of time and celebrates the counterculture movement of the late 60s and early 70s.  

Dennis Hopper plays the lead role in the film as Rubin, and Brigitte Bardot as Cherise.  Dennis Hopper fit the part nicely after playing a similar role in Easy Rider in 1969. Brigitte Bardot was selected  as Cherise because she was known as the "sex-kitten" of the 60s and 70s, which would fit her character in the film as an attractive, young, rebellious woman.  Using the standard set in Easy Rider, the soundtrack to the film is mainly popular songs of the time, mostly Grateful Dead songs.  The cinematography changes throughout the film, running like a normal romance film until Grateful Dead shows, when it turns into a counterculture documentary.  

The genre of the movie is very open to debate, as were many films in the 70s.  The main theme is that of a counterculture film, but it also features documentary style cinematography during the Grateful Dead concerts, which the actors and crew actually attended and filmed at for the making of the film.  Finally, there is a strong romance occurring through out the movie between Rubin and Cherise.  

Overall as a group we agreed with everything and there's nothing I really would have done differently with this film.  

The MPAA rating system would rate this film R because of the scenes of partial nudity and the drug use.  As a counterculture film, this rating was inevitable, especially with real footage of what goes on at Grateful Dead concerts, particularly focusing on the drug use part (when Rubin takes acid for his first few times).