The Spirit of '76 (1990 film)

Last updated
The Spirit of '76
The Spirit of '76 1990 film.jpg
DVD cover
Directed by Lucas Reiner
Written byLucas Reiner
Story by
Produced by
Starring
CinematographyStephen Lighthill
Edited by Glen Scantlebury
Music byDavid Nichtern
Production
companies
Distributed by Columbia Pictures
Release date
  • October 12, 1990 (1990-10-12)
Running time
82 minutes
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish
Box office$52,310 [1]

The Spirit of '76 is a 1990 American comedy film that spoofs American culture of the mid-1970s. Directed by Lucas Reiner, it stars David Cassidy, Leif Garrett, Carl Reiner, Rob Reiner, Olivia d'Abo, and the rock groups Redd Kross and Devo. The film was released on October 12, 1990.

Contents

Plot

By the year 2176, a magnetic storm has degaussed all recorded history, causing such valuable documents as the U.S. Constitution and the Declaration of Independence to be lost. Three time travelers, Adam-11 (David Cassidy), Chanel-6 (Olivia d'Abo), and Heinz-57 (Geoff Hoyle) are sent back to July 4, 1776, to retrieve America's heritage, but due to an unnoticed time machine malfunction, end up in 1976 instead, during the United States Bicentennial. While attempting to carry their mission, the time travelers dress in period costume (e.g., tight bell bottom pants), attend EST, experience the Sexual Revolution, Pop Rocks, disco, long gas lines, the AMC Pacer, and even drug paraphernalia shops.

They are in turn pursued by Rodney Snodgrass (Liam O'Brien), a science whiz and UFO buff, who thinks they are aliens, and plans to use their UFO (their time machine) to win the Bicentennial Science Fair prize at his high school. His self-absorbed, disco-dancing brother, Eddie Trojan (Leif Garrett), pursues Chanel-6 for his own pleasure. Both are foiled by two dimwitted but good-hearted teenage friends, Tommy Sears and Chris Johnson (Steve and Jeffrey McDonald of Redd Kross), who help the time travelers repair their craft and return to 2176, with their 1970s artifacts and a copy of the Constitution, printed on a shirt which was bought off of an EST seminar attendee (Barbara Bain).

Production

Several family members worked together on the production of the film. Roman Coppola co-wrote the script with Lucas Reiner and produced the film, and sister Sofia Coppola designed the era-costumes used for the piece. Lucas Reiner wrote and directed the film, and his father Carl Reiner and brother Rob Reiner both had appearances as actors in bit parts. [2] [3] Lucas Reiner's girlfriend at the time played a waitress in the film, and she and Reiner later married. [4] Barbara Bain, an actress who portrayed one of the "Be Inc, Seminars" attendees, is the mother of Susie Landau, one of the producers and casting director for the film. In the DVD commentary for the 2003 edition of the film, director Lucas Reiner noted that directing the death scene with his father in the beginning of the film was difficult. [4] Carl Reiner also appeared on the DVD commentary, and praised Lucas' job as director, as well as the script to the film. [5]

Lucas Reiner discussed the casting of the film by producer Susie Landau, and noted that once actor David Cassidy of The Partridge Family was successfully signed to the project, other stars from the 1970s signed on as well. Several musicians also played bit roles in the film. Members of the new wave rock band Devo appeared as the "Ministry of Knowledge," Jeff McDonald and Steven Shane McDonald, members of the band Redd Kross played Chris Johnson and Tommy Sears. Martin von Haselberg and Brian Routh of The Kipper Kids portrayed the CIA agents, Tommy Chong appeared in a scene in a head shop, and Moon Zappa had a cameo as "an archetypal zodiac aficionado." Reiner complimented Sofia Coppola on her costuming work for the film, noting that she was only seventeen years old during initial production. Coppola had to research for the 1970s as she was very young through the period, and also developed costumes for two other periods - the future in the year 2176, and the future after the time-travelers returned home and changed the culture. The production budget for the film was tight, and crew members brought in 1970s period items of their own to supplement props in the film. Production designer Danny Talpers designed the prop for the time machine out of two hot tubs - which was a reference to their popularity during the period. Instead of the more expensive cutaway technique, Reiner simply moved the camera back and forth during dialogue to save money. [4]

Reception

The Spirit of '76 received mixed reviews. The Denver Post described it as both "idiotic" and "aggressively bright", [2] and a review in the Chicago Sun-Times did not think it was very funny. [6] The Sacramento Bee called it a "cool comedy of the '70s," noting that it was a bit high-paced, but also "extremely likable." [7] An Entertainment Weekly review wrote that: "References to est and disco, along with someone's mint collection of Kiss posters and other memorabilia, get tossed out willy-nilly; the movie's only unifying force is that smirky irony," and gave the film a rating of "C−". [8] Allmovie wrote positively of the film, calling it a: "lively sci-fi comedy" that makes "great fun of the '70s." [3] The film received two stars from the TLA Video and DVD Guide 2004, which described it as: "lightweight with the occasional laugh." [9] On Rotten Tomatoes, the film has an aggregate score of 80% based on 4 positive and 1 negative critic review. [10]

The film was released in only a limited number of theaters, and the total reported box office gross was $52,310. [11]

Home media

SVS/Triumph Home Video released The Spirit of '76 on VHS on January 22, 1992. It was released on DVD by Warner Home Video on June 3, 2003.

Soundtrack

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Francis Ford Coppola</span> American filmmaker (born 1939)

Francis Ford Coppola is an American film director, producer, and screenwriter. He is considered one of the leading figures of the New Hollywood film movement of the 1960s and 1970s and is widely considered one of the greatest directors of all time. Coppola is the recipient of five Academy Awards, six Golden Globe Awards, two Palmes d'Or, and a British Academy Film Award (BAFTA).

<i>This Is Spinal Tap</i> 1984 mockumentary film directed by Rob Reiner

This Is Spinal Tap is a 1984 American mockumentary comedy film co-written and directed by Rob Reiner. The film stars Christopher Guest, Michael McKean and Harry Shearer as members of the heavy metal band Spinal Tap, who are characterized as "one of England's loudest bands". Reiner plays Martin "Marty" Di Bergi, a documentary filmmaker who follows them on their American tour. The film satirizes the behavior and musical pretensions of rock bands and the perceived hagiographic tendencies of rock documentaries such as The Song Remains the Same (1976) and The Last Waltz (1978), and follows the similar All You Need Is Cash (1978) by the Rutles. Most of its dialogue was improvised and dozens of hours were filmed.

Power pop is a subgenre of rock music and a form of pop rock based on the early music of bands such as the Who, the Beatles, the Beach Boys, and the Byrds. It typically incorporates melodic hooks, vocal harmonies, an energetic performance, and cheerful-sounding music underpinned by a sense of yearning, longing, despair, or self-empowerment. The sound is primarily rooted in pop and rock traditions of the early-to-mid 1960s, although some artists have occasionally drawn from later styles such as punk, new wave, glam rock, pub rock, college rock, and neo-psychedelia.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Air (French band)</span> French music duo

Air is a French music duo from Versailles, consisting of Nicolas Godin and Jean-Benoît Dunckel. Their critically acclaimed debut album, Moon Safari, including the track "Sexy Boy", was an international success in 1998. Its follow-up, The Virgin Suicides, was the score to Sofia Coppola's first film of the same name. The band has since released the albums 10 000 Hz Legend, Talkie Walkie, Pocket Symphony, Love 2, Le voyage dans la lune and Music for Museum. The band is influenced by a wide variety of musical styles and artists.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Redd Kross</span> American alternative rock band

Redd Kross is an American rock band from Hawthorne, California, who had their roots in 1978 in a punk rock band called the Tourists, which was started by brothers Jeff and Steve McDonald while Steve was still in middle school. With the addition of friends Greg Hetson and John Stielow on drums, the band's first gig was opening for Black Flag. The band has since released seven albums and three EPs.

<i>Hearts of Darkness: A Filmmakers Apocalypse</i> 1991 American documentary film

Hearts of Darkness: A Filmmaker's Apocalypse is a 1991 American documentary film about the production of Apocalypse Now, a 1979 Vietnam War epic directed by Francis Ford Coppola.

David Markey is an American film director.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Enigma Records</span> American record label

Enigma Records was a popular rock and alternative American record label in the 1980s.

An audio commentary is an additional audio track, usually digital, consisting of a lecture or comments by one or more speakers, that plays in real time with a video. Commentaries can be serious or entertaining in nature, and can add information which otherwise would not be disclosed to audience members.

Ghoulies is an American comedy horror film series that consists of four films released from 1985 to 1994. The films center on a group of small demonic creatures that have a wide range of twisted appearances.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sabotage (Beastie Boys song)</span> 1994 single by Beastie Boys

"Sabotage" is a song by American rap rock group Beastie Boys, released in January 1994 as the first single from their fourth studio album, Ill Communication (1994). The song features traditional rock instrumentation, turntable scratches, heavily distorted bass guitar riffs and lead vocals by Ad-Rock. A moderate commercial success, the song was notable for its video, directed by Spike Jonze; it was also nominated in five categories at the 1994 MTV Music Video Awards.

Directors Label is a series of DVDs released by Palm Pictures compiling the work of notable music video directors.

Spirit of '76 refers to the patriotic sentiment engendered by the American Revolution.

<i>I Love the 70s: Volume 2</i> American TV series or program

I Love the '70s: Volume 2 is a television mini-series and the ninth installment of the I Love the... series presented by VH1. The sequel to I Love the '70s, it originally aired on VH1 from July 10 to July 14, 2006.

A tourist is a person travelling for recreational, medical, leisure or business purposes.

Toby Ross is an American film director who made straight and gay pornographic films in the 1970s and 1980s and later on went to produce nonsexual and cult films with a strong sense of comedic flare. Many film aficionados consider Ross the only missing link between adult films and commercial independent films, as Ross calls it The Antarctica of the film business. He was born in Landsberg am Lech, Germany, to a Jewish mother and a Catholic father. At the age of eight, his mother having remarried an Austrian Jew, he moved with his mother and stepfather to Israel. He served two years in the Israeli army. After studies in Los Angeles, attracted by stories of the freedom in San Francisco, he moved there in the 1970s.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">EST and The Forum in popular culture</span> Training sessions in pop culture

Werner Erhard and his courses have been referenced in popular culture in various forms of fictional media including literature, film, television and theatre. The original course, known as est, was delivered by the company Erhard Seminars Training (est). Under the name The Forum, they were delivered by Werner Erhard and Associates. Also, the Landmark Forum, a program created by Erhard's former employees after purchasing his intellectual property, has had an influence on popular culture. Some of these works have taken a comedic tack, parodying Erhard and satirizing the methodology used in these courses.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Steven Shane McDonald</span> American musician

Steven Shane McDonald is an American rock musician, best known as the bass guitarist in the Los Angeles alternative rock/power pop band Redd Kross. He is a founding member of the hardcore punk band OFF! – serving as a member from 2009 to 2021 – as well as bassist for Melvins since 2015. McDonald has appeared in numerous film projects with his older brother Jeff McDonald, including the 1984 film Desperate Teenage Lovedolls and its sequel Lovedolls Superstar; and the 1990 film Spirit of '76.

Susan Meredith Finch is an American film producer, writer, casting director, and director. She has an independent film company called Wildwell Films, based in Los Angeles. She has been married to Roy Finch since November 28, 1999. They have one daughter born in 2009.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lucas Reiner</span> American painter

Lucas Joseph Reiner is an American painter, printmaker, photographer and filmmaker. He is most known for painting series that mix elements of representation, narrative, symbolism and abstraction. The work explores subjects such as the collision between organic growth and urban life, the atmospheric effects of fireworks and spiritual themes. His work belongs to the collections of the Los Angeles County Museum of Art, Santa Barbara Museum of Art and Staatliche Graphische Sammlung München, among others, and a monograph of his paintings, drawings and photographs, Los Angeles Trees (2008), was selected as one of the Los Angeles Times "Favorite Books of 2008." That paper's critic David Pagel wrote that his "paintings of trees trimmed to within inches of their lives have the pathos of circus freaks and the stubbornness of survivalists." Reiner has exhibited in the U.S., Germany, Italy and Mexico, at institutions including Los Angeles Municipal Art Gallery and Museo de la Estampa. He is based in Los Angeles and Berlin, and married to Maud Winchester.

References

  1. ↑ "The Spirit of '76". Box Office Mojo.
  2. 1 2 Staff (November 11, 1991). "'Spirit of '76' idiotic, aggressively bright". Denver Post .
  3. 1 2 Brennan, Sandra. "Overview: The Spirit of '76". Allmovie . All Media Guide, LLC. Retrieved 2007-11-02.
  4. 1 2 3 Reiner, Lucas. (2003). Commentary for The Spirit of '76, [DVD]. Castle Rock Entertainment, Warner Home Video.
  5. ↑ Reiner, Carl. (2003). Commentary for The Spirit of '76, [DVD]. Castle Rock Entertainment, Warner Home Video.
  6. ↑ Staff (March 11, 1991). "Stupid 'Spirit' The '70s still aren't funny". Chicago Sun-Times .
  7. ↑ Staff (November 15, 1991). ""Spirit" Is Cool Comedy of the '70s". Sacramento Bee .
  8. ↑ Kenny, Glenn (July 21, 1995). "Recent movies play '70s pop culture for laughs". Entertainment Weekly . Retrieved 2020-09-25.
  9. ↑ Bleiler, David (2003). TLA Video and DVD Guide 2004: The Discerning Film Lover's Guide . St. Martin's Press. p.  569. ISBN   0-312-31686-0.
  10. ↑ "Spirit of '76 - Rotten Tomatoes". www.rottentomatoes.com. Retrieved 2023-04-01.
  11. ↑ "The Spirit of '76". Box Office Mojo . Retrieved 2020-09-25.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.