Growing Up in America (1988)

Growing Up in America (1988). 1h 30m

“Whatever happened to the political malcontents of the 1960s? In Morley Marksonu0026#39;s timely update the decadeu0026#39;s most notorious radicals, now older and (in some cases) wiser, reflect back over the intervening years to the conflicts they created (and which in turn created them). Markson makes his admiration obvious but never places anyone on a pedestal, choosing instead to simply compare the ideals of yesterday with the compromises of today, using dramatic side-by-side footage of each individual and letting the audience draw its own conclusions. A few portraits show evidence of judicious editing to put the subject in a kinder light, but each story illustrates to a different degree the struggle with changing times, and the fadeout on a lonely but optimistic Abbie Hoffman has a special poignancy in light of his subsequent death by suicide. As Yippie-turned-Yuppie Jerry Rubin said, with pointed sarcasm, back in 1968: u0026quot;We know what growing up in America means!u0026quot; But only after twenty years (and more) of hindsight could the knowledge be properly put into perspective.”