Stylish but barely mediocre overall

Strictly average movie

Don't listen to the negative reviews

While it is a pity that the story wasn't told with more visual finesse, this is trivial compared to our real-world problems. It takes a good movie to put that into perspective.

This isn't the best anti-war/ Vietnam film that I've watched, but it's a good solid effort that keeps you entertained and holds your attention for an hour and a half. The cast gives good steady performances with the exception of the actress who plays Sutherland's mother, her character comes across as weak and vaguely vacant. Robert Downey Jr is brilliant as usual, with comic yet tragic and self destructive portrayal of Ralph. Keifer Sutherland is gentle and romantic in his role, a perfect match for Downey's dysfunctional eccentricities. The scene in which Downey takes two LSD tablets then has a seizure is very powerful, especially after Ryder's tremulous speech at her graduation. The film's end is satisfying and manages not to be over the top or sappy, but rather a good emotional moment with a powerful end voice over from Sutherland.

My son and I were in this movie, filmed in and around Savannah in November of 1987. We were in my Mother In Law's 1970 dark brown Plymouth, driving by the bus, just as her son, standing outside the bus, is saluting his Mom, Mariette Hartley. She was jogging up a bridge, near Hardeevile, South Carolina. Her line was, "Don't Die. Don't Die",as he heads off to Vietnam. Mariette later patted my son on the head, telling him how cute he was as a 10 year old boy. She declined to pat me on the head because I wasn't as attractive as my son! After this window of Fame, they cut our part out. So, I'm still one Pathetic Loser! Being around those stars was fun and they were all very friendly, not caught up in their own success. Thom Brooks Brooks Insurance School SABL Baseball Savannah, Georgia

Anybody who lived in the 60s, studied the 60s, or even heard about the 60s, knows that this movie reflects what the 60s were like about as accurately as the Barney movie shows us what dinosaurs were like. The script does all it can to tug at our emotions and make us feel all gushy about a better time while supplying no real plot and no interesting characters. Big loser of a movie. If you want to see a good movie about the 60s that also stars Kiefer Sutherland check out the great film Flashback.

This is a very strange movie but not in a very bad way.Some of the acting is poor and could have been much better.I liked most of the movie but the story is off the road and rather "drunk".1969 is a good movie to view by yourself.A lot of 80's films such as this one are corny but good at the same time.