Hair

The stage play "Hair" is primarily remembered now for two things....its shocking frankness and its music. In bringing the musical to the big screen (belatedly), the bulk of the stage version's loose plot was discarded and a more conventional storyline was created to link the songs together. This seems to either please or alienate people, depending on their relationship to the original show. In any case, the great majority of the songs are retained in this filmization which is more than can be said for many, many stage to screen adaptations. And what music! In most cases, the vocalizing even exceeds the quality of what could be found onstage, though the authenticity of the performers is obviously forsaken somewhat as the original cast was LIVING this at the time they were in the show. The film's plot concerns an Oklahoma farm boy (Savage) who's on his way to report for active military duty during Vietnam. He is waylaid in Central Park by a clatch of hippies led by Williams. He also spies the girl of his dreams (D'Angelo), a debutante who rides by on horseback in the midst of all the free love gyrations taking place in the park. The rest of the movie concerns the connections of these characters as they experience culture clash, sharing, understanding and even love. There is copious drug use and rebellion against the wealthy along with hallucinogenic dancing and skinny dipping. Eventually, one character makes a gesture for another which winds up costing more than could ever have been imagined. This moment makes for a hugely poignant ending to what is mostly a light-hearted and ebullient film. True, more than a little of the original subject matter has been tossed aside, but the filmmakers must be credited for (almost) successfully weaving a story around the songs (which are quite varied in their style and content.) The story fails with regard to creating a believable bond between Savage and D'Angelo that would endure the way it does in the story. They hardly spend any time together in the bulk of the film (and quarrel a lot during that!), yet supposedly have this amazing love. "Aquarius" gets the movie to a rousing, eye-opening start and it's just the beginning of many striking, effervescent musical moments in the show. Oddly, the one song that is badly arranged, poorly sung and just basically mangled is the title number! Most of the rest are excellent. NOTHING is better than complete unknown Barnes' rendition of "Easy to be Hard". She knocks the song completely out of the ball park and, sadly and inexplicably, her career went nowhere. Williams is, at times, deliriously sexy here. He comes off as annoyingly arrogant and stubborn at first, but eventually wins the audience over with his innate charm and vibrant talent. As the movie nears it's close, he soars into the hunk stratosphere when, ironically, he cuts his hair. Savage doesn't come off at all like an Oklahoman, but manages to display the contrast of his and Williams' characters. He does an adequate job in all departments throughout. D'Angelo (two years after her jaw-dropping role in "The Sentinel"!) is hardly debutante material and comes off as icy much of the time, but she has her moments as well. Chapin does a bang up job as her brother. The remainder of the hippie gang are acquired tastes. Wright does pretty well, but went nowhere after this. Golden just looks dazed and chews gum incessantly. Dacus is quite weak and does little to enhance the film. What's surprising is how a film that contains lengthy shots of bare breasts, male rear ends (and even split second male frontal nudity) was considered benign enough to warrant a PG rating, yet now, nearly 25 years later, America seems to still have a Puritanical viewpoint towards the human body when compared to other countries. The tide has turned backward from the free love and self-expression era (except in trash like "The Jerry Springer Show" and "Howard Stern".)

One night at home I had nothing to do, and I saw that Hair was on t.v. later. I was curious about it, I mean I had no idea what to expect. I had heard people make fun of it, and I had heard people praise it. So I had to watch, I had to have an opinion.

At the beginning of the film, I enjoyed The Age of Aquarius number, and was intrigued. However, when the number Hair came on, I didn't know how to react. I wanted to laugh at it and change the channel, I didn't want my siblings to make fun of me. Yet the song, though a little stupid, was also catchy. I kept watching. After I was finished watching the entire film, I had no idea what had just happened. I didn't know if I liked it or not, I did know that I wanted to see it again.

This is a strangely addicting film. I watched it three more times in the days following, and my final verdict is, I love it! I can't help it. It's just so fun! The fist time I watched it I was mocking it, but by the third time viewing it I was in anticipation over when the number Hair would come on so I could sing along. I especially loved the song, How Can People Be So Hard, it's a different pace from the majority of the film. What can I say, when it was over I was singing the songs in my head for weeks. I just have to buy it. I highly recommend this film to musical lovers (especially if you love musicals like The Who's Tommy). And although I know I would never be a hippie, this film makes me want to say "Heck with work, I'm going to grow out my hair so fleas can live in it!" Watch it, but beware, I think it just might do the same for you!!!

I have seen this movie more than 50 times in my life, and each time I watch it the movie is just as entertaining as it was the first time! George Berger (played by Treat Williams) leads a small group of 1960's-1970's era anti-war "hippies" living at large in New York City. This small group happens upon a young man, Claude Bukowski (played by John Savage) who has been drafted into the US Army for service in Vietnam. Despite their best efforts to dissuade him, Claude does eventually report for basic training in the Army. Still distressed over his having left them, the hippie group steal a car and travel across the USA to visit Claude "...for a couple of hours," in the words of George Berger (to an M.P. stationed at the entry gate of the Army base Claude is temporarily stationed at in Nevada). The outcome is truly touching, so I won't spoil it for those who have not yet seen this fantastic movie. The musical score is equally fantastic! Don Dacus (of the rock group Chicago), who plays the part of "Woof" - one of the hippies, is a not a key character, but the movie wouldn't have been the same without him. Beverly D'Angelo (who plays Sheila Franklin, an uptown girl who is befriended by the hippie group) is sensational in her role! A MUST SEE film!!

With an almost non-existent plot, I watched this film to see/hear the music. After seeing it on stage and buying the album, I know just about every word to every song. There is an energy to this movie and I enjoyed that very much. The title tune sets it off. Then, we have "Easy to Be Hard" and on and on. Each is placed in a kind of contrived setting to make it work. If there is a weakness, the movie is somewhat disjointed and lacking a kind of flow. Still, there is that whole tribal thing going on. The kids of the counterculture strut their stuff. See it as a sort of latter day period piece. Sometimes song and dance give us the jot sensual connection to a bygone era.

The first time I ever saw this movie was when I was four years old. I remember loving it and everything about it. 13 years later, I am now 17, and decided to watch it about a month ago because I am taking a 1960's class in school. I didn't really know what to expect, since it had been 13 years since I last saw it, but I was completely blown away by it. The actors were amazing, the music was so fun, and I now find myself singing along to every song. Treat Williams is great as Berger, the "leader" of the hippie group, who always gets what he wants, one way or another (except for at the very end, of course). John Savage is actually very convincing as Claude, the Oklahoma draftee who falls in love with Sheila (Beverly D'Angelo). D'Angelo is lovely as the prim and proper rich girl who eventually rebels against her upbringing and joins the hippies. The other hippies are played by Annie Golden, Don Dacus, and Dorsey Wright. Annie Golden is just adorable as Jeannie, the girl who is pregnant but still as cute and innocent as a child. Don Dacus and Dorsey Wright are good as Woof and Hud, the other two members of the group, and Cheryl Barnes, who plays Hud's fiancée, has an amazing voice.

The only problem I have with this movie, however, is that the relationship between Claude and Sheila is not very convincing. They are barely ever shown together, and when they are, they fight (remember the skinny dipping scene?). It seems as though their relationship is very weak, and by the end of the movie we are supposed to believe they are madly in love, only based on the few meetings they had. I also see that many people writing reviews here are upset by the PG rating this movie has. I personally would raise the rating up to a PG-13, only because there is some drug use... but remember in 1979, PG-13 didn't exist. I don't think the nudity is bad at all, it is in no way sexual (in fact, there isn't really any sex at all in this movie), and it is only to show the childlike innocence that the group maintains. In most European countries, nudity isn't regarded as something bad, and I don't see why it is here in the US. Anyways, I give this movie a high rating, and I'm glad it was made back then, because in the insanely "politically correct" world of today, they wouldn't even think of making it, and even if they did, it would be a very "watered down" version, and I'm sure you wouldn't get the full effect.

In conclusion, this is a very underrated film that is definitely worth checking out.