Name of 70s film about alienation and despair?
April 16, 2012 12:07 AM Subscribe
I saw a movie twenty years ago that appeared to be set in the 70s, with a high school student who loses his virginity in a sleeping bag in an abandoned house, but I don't know much else.
This was one of the earliest movies I remember watching that made me feel sad. I think I saw it on TV in 1992.
It involved a male high school student who got into a lot of trouble, and there was a scene mid-way through when he runs away from home, and tumbles with a girl in a sleeping bag in an abandoned house.
When he gets back the next day, there is vaguely some death or something serious that has happened at school or in his life. I think he gets expelled or his parents die or something.
The whole film seemed set in the 70s, with lots of brown and orange colors, sunsets and sunrises. It gave me one of my first feelings of alienation.
I thought of this film when watching Dazed and Confused, and I want to watch it again, but can't remember the title.
This was one of the earliest movies I remember watching that made me feel sad. I think I saw it on TV in 1992.
It involved a male high school student who got into a lot of trouble, and there was a scene mid-way through when he runs away from home, and tumbles with a girl in a sleeping bag in an abandoned house.
When he gets back the next day, there is vaguely some death or something serious that has happened at school or in his life. I think he gets expelled or his parents die or something.
The whole film seemed set in the 70s, with lots of brown and orange colors, sunsets and sunrises. It gave me one of my first feelings of alienation.
I thought of this film when watching Dazed and Confused, and I want to watch it again, but can't remember the title.
Response by poster: Think that's it! Awesome, thanks for the find. Seems there's interesting tidbits down the rabbit hole:
Another interesting tidbit that I picked up about this movie concerns Kurt Cobain. Apparently this film was one of this favourites; it was also the inspiration for the song 'Smells Like Teen Spirit' by Cobain's legendary band Nirvana.posted by philosophistry at 1:04 AM on April 16, 2012 [1 favorite]
The film centers around a planned-community called New Grenada. The designers didn't exactly plan on teenagers living in their town. The result is a group of dreadfully bored teens. In order to escape the blandness of their existence the kids turn to drugs, sex and violence. The police, despite their best efforts, aren't prepared to handle the young crowd.
Best answer: Your description triggered something in the recesses of my mind, but I discovered the answer the old fashioned way: by googling "sex high school sleeping bag movie". I'd say I'm amazed it worked but dang it if the magic of the future isn't becoming just a bit pedestrian. Just how it iz these days I guess!
posted by wemayfreeze at 1:12 AM on April 16, 2012 [1 favorite]
posted by wemayfreeze at 1:12 AM on April 16, 2012 [1 favorite]
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The car then gets flipped over, the two boys running in opposite directions. Ritchie points the gun at Doberman, who mistakes it for loaded, so Doberman shoots and kills Ritchie. Carl then runs away to his condo, but not before calling Johnny to confirm that Ritchie is really dead, and calling Cory to tell her to meet him. She brings a sleeping bag, and they spend the night together. After Cory leaves in the morning, Carl runs home to grab money, and along the way he sees Mark riding his dirt bike. He takes Mark's B.B. gun, and shoots him in the shoulder (not harming him), causing him to flip over his bike. Mark then sits down with Carl, talking about what they're going to do about the parent situation. They then decide that their fight was stupid, and they make up. Then Carl goes home, and upon climbing into the house through an upstairs window, he sees his mother on the phone with his father about a big meeting at the school that night, to talk about the new trend of violence with the children. He then locks himself in his mother's room, and gets on the phone, asking his parents if they wish he got shot, too.
posted by wemayfreeze at 12:56 AM on April 16, 2012 [1 favorite]