Published via Ecency

(source: tmdb.org)

The greatest generational gap in history was between values, lifestyles and mindset of Boomers and those of their parents’ generation. Later Boomers experienced something similar with their children. That gap, although not as severe, was sufficient to serve as premise for Flashback, 1990 comedy directed by Franco Amurri.

The plot begins in 1989 San Francisco where young, uptight FBI agent John Buckner (played by Kiefer Sutherland) is given the seemingly routine task of escorting recently arrested federal fugitive to stand trial. The prisoner is Huey Walker (played by Dennis Hopper), former left-wing activist who became legend of anti-war movement by playing prank on Vice President Spiro T. Agnew during Vietnam War. Walker, who looks and acts like an old hippie, is brought to train by Buckner where he begins to play mind games with his captor. Those efforts lead to Buckner getting tricked into getting drunk, which gives opportunity for Walker to not only set himself free, but also take FBI agent’s identity. Buckner has misfortune of being given to custody of Sheriff Hightower (played by Cliff DeYoung), who, thinking that he is dealing with fugitive, physically abuses him. When Buckner manages to proves his identity, Hightower learns that he made a embarrassing mistake that could cost him his campaign for Congress. So, he decides to silence both witnesses to his misdeed, forcing both Buckner and Walker to run for their lives and work together in order to survive. Walker soon learns about surprising details from young agent’s past.

Pitting liberal or radical Boomers who still hold to anti-establishment views against Reagan-supporting GenXers who adopted conservativism isn’t particularly original idea and it had been used in popular television sitcom Family Ties. In case of Flashback contrast between two generations is enhanced by casting. Dennis Hopper, at the time still known as leading figure of Hollywood counterculture thanks to his hit film Easy Rider (which is actually referenced many times in Flashback), plays another mythical larger-than-life counterculture figure and he does it very well, creating great deal of sympathies for his views, despite those views being so out of touch with late 1980s and early 1990s America. Kiefer Sutherland delivers solid, but not particularly remarkable performance, and he is easily overshadowed by Carol Kane in the small, but effective role of unrepentant hippie woman. Richard Masur and Michael McKean are also good in the roles of former hippies who “sold out” and became part of establishment, but whose accidental encounter with former counterculture idol sparks them to start brief attempt to relive their rebellious past. Basic premise is matched in soundtrack that combines greatest hits of late 1960s with some of the songs that have been playing on MTV.

Flashback is well-acted and the script by David Loughery allows for some interesting socio-cultural commentary. However, its plot depends on too many coincidences to be believable and, just like with so many Hollywood comedies at the time, script runs out of steam near the end. Decreasing quality of humour is compensated with action which, in this case, involves gunfights and explosions, something that doesn’t fit that well in a film that is supposed to be nostalgic celebration of peace and love era. At the very end, Hopper’s character makes bold prediction that “1990s would look to 1980s what 1960s looked to 1950s”. Hopper was actually quite wrong and before the end of that decade his personal politics shifted to the right in a way that made him the very anti-thesis of what he preached in 1960s. This, to a degree or in any other aspects, happened with so many boomers, best described in famous Internet meme that compared anti-establishment and freedom-loving mindset of Boomers in 1971 with their love of censorship, big government and oppression in 2021. That hindsight would, ironically, make watching Flashback into something of a “bad trip”.

RATING: 5/10 (++)