Barnes & Noble

Abbie Hoffman, the clown prince of antiwar protesters and one of the infamous Chicago Seven, is lionized in this vivid film about the socially turbulent 1960s. Actually, the story begins in 1977 as Abbie (played by Vincent D'Onofrio), still a fugitive, recounts his past to a reporter, hoping that the resulting article will expose illicit government operations. Abbie's estranged wife, Anita (Janeane Garofalo), and his lawyer Gerry Lefcourt (Kevin Pollak) cooperate, knowing that the piece's publication could endanger him. Steal This Movie! tells Hoffman's story in an impassioned, energetic, but largely uncritical way. His unsavory peccadilloes are, in the main, either glossed over or dismissed outright. But D'Onofrio is positively electric as Abbie, and director Robert Greenwald (Breaking Up) re-creates the period with uncanny verisimilitude, making it difficult to tell newly shot scenes from skillfully interpolated news footage. A vibrant chronicle of the Vietnam Era, Steal This Movie! isn't just for the unreconstructed hippies who might be expected to comprise its core audience; it should be required viewing for anyone interested in this endlessly compelling era of American history period. The DVD release includes a commentary by director Greenwald, and interview footage of not only cast and crew members, but also some of the real-life characters portrayed in the movie, most notably fellow activist Bobby Seale. The disc also features deleted scenes, production-design sketches, and storyboards. Ed Hulse

All Movie Guide

Steal This Movie! is a dramatic account of the tumultuous life and times of Abbie Hoffman, one of the most visible and influential figures of America's 1960s counter-culture. (Its title was inspired by Hoffman's irreverent "survival guide," Steal This Book.) Hoffman's founding of the Youth International Party (better known as the "Yippies") and inventive acts of street theater -- including an "exorcism" of the Pentagon and the riotous protests at the 1968 Democratic Convention in Chicago -- made him a household name and a star of the anti-war movement. They also earned him enemies, and he was eventually arrested for trying to sell cocaine to an undercover cop, a bust that he contended was a set-up meant to discredit him. Rather than face a long prison sentence, Hoffman went underground, leaving behind his wife and children and posing as "Barry Freed," who became a respected environmental activist. In time, Freed acknowledged that he was Hoffman, spent two months in jail, and returned to activism full-time until his 1989 death. Steal This Movie stars Vincent D'Onofrio as Hoffman, Janeane Garofalo as his wife Anita, Kevin Corrigan as Jerry Rubin, Troy Garity as Tom Hayden, and Jeanne Tripplehorn as Joanna Lawrenson, who became romantically involved with Barry Freed. Mark Deming

Product Details

• UPC: 031398756729
• Source: LIONS GATE
• Region Code: 1
• Aspect Ratio: Theatre Wide-Screen (1.85.1)
• Presentation: Wide Screen
• Sound: Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround
• Language: English
• Subtitles: English, Español, Français
• Time: 1:47:00
• Sales Rank: 12,916

Features:

DVD MENU