Arlo Guthrie finds himself attempting to avoid military service due to a family history of health problems, and instead chooses to travel by thumb to an old church that “Ray” (James Broderick) and “Alice” (Patricia Quinn) are transforming into something new. He intends to spend his remaining free time there. The trip is far from smooth, and nearly everyone he meets seems to view him as nothing more than a long-haired loafer. Upon reaching the community, somewhat battered, he assists "Alice" with her restaurant, which serves Boeuf Bourginon, among other things. From this point on, Arlo experiences a sort of coming-of-age story set against a backdrop of folk music, captured in about fifteen minutes during the title song. The full song isn’t presented, but fragments appear as his adventures and those of his companions lead to legal trouble – including an early instance of illegal dumping, a run-in with a plate glass window, and several brushes with the law—and it becomes clear where the lyrics originate. Guthrie is a likable performer in this role, reminiscent of a younger Bob Dylan, and there’s a musical pairing with Pete Seeger for his father Woody (Joseph Boley) that's quite lively. However, the film hasn’t aged well, now feeling like a somewhat flimsy drama with worthwhile ideas that Guthrie doesn’t quite possess the authority to convey. It likely connected with many young people in America when it was released, but today it feels more like a collection of amusing incidents that are pleasant enough though not particularly memorable as the pacing begins to slow down towards the conclusion. The movie also fails to portray the United States as a place brimming with possibilities and while there are some good parts, I didn't find there were quite enough of them.

Source on TMDB