I found myself frequently thinking Treat Williams resembled a younger Tommy Lee Jones while watching this film, and despite its dated appearance, it remains an engaging and powerful depiction of life during the draft period. The somewhat innocent "Claude" (played by John Savage) travels from his rural Oklahoma home to a New York City full of energy and unusual people. He’s headed to enlist for service in Vietnam when he meets "Berger" (Williams) and begins embracing a lifestyle centered around pleasure, which leads to his affection for "Shiela" (Beverly D'Angelo). She and "Berger come from different backgrounds, but despite her privileged upbringing, she possesses a rebellious spirit and fully embraces her hippie identity, protesting the war while fueled by marijuana, emotion, and idealism. They have only a short time together, yet during those days their relationships evolve, flourish, waver, and ultimately Milos Forman offers us a rather understated critique of 1960s America. I continue to believe this works better as a stage production – the limited setting there brings the characters and situations closer together; however, this is still an effective film adaptation that allows the musical numbers to maintain much of their impact. The character development is also quite rich, with many members of their group having more substantial roles than just cameos, supporting the developing romance. Perhaps this is where it falters somewhat. The couple isn't often shown together, and their “love” feels a little superficial. There are numerous recognizable songs to keep things moving along musically, and perhaps the rather direct nature of some of the lyrics explains why it fared better in European awards ceremonies than it did in the USA or the UK. "Aquarius," "Good Morning Starshine," and the title song stand out as particularly memorable, but there’s plenty more to enjoy as the original Gerome Ragni script is presented against a backdrop of a city grappling with racism, homophobia, and pretty much everything that challenges the idea of “free love” (or even affordable creative expression). It continues to feel relevant and is well worth two hours of your time.

Source on TMDB