i always enjoy reading about movies and I really enjoyed reading this book. You could tell that the author did a lot of research and had passion for it.

A look back at a movie that I am sure meant different things for different people. When the movie came out I don’t remember it being such a rebel movie, maybe because my father did not make it to be like that. At the time it was the soundtrack that I was interested in and when I got older and saw the movie again numerous times it began to have different meanings for me at different points in my life. I will saw growing up what was once called the mother road route 66 was different in the 60s and 70s. When I drove cross country in the early 2000s I could get a feel for what they were talking about looking back.
The second half of the book about the different people’s life’s with the disagreements especially from Hooper was interesting as was that Nicholson was thinking about not acting but because of this movie and being nominated for an Oscar led him to more major roles. Not a bad book just dragged at times.

"...Well, I promise you that when you base your life solely on economics--as Wyatt and Billy did in Easy Rider--you blow your life right out the window..."

The first half of the book was interesting and could have ended there. The iconic movie deserved better and the writing failed in its efforts to join ranks with its founders Hopper and Fonda. Too much fill and flawed opinions.

A look back at the legacy left by the movie Easy Rider.

This celebration of the 50 year anniversary of the release of the film that was at the forefront of a cultural change in movies, youth activism, and American society in general doesn't cover a lot of new ground. It just revisits some of the themes of the film and takes a look at how well it has/hasn't held up over the last 50 years.

While it's interesting to read the author's perspective on how some of the scenes in the film have possibly been misinterpreted and reevaluated by the sensibilities of different generations of viewers over the years there is so much of the "true story" that has been lost, muddled, and misrepresented since it first premiered that I'm not sure how much can really be presented as "fact". Almost all the major players have offered conflicting recollections over the years to the point where they often contradict their own stories.

I don't have an extensive knowledge of the film or the story behind it but I do know one thing that the book gets absolutely wrong. While it is true that Phil Spector is currently serving time in prison for the murder of Actress Lana Clarkson the two were never married. When something as easily verifiable as that gets misrepresented you have to wonder about the rest of the story...

Still, in the end the book succeeds in giving a look back at the folklore surrounding the legend of Easy Rider. Most of it is probably based in truth and some of it is almost certainly not. Like the film itself everyone will have their own interpretation.

***Thanks to NetGalley for providing me with a free digital copy of this title in exchange for an honest review