Easy Rider

"A man went looking for America and couldn’t find it anywhere..."

Jun 26 1969 R 1h 35m
Adventure, Drama

Wyatt and Billy, two Harley-riding hippies, complete a drug deal in Southern California and decide to travel cross-country in search of spiritual truth.

Plot

Netting a hefty profit from their latest drug deal, hippies Wyatt and Billy decide to outfit themselves with among other things motorbikes - Wyatt complete in what they call his Captain America gear and similar motif on the bike - and chucking any structure in their lives beyond the want to get there for the event, cycle from their home base of Los Angeles to New Orleans for Mardi Gras in just over a week. They don't plan to spend their proceeds on this trip - they saving that for a more carefree life in Florida after the fact - they sleeping in the great outdoors along the way. While Wyatt is more easy going, believing in the karmic nature and practicality of helping others when they can and in turn asking for help when they need it, Billy is a little more suspicious of the people they encounter, especially in hiding their wad of cash that is stuffed into the gas tank of Wyatt's bike, that money their future. They will find that not all counter-culturalists have the exact same mindset, while they will also find the spiritual and practical connections to others in perhaps the most unlikely of places and people. But they will also ruffle some feathers just for being hippies, arguably in the fear not of them as people but what they represent. Through it all, Wyatt in particular evaluates if the trip ends up being what he expects or wants for his life.

Written by

Peter Fonda, Dennis Hopper, Terry Southern

Directed by

Dennis Hopper

Production Countries

United States of America

Production Companies

Pando Company Inc., Raybert Productions, Columbia Pictures

Languages

English

Awards

Nominated for 2 Oscars. 10 wins & 14 nominations total

Scores
# of Votes
120,007
Average Rating
7.2 out of 10
Metascore
85
Popularity
NA