Above-Average Road Movie

Rating: 6/10 (24 November 2018)

An intelligent, but socially dysfunctional, white boy, who comes from a privileged family, does not plan his road trip very well and becomes a victim of nature. Nature should never be underestimated or minimized in any way in road trips of this kind. The hippie message of the film is quite clear, and brought back fond memories of my youth. It also brought back recollections of mistakes that were made during that era as well by us who dropped out and tuned in.
Being a tramp is not a great adventure. Ask any of the thousands of families who lost loved ones during the Great Depression (see Grapes of Wrath). Usually, being a tramp is a gradual decline into oblivion. Nature is not free. There is a price to be paid for everything in life. Burning money is not symbolic; it is just plain stupid. There are millions on the earth who would love to have that money so they could eat a good meal. This young man's life was tragic, but there was a lesson to be learned from it. People born of parents who are not privileged would never attempt anything like this. But his final words were too late to save him; happiness is only worthwhile if it is shared.