What if the Good Times Didn't Have to End?

Rating: 8/10 (20 October 2019)

August 8th, 1969 - the whole hippy swell that was gaining momentum over the last 5 years came crashing down, the whole ideal of a generation simply evaporated - no gradual decline, no ceremony, the wave simply broke and rolled back. I read a review the other day where the commentator said something that made me rethink the movie: The question this movie asks is: "What if the Good Times didn't have to End?" What if we as a country didn't have to grow up, at least not then? Manson doesn't happen in this timeline, the climax makes sure of that. The movie is extremely unfocused and the Manson family is a very loose underpinning that doesn't quite hold it together. I don't come looking for flaws in a Tarantino movie (especially not one as gorgeous as this), but this was the first where I constantly noticed things that didn't fall into place without even actively looking for them - they were glaringly obvious. And the more I thought about it afterward, the more gripes I have. What's with the whole unresolved subplot with Cliff (Brad Pitt) and his wife? They introduce it abruptly maybe a third of the way into the movie, the characters mention it a couple times, then drop it just as abruptly. Manson was in the movie for maybe two minutes in one scene, then never seen again. It seems like he was lazily written out - at the Manson ranch the characters ask "Where's Charlie?" "He's not here, man." "Oh. Bummer." Why does the movie begin in February, then do a whole awkward time sip to 'Six Months Later'? Why not just begin in August? I guess the whole purpose was just to show that one scene of Charlie knocking on Tate's door looking for Brian Wilson, leading up to the events of the finale? Even then, they could've worked their way around that, especially given how awkwardly the movie is structured. A lot of it feels like a clip show, given all the random in-universe movie and TV scenes they sporadically show (there's even a clip where they use footage from The Great Escape (1963), but with DiCaprio digitally inserted in place of Steve McQueen). All that said, the fun outweighs the flaws - it's not Tarantino's best movie, but it is a damn good time. There were a couple instances when I noticed the running time, not to mention this was the first Tarantino movie where I thought "okay, too much dialogue" (and that was in one of the earliest scenes - the characters deliver their lines so slowly - not the usual rapid machine-gun fire 'His Girl Friday' cheeky exchanges we're used to from Tarantino). It could've been tightened up... But... would I have welcomed an even longer version? (as is, it's 2 hrs., 45 mins.) Yeah, I would. And the movie is re-watchable, if, for no other reason, because it's so crammed full of Easter Eggs and references and assorted trivia and nods and so many things to pick up on each time you watch it. Some have said that Tarantino has finally matured with this movie. Maybe, maybe not. His characters sure haven't - but since in this version of events the good times never ended, why should they?