Steal This Movie (2000) Movie Script

Hello.
Hello, Glenn, greetings
from the underground.
Abbie, is this you?
David, I got
something for you...
An exclusive story,
Mr. journalist.
What are you talking about?
I need you
to come up here.
I need to tell you
some things.
Listen carefully.
Go to the corner
of rose and flower.
Look behind
the dumpster.
There'll be an envelope
with a phone number.
Go to the phone booth
across the street.
Dial the number, and...
You'll receive
further instructions...
Dress warmly...
And hurry. They're
closing in on me.
So when you called,
i thought it was about--
I had to give you
an exclusive on the story.
Glenn, you'll be
the first reporter
to interview Abbie Hoffman
since he went underground
5 years ago.
Great. Sort of like a, uh,
"where are they now?" Feature.
No, an expos on the FBI's
illegal cointelpro--
counter-intelligence
program,
covert operations.
CIA has a similar
operation called chaos.
They've been trying
to harass me
with wiretapping
and surveillance.
Trying to destroy me
and anybody else on the left
who they think is a threat.
Come on, Abbie.
It's not the sixties anymore,
you know?
It's 1977.
I mean after all this time,
who cares?
The government cares.
Think they want another
sixties to happen?
They almost got me
2 days ago.
Grabbed my car.
Freaked me.
You know, Abbie, if i
didn't know you any better,
I'd think you're getting
a little paranoid.
Glenn...
I have a long history
of rubbing the authorities
the wrong way.
Like Mississippi, 1965.
Afraid I'm gonna have to
take you gentlemen in.
Well, what's the charge,
officer?
Running a stoplight,
son.
Well, excuse me, sir,
but, uh, there's
no stoplight back there.
We're putting one in
next month.
Help me get us
a little practice.
Look, Abbie--
they couldn't charge me.
You can't charge a person
for legally registering
black voters.
That was where I made
my first official
enemies.
You gonna be down at that
courthouse, Mr. Hoffman?
I wouldn't miss it
for the world, sir.
'Cause white asses
get whupped,
government moves
that much faster.
That was the beginning.
I got their attention.
And once you
have their attention,
well, they never,
ever forget you.
And where'd you learn
how to cook like this, huh?
5 years...
17 cities...
63 jobs--
being on the run is
good for the resum,
but it's hell on
your personal life.
I've only seen my son twice
in the last 18 months.
That's good.
Maybe I can use that.
No, nothing about
the kid, all right?
Or where I am now.
I can't jeopardize
our safety.
Write about how
i started to organize
against the war in '67.
Rally to protest
this genocidal war.
It's, uh, gonna be
at the--at the u.N.
My clean-cut days.
Nice try, narc.
You guys read the papers?
You know what's going on?
Yeah, I read the papers.
You know lyndon Johnson
just sent
50,000 more kids
over to Vietnam?
What's your feelings
on that?
That sucks.
You know kids younger
than you, you know,
mostly blacks and latinos
getting their guts shot out
in southeast Asia.
You know, Abbie,
i can't imagine you're
at the top of the "most wanted"
list anymore.
No one can imagine
any of this
unless they've lived it,
Glenn.
I mean,
go write your article
about the government
breaking laws,
and then
they'll back off.
I mean, you can't imagine
how much money they've spent
trying to silence
good people
who have put
their lives on the line
to stop the war...
To fight for change.
Help me, Glenn.
I'm running out
of places to hide.
Ok.
I'm, uh, gonna need
some leads, Abbie.
This is a list
of people to talk to:
My lawyer
Gerry lefcourt,
my mother.
Start with Anita.
Thank you for being--
for agreeing to be
interviewed, Anita.
I know that it means
a lot to Abbie.
Oh, you fixed it!
That's great.
Hey, America.
Hey.
He's a little shy
around new people.
He's--he's a smart kid.
He's intuitive, you know?
He can understand.
I understand.
Must be hard for him.
So when was the last time
you and Abbie talked?
Come on, Glenn.
I tell you that,
i could be committing a felony.
Don't forget I've had
a little experience
with our
criminal justice system.
Words fail to describe
how much I loathe them
for what they've done to us.
You've seen Abbie.
Anita, he's convinced
that the government
is out to destroy him.
You say that
like that's an absurd idea.
Well, it sounds
a little far-fetched.
I mean, he's
not exactly al Capone.
You know, they've
been relentless for years.
But before
they ran, Anita,
tell me about Abbie
in the early days.
He was incredibly
charismatic.
You know,
he had a killer smile.
He was completely unique
in every way.
Anybody got any socks?
Come on, bright eyes,
take it off.
Come on, you don't need it.
You look better without it.
You know, you're the cutest
person I've robbed.
Everything about him
threw my tight-ass,
middle-class world
for a loop, and...
It was the summer of '67,
and...
It was--it was--
it was just a changing time,
and I was changing,
you know, it was
the summer of love.
I don't care
how many socks you got.
It's a silly,
ridiculous action.
It's not silly,
rubin, man.
It's political theater.
It's been going on since
people fucked in caves.
Holding up a bus
just trivializes--
No! It's making
the personal, political...
And adding humor, you know?
I mean, that--
you know, dull is deadly.
That's true,
Jerry, man,
you should
have been there.
You know, you would
have seen it work.
Yeah, you know,
we're reaching people
with not just words,
but we're communicating
with images.
Great, and why don't we
just bust into CBS
and put a gun up to
Walter cronkite's head
as he's doing the news?
That'll get people's
attention, right?
Hey, Abbie Hoffman.
Hi, Anita.
You were on the bus.
You took my coat.
I took her coat.
You came to reclaim it
at the free store
where we have free love
and free dancing
And free dope.
Everything free,
huh?
Yeah.
And you draft-dodging
hippies,
you like giving stuff
away to niggers, huh?
Ok, man, hey.
We don't like that word
around here--"hippies."
Yeah,
peace, love, and songs.
You know,
flower power, man.
Yeah, we're gonna fill
the east river with daffodils.
Bunch of fuckin'
commie-lovin' idiots.
Next week we're having
a ku klux klan meeting.
Maybe you could come back,
'cause we're--
we're planning a white sale.
Fuck you.
Stop it! Stop it!
Fuck you, Clarence!
Get the fuck
out of here, man.
Oh, my god.
Oh, my god.
Are you ok?
Are you guys ok?
Do I need to call
the police?
They were the police.
Trying to get
our mailing lists,
but we keep our real mailing
lists under lock and key.
I think
I'm gonna be sick.
Anita, narrating:
It's like--
just like when I walked
in there, I mean, all--
all lofty and heady
ambition to change the world
kinda flew out
the window for a second
because I saw Abbie
and I was just like,
"that--that is, like,
the sexiest guy
I think I've ever
seen in my life,"
and I just went in there
and pretended
that I wanted to, uh...
You know,
just find a job, and...
Help the cause, you know,
with my fellow travelers,
and that's how I met him,
and then that night
we went out,
and, um,
from that day forward
we were together.
So how are your ribs?
They're fine.
As long
as I don't breathe
or don't stop
talking, I'm fine.
Oh, we didn't really
make any firm plans,
so where do you want to go?
Uh, well, a table
for 2 by the window.
Did I mention I don't cook
on the first date?
Did I mention
that I do?
I really admire
what you're doing
at the free store.
Seems like when you view
middle-class liberal values
through sort
of a subversive eye,
the hypocrisy
just wears you down.
You know, it's like
a lot of action
and no talk
or a lot of talk
and no action.
I think I'm drunk.
Sorry.
You know what the problem
with liberals are?
It's that they see
every side of an argument.
What happens then?
Paralysis.
And you might have thought
about this before, but...
In this country,
just a couple of families
and a few large corporations
own the whole pickle,
while thousands of people
are starving,
but under socialism,
the bounty is shared.
I'd get some...
You'd get some...
Everybody gets some.
So you're a socialist?
Actually, I'm nothing
that ends in "ist."
I'm, uh, not a marxist,
a leninist, a dentist.
Come on. For the purposes
of this conversation,
when asked,
what do you tell people
your philosophy is?
I'm a, uh,
a hippie organizer.
I'm a long-haired
revolutionary freak.
I'm an existential lover.
What about you?
Um--
do you want
to change the world?
You want to live in accord
with the promptings
of your true self?
Leave that nice Jewish girl
from that middle-class family
in queens behind
and dive headlong
into the messy, beautiful,
sensual fray of life
and help start...
A revolution.
Excuse me.
Hello?
Yeah, is Abbie there?
Uh, yeah.
It's for you.
Ok, we got
Abbie Hoffman now
to talk about
today's police attack
on the free store.
Hello.
How bad was it, ab?
Uh, nothing but
the, uh, annual
pigs-stomping-on-freaks
festival there, Paul.
But feel free
at the free store.
Look, Paul,
i gotta go. Uh...
I'm about to make love,
not war.
Good luck, baby.
Glenn,
i have to tell you,
Anita is an amazing woman--
beautiful, bright, strong.
She's exciting,
a fabulous lover.
Let me put it this way,
if I had been born a woman,
I'd have been Anita.
Hi.
Good morning.
Oh, my god.
I didn't even know
i had parsley.
"The living room
has become a voting booth.
"Television has changed
everything.
"We have become irrevocably
involved with
"and responsible
for each other.
The medium is the message."
McLuhan and eggs.
Wow.
You ever been
to wall street?
Abbie
was a great romantic.
He had a beautiful body,
a complex mind.
People attacked him
for being silly
or attention-starved,
but what they don't understand
is how brilliantly
he used guerilla theater
to ridicule wall street.
We are here to proclaim
the death of money...
And--and the birth
of a new society.
He goaded the brokers
into scrambling for money.
It was an image
that said it all.
Greed rules.
It's your companies
that produce napalm,
and your stock goes up.
That napalm burns
the skin off of children.
You're not fighting
this war to save democracy!
You're fighting it
to save the stock exchange!
It was crazy
and joyous
and behind all the fun
were serious political ideas
about the distribution
of wealth.
Abbie called me,
which is the only reason
I'm talking to you now.
I appreciate
you taking the time.
And don't mention me
in this article.
Last thing I need is the feds
busting in here again
ripping off my files.
You mean to tell me
the feds would risk
another break-in
after Watergate
over Abbie Hoffman?
It isn't just Abbie,
ok?
You need to
understand something.
Cointelpro is
an active fed program
specifically designed
to discredit all the left.
Yeah, yeah, I know.
I heard that rap
from Abbie.
It isn't a rap.
They use harassment,
disinformation,
setups.
Whatever it takes.
It's been going on
ever since
wild bill Donovan
created the o.S.S.
Only now
they're kind enough
to use it
on our own citizens.
Here.
Poems of Allen Ginsberg?
Yeah, despite what
almost everyone thinks
Abbie wasn't
just born a hippie.
Ginsberg helped inspire
his political change.
I can't watch it.
I can't watch anymore!
I can't watch war.
I can't watch anymore.
Ohh!
Why don't they
just stop killing?
So whose idea was it to
get high and watch this?
Bad movie. Good acid.
Pentagon--largest office
building in the world.
17 1/2 miles of corridors
for killing people.
You know what?
In every religion
a pentagram
is a symbol of evil.
I need
the number for god.
G-o-d.
Wait, wait!
Reverse the charges.
We should storm
the Pentagon.
You know
what we should do?
Storm the Pentagon
and then send trucks
into the streets.
Tell people
the war's over.
Just tell 'em it's over.
They'll believe it.
What? Oh, he's got
messages for everybody.
They'll have
to go on television
to tell them
it's not over.
Right.
Just keep
killing people.
They're getting
all heavy, god.
Jimi Hendrix's
star-spangled banner plays]
89 1/2.
Wait a minute.
Wait a second, man.
No, 90 feet
is for short people,
and the other half
is for old people.
What the hell
are you doing?
What the hell do you
think you're doing?
Well, we're, uh,
measuring the Pentagon
so we know how many
people it would take
to form a ring around it.
Right?
And singing
and dancing
and chanting
the mighty om.
Om.
What?
See? Dancing and chanting
the mighty om.
Yeah, and then
the Pentagon will rise.
And it will levitate.
It will get up about
300 feet in the sky,
and it will start to shake,
and evil spirits
will fly out of it.
We'll exorcise it.
It is strictly
against the law.
Oh, what law?
There is no such thing
as a law that says
you cannot form a ring
around the Pentagon
and chant and rise it
and exorcise it.
96, 97, 98...
99...
In view of the increased
social anti-war activity
taking place,
each office is instructed to
immediately expand coverage
and investigation
of new left groups
and black nationalist
organizations,
with the objective of
placing reliable informants
inside any suspect
organization.
We announce we're
levitating the Pentagon
to end the war,
and everyone who hates
the war shows up:
Very serious marxists,
psychedelic bolsheviks,
religious catholic
war resisters,
and young quakers,
bikers, blacks, swamis,
hippies from frisco,
old people from New York,
long-haired, beaded
crazy motherfuckers.
We shall raise
the flag of nothingness
over the Pentagon,
and a mighty cheer
of liberation
will echo
throughout the land.
We are free!
Great god almighty!
Free at last!
No more war!
No more war!
No more war!
No more war!
Come join us.
What do you say?
We're all brothers
underneath the uniform.
So, you're gonna go
8,000 miles away.
You're gonna go to, uh,
you're gonna go to
some far-off country
and die in some jungle
because these people
say that you should
or shouldn't.
I don't know.
They don't know.
They're pushing papers,
you know.
'Cause it's not their life.
'Cause when they're done
with work today,
they go home somewhere
to a nice house,
and they go sit down
to dinner and like, "oops,
"i don't know
if it was a mistake
to send these
young people off to die."
I know you're not allowed
to talk to me,
but you guys, uh,
you know, you're my age.
How come I'm here
and you're there?
How come--
what's this all about?
all right. Relax. Ok.
What's your name?
We're like you.
We just want peace,
like you, all right?
Hey! Hey!
Aah!
Aah!
Hell, no, we won't go!
Crowd, chanting:
Hell, no, we won't go!
Hell, no, we won't go!
Hell, no, we won't go!
Hell, no, we won't go!
Hell, no, we won't go!
Hey, soldiers!
Throw down your guns!
The war's over!
It's over!
Get some ass.
Hey, you're not doing this
to defend America.
You're doing it to give your
superior officers a job.
Move away right now!
Join us,
join us, join us!
Join us, join us,
join us, join us!
Join us, join us!
Aah! Oh, my god!
You know,
the soldiers had been filled
with all kinds
of misinformation:
We were druggies,
we were commies,
we were heretics
of some kind.
Just bullshit and...
But the most remarkable
thing occurred...
And I'm sure
very unanticipated
on everybody's part.
As the day unfolded,
the--the soldiers
came around to--
to see that
we were the same.
We were this--
we were one person, man.
You know what I mean?
We were one person.
And we were not against them,
we were against the war.
Hey, man, you must
be starving.
You want some?
No, sir.
They're not poison.
No, thank you, sir.
How old are you,
man?
18? When I was 18,
I was out shooting pool,
trying to get laid.
I wish.
What's your name?
Private first class
Kendall, Robert s.
Long-haired hippie freak
Hoffman, Abbie h.
So you think
they're gonna...
Send you over there?
I don't know.
Will you go?
Yes, sir.
Why?
To stop
the communist domination
of southeast Asia.
Communist domination
of southeast Asia?
I-its...
You don't wanna go,
do you?
Th-that's ok,
'cause that's nam--
I love my country, sir.
I love my country, too.
You know, believe it
or not, I'd die for it,
but, uh...
You know,
killing innocent people
for it...
You better leave
this area now, sir.
Great man.
That's beautiful.
Power to the flower.
Great.
Cheese.
You levitated me,
my brother.
Yeah, it was better
than the Boston tea party.
You speak the truth,
and I record it.
Bill wertzel.
Hi. Anita.
How you doing,
baby? Peace.
Taking photos
for the rat.
Nice to meet ya, Abbie.
Pleasure to meet ya.
Listen. I was wondering
if I could get
a photograph of you guys
for next month's cover.
What, now?
Yeah.
Do something,
like, radical,
or something really,
like, heavy.
There you go.
ok.
Oh, shit.
Hey, hey! Anita!
Calm down.
Hands off, man.
Don't touch her!
Don't pull on me.
Calm down, man!
Watch the camera.
My camera, man.
Welcome, welcome.
We don't have to
put up with this.
Let's get
these fucks, man!
Fuck 'em!
Aah!
Come on, man!
Come on, man!
Let us out!
Tear this the fuck down!
Let us the fuck out!
You can't do this,
fucker!
Let us out!
Huh,
what are you doin'?
Stop gassin' us, man!
I got a proctologist
and a gynecologist.
Now all I really need
is a lawyer.
I do have problems
with your methodology
or lack of it.
Must be talking
to the wrong guy.
I thought I hired
the lawyer who got fired
from the legal aid society.
I think
in order to change
the political structure
of this country,
you need thought,
planning, organization.
Organization?
Mr. lefcourt,
what I saw at the Pentagon
was 200,000 kids
telling l.B.J.
And his little band
of war hustlers
to stick it where
the sun don't shine.
That's pretty damn
organized.
But what we need
in our revolution
is joy and love
and sex.
We need a revolution
of artists and poets
and wizards.
Don't forget the trolls
and dwarves.
Well, they can come,
too.
Revolutionary joy--
that's what we got going.
I'll give you
a revolution...
Keep me out of jail.
Right on.
Time's up.
Let's go.
You make sure
that Anita's ok,
and, uh, get me
the fuck out of here.
Power to the hippies.
Hippies are dead.
Flower children
have grown thorns!
Hey. Hi!
I hate jail.
At the rate
you're going,
you better
get used to it.
Come on,
let's get out of here.
It reduces you
to something subhuman.
Penal reform.
Put that on my list
for future projects.
Sure. Right after
we stop the war
and redistribute
the nation's wealth.
I missed you.
I missed you, too.
I can't stand
being apart.
Let's get married.
Come on, I want you
with me forever.
I thought radicals
weren't supposed
to get married.
No, that's what's
so radical about it.
Nothing traditional,
just something...
Simple and--
and?
Intimate.
Oh, yes!
Very intimate.
Getting married
with hundreds of guests
and the press,
right in the middle
of central park
it was just
a tad different
than my all-American
wedding fantasy
growing up in queens.
Uh, we would
like for love
to break out
everywhere.
And then to top it off
and make
everybody crazy,
we mailed out
hundreds of joints
in wedding
announcements
to complete
and total strangers.
We're gonna
turn everybody
into freaks.
Get high.
Pigs can fly.
Only freaks allowed,
but, you know,
if you're not a freak,
just for that day be a freak,
smoke it anyway.
Smoke it anyway.
Time to go. Bye!
And then we went on
to have
a more formal wedding
after that
that was, you know,
made my parents
very comfortable.
Abbie's mom
was so cool.
She even asked me
to dance at the wedding.
How does
he look? Is he well?
He's fine,
Mrs. Hoffman.
I'm sorry we couldn't
speak at home
but, uh, you never know
when they're listening
in.
Who are "they"?
FBI, CIA,
all of them.
Those places
with letters.
They've been
snooping
ever since abbott
went underground.
Ugh! I hate
that expression.
Is this, uh--do you
know this for sure,
or did Abbie
just tell you this?
I know
all those people
don't like abbott,
but i--
I can't believe
my government
would want to
destroy him.
I'm scared
for Abbie.
He see things
wrong in the world,
he speaks up.
Many, many times,
i think he's right.
Someone should say
something.
Whether it was,
you know,
blacks in the south
or hippie war protestors,
you know, it was always,
"you're never gonna win.
Give it up.
It's too difficult."
I shall not seek
and I will not accept
the nomination
of my party
for another term
as your president.
They are too powerful,
the "they."
They'll kill you.
Absolutely.
You don't
stand a chance.
You remember 1968?
They killed
the good guys,
they were about
to elect the bad guys,
and mayor daley,
freaker hoover,
and all their troops
couldn't scare us away
from the Democratic
convention in Chicago.
The city was crazed
as thousands
of us arrived
to protest the war
in any way we could.
You're not
giving us a permit because
you want to stop people
from coming to Chicago?
Mr. Hayden, all decisions
regarding permits
must be made by the parks
and recreation department.
This is
all bullshit, man!
We filled out
the fucking forms,
so where's
the permit, asshole?
Now cool it.
Look, people are coming
regardless.
We will not
give up
our first amendment
rights,
and we don't want
kids getting hurt.
I'll see
what I can do.
You're stalling,
Mr. stahl.
Very clever,
Mr. Hayden.
And you're guaranteeing
chaos.
There's gonna be
half a million people
giving birth
to a new world.
We want
the undertakers
out of
the delivery room.
Look, if you
give us the permit,
you'll have
no problem.
Ball's in
your court.
This magnificent
expression of free speech,
founded on
the fundamental principle
that each one of us respects
the rights of the other.
People have
to respond to it.
No, what are
you talking about?
It has to be
hideous enough--
it's gotta be able
to reflect
the ugliness
and the moral bankruptcy
of the majority
candidates.
If they hate
our pig,
they hate us!
Look at that--
tell me that one--
we need a pig like that.
The one that looks like--
tell him
if they hate our pig
they hate us.
They--we need
a groovy love pig.
Yeah,
we need a love pig.
That one looks
like tricky dick.
No, that one there
that looks like
Hubert Humphrey.
That's what we need.
Let's be
a 2-pig family. Hey!
So we'll have
the big, fat ugly one
and the cute little one.
What do we do now?
We must remain alert
and seek specific data
depicting
the depraved nature
and moral looseness
of the new left.
Use this material
in a vigorous
and enthusiastic
approach
to neutralize them.
We're proud to announce
the yippie candidate
for president
of the United States,
pigasus! Pigasus!
Yeah!
Our fight
is not with the police
or the national guard.
Right on!
Hey, Joey, it's
the future first lady.
And I demand
secret service protection
from the, uh,
b.L.T. Conspiracy.
If elected, pigasus
will intervene--
Hey, it's mommy!
In the internal affairs
of other countries.
...granted
their situation.
You guys are
underpaid
and overwhelmed.
Napalm more vietnamese,
shoot them.
Pigasus will spend--
waste money
on the military
while people starve.
Pigasus will shit on
the environment.
We had
an appointment today
with deputy mayor stahl
to discuss our permit
situation.
He never had
any intention
of giving us
this permit.
Yippies do not
want bloodshed
in the streets
of Chicago.
All we wanna do
is sleep in the park
without being
hassled by the cops.
The city never had
any intention
to meet us halfway
on this thing here.
The obvious intention
is to lock us out,
to lock their doors--
Deputy stahl,
open up!
Anita, over bug: They're not
gonna give you the permits.
You know that.
Abbie, over bug:
I'm still working on it.
If they don't give you
the permits,
kids are gonna get hurt.
I don't understand why
you wanna march these kids
right into their trap.
Yeah, well, nothing
happened down south
until some
nice, determined
middle-class
white kids
got an ass-whipping
on national
television.
Ok, but we can't
accomplish anything
unless you go to sleep
every once in a while.
Ok?
Let's just think
of this idea tonight--
look, if you come to bed,
I'll make it really fun.
It'll be really fun.
I promise!
Please?
I do.
I think pigasus
would've made
an excellent
president.
Third-party candidates
rarely win,
especially smelly ones.
That farm was
so incredible today.
The sky was
beautiful.
I even loved
the mud.
I could see you
in a long dress
sitting on
a big front porch, uh,
shelling peas.
Mm. Peas
which we got
from the local co-op
we form
with the farmers.
In the evenings
we could take
long walks through fields
of blue flowers.
I don't know.
Well, what do you
see for us?
What, besides trouble?
Let say that by
divine intervention
you get everything
that you want.
Liberty and justice
for all?
Yay! You win.
Then what happens?
I'll be out of a job.
I'll have to start
organizing closets.
That's a good job!
Good job, right?
What about you?
Well, I'd have
the peas.
More than a thousand
held an afternoon rally
today.
They heard
demonstration leaders
condemn mayor daley
and vowed to lead
more protests
against
administration policy
throughout
the presidential campaign.
To end the war
in southeast Asia
with their flesh-killing
napalm.
The Pentagon
is rational,
the war is rational.
We're irrational.
We're irrational
and crazy
because America's
destroyed our dreams,
and we're fighting
to recover our dreams,
and we're the generation
that's gonna dream
forever.
Finally, we don't want
any violence.
But if a confrontation
occurs
and Chicago's finest
decide to attack,
then just snuggle up
to a reporter
with a camera
a man like wertzel
over here,
because a camera is
a yippie's best friend.
Stick our necks out
and take democracy back.
All right, you're
gonna be afraid,
but it's ok
to be afraid.
Just control
your fear.
It's time
for physical courage.
No more war, pigs!
So let's go
wa-shoi, ready?
All, chanting:
Wa-shoi! Wa-shoi!
If they're gonna
spill our blood,
then let's spill blood
all over the streets.
We don't
wanna be grownup
because we know
what growing up
in America means.
The army occupation
of Chicago
reveals the truth
about our system.
One nation
under wall street!
Pigasus!
Pigasus for president!
As long
as I'm mayor of this town,
there'll be law
and order in Chicago.
Free the soldiers!
Ah, you fucker!
Stop
the war machine!
Give me a "p"!
"P"!
Give me an "i"!
"I"!
Give me a "g"!
"G"!
What's
that spell?
Pig!
Hundreds of
militant young activists
who have come to Chicago
to protest the war
seized a statue,
and a running
5-hour battle was on.
At nightfall,
hundreds of helmeted police
closed in on Lincoln park
as the demonstrators
surged through the streets
protesting
the police activity.
At least 50 persons
were injured
and 150 arrested
in the club-swinging
violence that followed.
The Chicago police
report on...
You're gonna run
innocent people over?
Huh? Your own
brothers and sisters?
You gonna do that here
in your own country
like we do in Vietnam,
dropping thousands
of bombs
on villages made
of straw and bamboo, man,
and now you're gonna
do that here, guys?
Is that the game?
Is that the game?
We rose up
against our government
in a time of war.
Mm-hmm.
We stopped
the fucking war.
First time
in history.
You find out
about the CIA's
chaos program
and the cointelpro.
We're losing time.
Mm-hmm.
Nixon got in power.
He used them
as they escalated us
right into the trial.
We're going
to take this country
so far to the right,
you won't even
recognize it.
Very good.
We got the right judge.
I want these Jew boys
toasted.
Aren't the Chicago 7
all Jews?
Hoffman.
Hoffman's a Jew.
Now, I think we
have to create
a unified legal
strategy
to challenge
the very nature
of the conspiracy--
because I can't have
my own lawyer,
I've decided
to exercise
my constitutional
rights
to defend myself.
You know, you gotta
expect legal railroading.
If they can take away
our first amendment rights--
courtroom as theater,
David vs. Goliath.
Subvert the government,
use the media
to subvert the children.
They're making up
their own laws, you know,
with their own judge.
We'll never have enough
money or lawyers
or resources, you know.
The only way to win
is with a cultural war.
Or--or another option
would be to, uh,
get the hydrogen bomb
from Saudi Arabia.
And drop
the motherfucker
on the FBI!
Yeah! You know, you guys
are really starting
to bu me!
With the intent
to incite, organize,
promote, encourage,
participate in,
and carry on a riot.
That you did conspire
to cross state lines
in order to cause us
all trouble.
What's wrong
with asking if they know
who Janis joplin
or Jimi Hendrix are?
There's a way of life
on trial here.
Even revolutionaries
deserve
an impartial jury
of their peers.
The jurors
are prejudiced
just because we wear
our hair a certain way
or--or listen
to a certain kind--
I'm not going to ask
prospective jurors,
"if your children
are female,
do they wear brassieres
all the time?"
Judge Hoffman.
Do you believe that?
I threatened to change
my first name to "fuck"
so he'd have
to address me
as fuck Hoffman.
I admonish you, sir.
No, I admonish you.
Mr. seale--
the people of America
admonish you
and the whole Nixon
administration.
Take the jury out.
I would like to request again,
demand--
ladies and gentlemen
of the jury, i--
I have a right
to defend myself
in this courtroom.
If a black man
stands up and speaks--
Mr. seale,
I'm warning you
that the court has
the right to gag you.
...Represent all
that is ugly and bigoted,
and the next generation
will devour you
and your cities.
I feel ashamed to be
an American lawyer today.
He's being beaten
and tortured
by the marshals.
Can't use
my last name anymore
'cause it's been
disgraced by you, Julie.
And as the official
yippie photographer,
what did you hear?
Abbie Hoffman screamed
into the megaphone,
"the blank pigs
aren't going to push us
"out of the park
tonight.
"Let's get those
blankety-blank pigs.
"They're armed,
so we have
to arm ourselves."
You say "blank pigs".
Did he say
"blank pigs"?
No, sir.
Did he use another word
instead of "blank"?
Yes, sir.
How many letters
are in that word?
What was
the first letter
of that four-letter
word, please?
"F".
Every other word
was the "f" word.
No, every other word
was mother,
you motherfucker!
Remember,
you traitorous prick?
Order! Order!
Today, agent green,
didn't you testify
that you were
a student
at Northwestern Illinois
state college?
That is right, sir.
Well, were you not
expelled
for throwing
the president
off the stage
physically?
No, I was not.
Well, what were you
expelled for?
I was expelled for being
with a group of people
that threw the president
off the stage.
Did you not encourage
and incite violence
at every single
opportunity?
As a policeman,
i would never do that.
Bullshit.
Order!
Bullshit!
Sit down!
Bullshit!
Supporters, chanting:
Bullshit! Bullshit!
Stop it,
stop it!
Bullshit! Bullshit!
Bullshit! Bullshit!
Wertzel was like
a brother to me.
I'm in a comedy.
I'm in
a fucking comedy.
Until the last day,
and then it'll be
a tragedy.
My name is Abbie.
I am an orphan
of America.
Where do you reside?
I live in, uh,
Woodstock nation.
Will you tell the court
and jury where that is?
Uh, it is a nation
of alienated
young people.
We carry it around
as a state of mind,
much like the sioux
Indians carry around
the sioux nation
with them.
We want a place
of residence.
In what state
is Woodstock?
It is in
the state of mind
of my brothers
and sisters.
An informant
looking for evidence
of conspiracy
might have found
Jesus guilty
of urging young people
to kill their parents
as in Matthew 10:34-36.
It is with
Sincere humility
that I accept this
federal indictment.
It's the fulfillment
of childhood dreams,
uh, the--
the climaxing
of--of years
of hard work and--
can you tell the court
your present occupation?
I'm a cultural
revolutionary.
I'm really a defendant
full time.
Well, are you asking
if I had those thoughts
or if I wrote that I had
those thoughts?
'Cause there's
a difference.
I don't know.
I've never been on trial
for my thoughts before.
the difficult thing
about defending
a, uh, conspiracy charge
is that all
the government has to do
is, uh, prove one act
and then they connect
everybody to it.
The next act will be
getting rid of those--
getting rid of those
army ads on television.
I don't believe
for a second
that you're gonna
become some kind of
electronic whiz
or a brain surgeon.
They're trying to tell you
that you're
parachuting, right,
and you've got
a machine gun,
and you're
hanging there
and you got your gun
in your hand,
and you're
floating down, right?
And it's rat-tat
-tat-tat-tat-ta!
And you're
killing people.
People are dying
all over the place.
And--and you're
thinking about
your university scores?
Bullshit!
You know what
you learn in the army?
You learn how
to clean toilets,
and you learn
how to kill people.
And you learn how
to watch your brothers die.
In the jungle--
in the jungle
halfway
across the world
in a war
that even Nixon doesn't
believe we'll ever win.
Hell, no,
we won't go.
Hell, no,
we won't go!
All, chanting:
Hell, no, we won't go!
Hell, no, we won't go!
Hell, no, we won't go!
Hell, no, we won't go!
Hell, no...
Remove those robes!
Certainly, Julie.
I'm officer yip.
I'm officer yap,
and we're here
to incarcerate you
for not having
enough ying
in your Yang.
Stop!
What are you doing?
This is
a court of law!
Abbie was so funny.
But I don't want to
minimize the serious intent.
You know, every one
of those impromptu actions
was very carefully planned
on Abbie's part.
It was just, uh--
the Chicago 7 wanted
to destroy the notion
that, uh, the court
was a neutral zone.
This trial is a farce,
and all of America
should see it
for what it is.
Satire is very effective
against tyranny.
So I'll use
any style I want,
and I really don't care
who I offend.
Since when is--
since when is decorum
more important
than justice?
And remember...
Sacred cows make
the best hamburgers.
They want us
to stay in our place,
like black people
were supposed to,
like poor people
were supposed to,
like women
were supposed to, but--
you can crucify
a Jesus.
People will no longer
be quiet.
Poison a socrates,
you can hang
a John brown,
you can kill
a che Guevara,
you can jail a--
a Bobby seale,
you can assassinate
a John Kennedy.
But that never
solved a problem.
A hangman's rope
never solved
a single problem.
This trial
is not about 7 people.
It's about
a whole way of life.
It's about a person's hair
or the way
that they dress
or their sexuality
that's on trial here.
It's freedom
that's on trial here.
The government...
The government says
that I'm un-American.
I'm not un-American.
I'm an outlaw
in my own country...
Just like my brothers
here on the wall.
People seem to forget
that they started
a revolution.
Thomas Jefferson called
for a revolution
every 10 years
just to keep
the government in line.
And sweet
Georgie Washington,
well, he grew pot,
your honor.
I don't think
either of them
would be proud
of what's been happening
in this courtroom.
I think that they'd
be ashamed--
ashamed of what
you're doing
to their country.
Abraham Lincoln said,
"when the people
shall grow weary
"of their
constitutional right
"to amend the government,
"they shall exert
their revolutionary right
to overthrow it."
Now, if Abraham Lincoln
had made that speech
in Lincoln park,
he'd be right here
on trial
in this courtroom.
We find the defendants
guilty
of crossing state lines
with intent to riot.
That is the worst ruling
in all my years
as a defendant.
In the halls
of justice,
the only justice
is in the hall.
After the sentence
was handed down,
there was just anger,
a palpable anger
in the streets.
I mean,
we protested big time.
Sentences were
overturned.
And when Abbie
got out of jail,
he was
a major celebrity.
I mean, he--he was
a counterculture hero.
Stop the war!
The talking
Abbie doll!
Abbie,
i want you to know
this isn't
a fucking toy, man.
No, this is--
this is a fucking--
it's revolutionary, man!
I mean,
the rapping Abbie doll
will spread the word
to the next generation.
You know what?
I'm thinking--I'm thinking
that if this thing
really takes off,
we could consider
the soul sister Anita doll
for the fall campaign,
you know?
The whole
"black is beautiful" thing.
You know, we mix it
all in--
uh...Hey, hey, man.
Uh, you wanna--
you wanna share
with me?
Don't even get me started
on the groupies.
There was just--women--
well, he was--
he was voted
one of the 4 sexiest men
in America,
because there was
no shortage of women
who were interested
in Abbie.
And, uh, he loves
the ladies.
What can I say,
you know?
Did you feel
a--a lack of,
uh, connection?
Yeah, well, yeah.
I mean,
underlying it all,
I always felt very,
very close to him,
and that's why it hurt
so much sometimes
when he would
shut me out
or just retreat
within himself.
That's why
i always enjoyed
when he got sick,
you know.
That was the only time
i really felt
that I had Abbie
all to myself.
I know that sounds
a little weird to say,
but when he was sick,
he would just slow
down finally.
And, uh--
and we did things
that a normal couple
would do,
whatever normal means.
But he--it was just great,
and he was...
He was huge.
He was--he was probably
the most recognizable
of all the Chicago 7.
Steal this book, man.
Now, on one level,
I'm totally there with you,
man, you know?
But when I put on
my other head here,
y-you dig? I gotta--
gotta kind of
ask myself, you know,
what kind of vibrations
is it gonna send out
to our brothers
and sisters.
Well, you put it on
your other head.
Well, you know
what I mean.
I mean,
steal this book?
It's exactly what
they're gonna do, man,
I mean, you know,
cop it, swipe it,
snatch it, lift it,
anything but pay for it,
and, uh, you know?
What's that gonna do
for me, man?
Hey, what's that gonna do
for brother sky, man?
Come on, Abbie!
I tell you what,
consider it stolen.
You're tellin' me
that one of the most
recognizable men
in America
couldn't make a living?
It's not enough
to be recognizable.
What's he supposed to do,
appear at the grand opening
of a shopping mall...
The center square
on Hollywood squares?
Maybe he should do
a beer commercial.
You know,
after a hard day
of trying to levitate
the Pentagon...
Or helpin' my old pal
mayor daley of Chicago...
There's nothing Abbie
and I like better
than settling back
in our house
in the suburbs and...
Getting totally
fuckin' smashed
on good old
American beer.
So what if more people
died in Vietnam
than all of world war ii?
Is that really
your problem?
Nah!
Abbie never had enough.
What about
the money he made
on revolution
for the hell of it?
Made $25,000 on the movie
rights to the book.
Gave every penny
to the black panthers.
Unfortunately for everyone,
it was Nixon's time,
and, uh, as you know,
he never met a law
he didn't want to break.
You're gonna run
into people
who accuse us
of overreacting.
So therefore,
play it hard.
Don't back off.
People have died
for that flag,
you piece of shit!
I regret that I have
but one shot
to give
to my country!
They thought they would
destroy us with this trial.
But now it
almost gets funny.
We were the outlaws
that followed rules,
and the government
and the FBI
broke all the laws
goin' after us.
The white house
has ordered
a full and complete
program
to discredit and destroy
the anti-war movement
and those individuals
involved.
This includes surveillance
and disruption
to begin immediately.
Yo! It's Anita!
Hi.
You are a beautiful
chick, man.
Thank you.
Yeah, and I am,
like, so glad
that Abbie got off
on that bullshit
government rap
from the trial.
Yeah, thanks. Well,
we knew he'd win on appeal.
So, like, here. You
lay this on the man.
It's killer shit.
Ha ha!
Yeah.
when I say "hit it,"
I want everybody
to stop playin'.
That's right.
Yeah.
Now, hit it!
Hey, man!
Hey, get your--hey!
Come on, man!
Get your--
get your hands
off me, man!
All right,
calm down, fellas!
Get your fuckin'
hands off me!
Aw, come on.
Come on. Come on.
He's clean! You
won't find anything!
Hey! Hey! Hey!
that
fuckin' bastard.
Yeah,
get outta here.
Yeah, fuckin' Sherlock.
Motherfucker.
Next time you try
and frame us,
don't send a hippie
wearin' fucking wingtips.
all right, babe?
Yes.
Yes?
I don't think I need
to emphasize to you gentlemen
the vital nature of this
counterintelligence program.
Put pressure on anyone
employing radicals.
Colleges and universities
receiving government funds
are most vulnerable.
It says "canceled" right across.
I want to know who did it.
Who did it?
I don't know.
They just showed up.
Uh, greetings.
Uh, you people
in the back there,
you wanna come forward?
You know,
whether there's...
Rallies, demonstrations,
and speaking engagements
can be disrupted
through a misinformation
campaign.
Increase contact with source
who will increase dissension
and spread misinformation
regarding leaders.
The anti-movement
that breaks every law,
even the law of gravity.
Remember the Pentagon.
Sellout!
Mr. pig!
Shut up, man.
You don't know
what the fuck
you're talkin' about.
Don't throw shit,
all right?
It's over.
Done.
Good-bye.
Can you just go?
Whoo-hoo-hoo!
All right,
get up, yeah.
You just shut up, man.
Bye.
Bye.
Continue
the use of cartoons,
photographs
and anonymous letters
which will ridicule
leaders of the new left.
Ridicule is one
of the most potent weapons
we can use.
"We're in the streets,
Abbie's in his penthouse."
Huh? Who's printin'
this shit?
Jerry rubin.
This piece of fuck.
Print it up.
Print up
his fuckin' lies.
Do you want
to go out?
I'll buy you
dinner.
Anita, tell me about
the, uh, mood changes.
The government
harassment
just, uh, made
the mood swings worse.
They were incredibly
disconcerting.
You know, he'd be up,
very hyperbolic,
if that's the word,
at one point
and then
the lowest lows.
It was disastrous.
Fairly--fairly common
manic episodes,
but we didn't know that
at the time, you know.
Congratulations, ab,
though I don't know,
but I think
tricky dick Nixon's
gonna be having
a heart attack tonight.
Another Hoffman
in the world,
and it's a boy?
Well, we wouldn't bring
a kid into this world
without believin' that, uh,
you make it a better place.
And his name?
America, with a small "a"!
Well, in honor
of America Hoffman,
where's your warrant?
Where's your warrant?!
Never seen
anything like it
and hope to hell
i never do again.
It was like the gestapo
right here in our country.
Anita,
would you, uh...
I know this is hard,
would you mind talking
about the drug bust?
What about
the, uh, the drugs?
I think
he was doing research
for a book.
Our marriage was also
experiencing
some difficulties,
so perhaps he wasn't,
uh, thinking
as clearly
as he might have.
He'd always
been interested
in outlaw culture,
and obviously he got
a little too interested
in it,
but, uh, you know,
too much is never
enough with him.
The point is,
the FBI used drugs
as an excuse to bust
Abbie for his politics.
Brother.
How's it goin', man?
This stuff is bang on,
man. Bang on.
Ok. Ok.
All right, calm down.
You're under arrest,
asshole.
He's cuffed,
he's on the floor,
and you know
what he says?
Bad Karma.
I know.
I'm asking
for a little help
so Abbie
can make bail.
Why are you giving me
so much grief on this?
I told you, he was
researching a book.
What book? On what?
It's bullshit.
It is not bullshit.
Sell it somewhere else.
This is bullshit.
What? Do you believe
all the misinformation
out there, too?
You know he didn't
have a drug problem.
I know how hard it is,
that's why I'm here.
Anita, what was he
thinking, all right?
We have a lot of important
political projects on the go,
and this is gonna
make them suffer.
I know that. I know
the importance of--
please. This is not
the most absurd request
someone could make here.
It's backlash.
Let's say it could backlash
on--on all of us.
I've got--i got bookings
on a lot of campuses.
Oh, well, god forbid
we interfere
with your illustrious
speaking career.
Time.
No.
It's a waste of time, man.
Abbie.
They'll do whatever
they can to get me.
They'll use
the constitution
as fucking toilet paper.
They've set me up.
That's it.
Well, what if we can get
the weight of the coke down?
What if we can get
the weight of--
just forget it.
They're scared
of losing their power.
You know how easy
it would be
for them to kill me
in jail?
All right, America.
Do you know how easy?
You know how many soldiers
died in Vietnam?
How many black panthers
eliminated?
Think about civil rights.
Think about civil rights!
This country's still scared
of the black man,
from the kid on the streets
to Bobby seale
or Martin Luther King.
Bullshit.
Look,
i hate talking
about his
going underground.
I can't
do this
without
you guys.
I can't.
What if America
gets sick or something?
We'd be so cut off.
It's 3:00 in the morning,
he gets the ear infection
or somethin' like that,
we can't call anybody.
We have to think
about him.
If I get thrown in jail
with you,
what's gonna happen
to him?
But we won't
get caught.
How do you know that?
A political
prisoner on the run
from a repressive government
out to destroy him,
I mean, that's--that's
pretty fucking romantic.
Bullshit.
He was miserable.
He was lonely.
He was scared.
We were
all miserable.
It was
a terrible time.
Hey, bad-ass,
it's me, your friend,
all alone
in the middle
of the loneliest universe.
Terrible. FBI nightmares
of doors being kicked in,
police, jail.
Hard to write to you.
You know, how open?
How many facts,
details, security,
and my emotional state?
I miss you terribly.
I miss the kid.
Abbie organized
this elaborate system
of communication.
You know, we knew
the FBI was all over us,
but we had
to keep in touch,
and we couldn't
use the phone.
Imagine living
in constant fear
of being recognized,
yet, afraid to be alone.
I have sort
of a hangdog look.
My hair
is a constant problem.
Me and lady clairol
don't mix.
Tried blond, got gray.
Red lasted a day, and now
it's back to the same old.
You never declared
the $25,000
for the movie rights
to his book.
Yes, that was a donation
to the black panthers
defense fund.
Mrs. Hoffman,
the black panthers
are not a charitable
donation.
Technically, no, but
i think it was a decision
based on Abbie's
philosophy.
With interest
and penalties,
we figure you're in debt
to the government
to the tune
of $11,465.57.
I don't have
any money, ok?
Come on, Mrs. Hoffman,
you're a celebrity.
There's no such thing
as a poor celebrity.
Uh, I need the following
from you immediately:
A member list of the Abbie
Hoffman defense committee,
update on lefcourt's
motions against the FBI.
I also need more underwear
and my tennis shoes,
and, uh, call the following
with a new p.O. Box number.
Uh, write soon.
Long time between letters
upsets communication.
I'm sorry, it's...
He's confused, he's scared
shitless, you know,
I don't know how
you can expect him
to behave any other way.
Look, Anita,
i, uh...
I got this
together for him,
and I don't...
It's just, like,
a couple hundred,
I don't know
exactly how much.
Thank you so much.
But next time
you talk to him,
please just tell him...
Tell him
not to call anymore.
Oh, I can't
tell him that.
No, just tell him
not to call.
Don't cut him off, stew.
I can't tell him that.
Until he realizes that
there are other people
in the world
besides Abbie Hoffman, ok?
There's such
a feelin' of brotherhood
within the movement.
Folks really, really,
want to help me.
People go out of their way
to be of assistance.
I must say that
I understand friendship
on a new level.
Being dependent brings out
the best or worst in ya.
Hey, Glenn,
when you gonna finish
this damn article?
Dear siddie,
I can't believe it's been
a year I've been gone.
Glad to hear stuff
investigators
are diggin' up.
I feel very far
from you in many ways.
This fall looms ahead
like fog-shrouded woods.
I--i feel adrift.
Sparks of hope.
Rays of energy.
"I love you
and miss you even more
"in the 2 years
you've been underground.
"This separation
is making me
"appreciate you
all over again.
"I feel that when we reunite,
i will gaze into your eyes,
and all the same old love will
overwhelm me, and I'll cry."
I think that we are one
of the greatest love stories
of this or any other time.
every step is difficult.
"I've passed the point
of no return,
and feel very committed
to the future."
Missing you terribly.
Missing the kid.
"I feel different
about myself."
I feel ashamed of hurting him
in the slightest.
Is that the first time
you've read those aloud?
that's great.
Thank you.
if we could prove
that the FBI
tapped his mother-
in-law's phones,
then...
Aye, Mr. lefcourt.
Ok, i--i--i--you're
scared. I understand.
I'm--I'm scared a lot
of the time, too,
but doesn't
it make you angry
that these men
tricked you?
That they lied to you?
Pretended to be from
the phone company,
came into your home
to spy. Please...
Please testify.
Mi religin, uh...
My religion,
I'm a jehovah's witness.
We don't testify.
What are you--
this is my home.
You can't just come in
and throw stuff on the floor
just because you're FBI.
I'm talking to you.
I'm talking to you!
Look at me!
Jesus.
I find it harder
and harder to be alone.
Can only make
superficial friendships.
Can't talk about
the details of my life.
We're doing what we must
to survive.
Being a single mom
on welfare
had changed my perspective
on every aspect of daily life.
The personal is political,
so now I'm actively
organizing welfare mothers.
The best way
to do that is...
Well, so you're
no longer alone.
I think I have to sort out
my feelings on that one.
A little envy,
maybe jealousy,
definitely relief that I don't
have 2 kids full-time.
I still love you
and want only happiness
and safety.
Hey, where ya goin'?
Home.
Hey, I've never
been able
to sleep very well
by myself.
I wish
that you would...
Stay here.
Just stay.
Please stay.
If only I could
think of something original
to say about the situation.
I can't even tell you
not to leave
your dirty socks
around anymore,
'cause for all I know,
you do your own laundry,
and then
i don't give a damn
about your dirty socks.
All-American guy,
your father's
probably
a corporate lawyer.
Mother does charity
work, huh?
Well, you are wrong,
Barry.
My mother is a journalist,
Helen lawrenson,
and my father
is a union organizer,
founder of
the maritimers union.
Not that you would have heard
of the maritimers union.
Mr. i-never-read-anything-
but-the-sports-section-
on-Sunday jock.
Jock.
Your father's
an organizer?
Yeah.
What do organizers do?
Get their heads bashed in,
and, um, it's hell
on a marriage.
Yeah, but I hear
that they're, uh,
very brave and, uh,
clever guys, you know.
Saul alinsky,
Cesar Chavez...
Yeah.
We got
information on her.
He's got a Swedish
girlfriend.
Oh, really? Yeah, yeah,
he always wanted a blonde.
He's been cheatin' on you
for years, you know.
Mm-hmm. So--
so you tell me this,
I'm supposed to run
home, call him,
wherever he is,
scream at him about
his indiscretions
with inga,
and then
you trace the call?
Ok, harassment's
one thing,
but don't think
I'm stupid.
You've been
following me around
long enough
to know better.
So now Johanna
is also your bodyguard.
Hmm. Quite a combination.
I know my husband
needs someone
to watch over his wild
soul and soaring heart.
Feeling lonely. Sometimes
i just want to be held.
Hey, Jimmy!
Jimmy! Pardon me!
Make your first official
act and pardon me!
You know,
you might as well
wear a sign
that says "criminal."
Hey...
I mean,
that was super dumb
taking a risk
like that.
Risk?
Ok, all right.
You see this?
Huh?
That's what happened
the last time
I was in this town.
Bunch of bastards
in an alleyway
wearing Nixon buttons
and American flag
stickers.
They're kicking
the shit out of me,
they're telling me
how much of a pussy I am
for not dropping bombs
on women and children.
You--i mean, you don't have to
tell me that. I'm on your side.
All the greatest patriots
are--are persecuted.
Kill the messenger.
Oh, Barry--
yeah, I was taught
to love this country.
I don't know why they're
all so scared of me.
I'm...
I don't know, um...
What I ever did
to hurt anybody.
Oh, I don't know.
I guess
it's been about 8 weeks
since I got
his last letter.
Well, he's losing it.
He's either gonna get hurt,
or he's gonna get caught.
I--i don't know
what to do.
I mean, one day...
He's taking
these crazy risks,
and the next day,
he won't get out of bed.
I'm so--
shh shh shh.
My hands are tied.
I don't know
how to help you.
He calls me
his bodyguard...
But I'm just one person.
I love him very much,
but you're his family.
He needs
his support system.
Listen to what
you're asking.
All that I'm asking
is just be with us.
Listen--
just visit us.
Johanna, the FBI
monitors my every move.
I got the kid.
He doesn't know
what's going on.
We're in a shower.
I'm so glad
you've changed your mind
and decided to visit
after meeting angel.
I've gotten real good
at disguises,
but I hate having to play
the part of a non-dad
and pretend
I'm not his father.
hi. Allan, these
are the friends
I was telling
you about.
This is Johanna
and Barry.
Hi.
I got you a gift.
A mitt.
Take it and shake.
Big shake.
Come on, squeeze.
Come on, squeeze!
Whoa, careful watch his feet!
Watch his feet on the car!
Barry! Easy!
Barry! Barry! Barry!
Barry, I have to pee.
All right. Ok.
There's no bathrooms.
How am I supposed to--
what are you
whispering for?
There's a bathroom
everywhere.
I mean, come here.
Come on, let me show you.
There's no bathrooms.
Here.
Oh, what are we doin'?
oh, I see.
male bonding
in all its purity.
the answer, my friend,
is pissing...
In the wind.
Oh, now, don't be kind
of charming and fun
on top of everything
else, ok?
Don't forget to shake.
God, Abbie looks
really good with the kid.
He looks happy.
Well, Barry's doing
a lot better
with you guys here.
You know, we've both
been through
about the hardest
thing there is...
Loving him.
I'm concerned
about him
when you guys leave.
Well, you know
what they say,
you don't like Abbie's mood,
wait a minute.
I'm waiting.
Bet your mother never
taught you that one, huh?
No, but my dad will.
That's a dad's job
to show.
He has
real long hair.
Oh, yeah?
He writes letters
sometimes,
sometimes,
he forgets.
He doesn't forget.
It's just that sometimes...
You know, it's hard.
He doesn't forget.
Come on, you're throwing
like a girl.
You don't want the--
the boys to make fun of you
in the locker room,
do ya?
Come on, concentrate.
Throw.
There. You can do it.
For a little while,
it was almost normal,
or at least as normal
as it can be
when you're living
with your husband
and his girlfriend.
It started
with peanuts.
well, maybe you can come
back again sometime
without your mom, huh?
Find some other
place to pee.
Yeah.
'Cause it's very lonely
and quiet here.
Damn quiet.
Yeah.
Ok, you ready to go?
It's good to see you.
It's good to see you.
Take care of yourself.
Yes.
Really, there's nothing...
Trying to give it
to the Pentagon.
Excuse me.
See what I'm doing here?
Yeah, it's a great mask.
Yeah, yeah, I got it.
How much?
Jesus Christ!
What are you doing?
Nobody's gonna...
It's a "bring
Abbie home" party.
Abbie's home.
Famous people don't
just disappear,
all right?
Do you have any idea
how bad the feds
still want you?
Does that cross
your mind at all?
How they may have turned
some of your friends?
How that's possible?
Turned who?
Forget who.
Jeez.
Gerry, I'm sorry.
Uh-huh.
I am.
Well, you should be.
Don't be mad at me.
Don't be mad at me.
It was stupid.
Look, I just gotta feel
like I'm still part
of something, you know.
I need some money
to go home.
Sure.
I'm not gonna
do it again.
I'll go straight home...
Wherever the fuck
that is.
Yeah.
That's good.
I don't know. I...
Go on, all right?
I'll see you later.
Listen, i--i followed
Abbie's leads,
and I finally
finished the story.
It's--it's in-depth,
it's personal,
and it really
captures the essence
of what Abbie's all about.
It's--it's a hell of a life,
you know,
it's a hell
of a piece of writing.
If you do
say so yourself.
When can I read it?
No, not before
publication.
It doesn't
work that way.
Oh, wait.
What do you mean,
it doesn't
work that way?
I can't read it
before publication?
Listen, I can
tell you this much.
It will be out
in a few weeks,
and you can read it then.
You guys--
that's not--
no, no, Glenn--
Anita, you guys are gonna
be really, really happy.
Trust me, ok?
I gotta get out of here.
I got another
interview at 3:00.
Hello?
You blood-sucking Judas!
You violated
our agreement!
In your damn article...
This is crazy.
You mention cities
I've been to,
and not a word about
the cointelpro.
You're a traitor! You're
trying to kill me!
Let's get my things.
'Cause a goddamn
interview...
'Cause the goddamn interviews--
is there any reason
why you're standing there
like an oil painting?
What are you doing?
What am I doing?
I'm getting
the hell outta here,
so get your stuff
together.
Get it together!
No.
What do you mean, no?
What are you talking about?
You know, I'm so
tired of running
every time
that you imagine
that the world
has got
nothing better to do
than persecute
Abbie Hoffman.
I imagined? Huh?
I imagine? Imagine?
Yes, imagine.
I imagine?!
Yes, imagine,
as in megalomanias
and paranoia!
I hate being afraid
every time
the phone rings
and of hiding
every time
a stranger
drives by.
Well, great.
A little pressure,
and you start
to crack up.
Well, what about me?!
Huh? You ever
think of me?
If they come through
that fucking door,
I get caught, and I'm going
to fucking prison for life!
Huh? You try that
for pressure!
This is not a goddamn
contest, Barry.
They are coming through
that fucking door.
No. No.
They are gonna knock
that fucking door in.
They are coming!
They're coming.
Well...
Let 'em.
No. I'm leavin' now.
Gerry. Gerry.
What the hell
are you doing here?
Look, I need
to talk to you
about cointelpro,
Gerry.
Uh, he says, uh,
you revealed his location.
Gerry, come on. I didn't
reveal his location.
Look, he's--
he's delusional.
He--he doesn't have
an idea--
a clue what
he's talking about.
Is that right? So you
talk about disguises,
but you don't mention
cointelpro.
Look I couldn't
get enough.
I--i couldn't get
enough, Gerry.
Look, I need
a smoking gun
or something,
you know?
I--i need more
than just a name.
Look, give me
a lead, ok?
All right,
hoover's dead.
Stuff's starting
to open up.
There's always
a paper trail, right?
You're a journalist.
Go find it.
Come on, honey.
What does that mean?
That means do your homework
for Christ's sake.
You're a smart kid.
Get to work.
Hello?
It's Barry.
Hey!
Look, I need $3,200,
and you gotta get it
up here to Montreal.
Slow down. What?
3,200 what?
I tried to beat a hotel
bill, and they busted me.
I can't--i can't
understand you.
'Cause I'm standing in
the middle of a cop shop.
Look, they already
fingerprinted me,
and once they run them
they're gonna know.
3,200? Hey, um,
Abbie,
that's a lot, man,
and today's
the wedding day.
We all miss you,
by the way,
but we got--
i got a kid coming.
Look, fuck the kid.
Fuck you!
Don't you ever
fucking talk about
my kid like that!
You gonna help me
or not?
No. I don't trust you,
and I don't want
to talk to you.
Anita.
You know, I don't--
i don't--i don't--
I don't want to do this.
The article
endangered Abbie,
and there was not one line
about the FBI.
Look, I am sorry,
but we needed
your help, you know?
It couldn't--
couldn't be worse,
and I love the guy.
I love him
more than most.
I've always
been there for him,
and this is--
i can't...
You know, I can't
put my family
through this.
You understand.
Yeah.
Look, um,
why don't you take
him somewhere
just to get him
to relax.
Get him far away.
Whatever,
and we'll spring
for the bus tickets.
We can do that,
can't we?
Yeah, sure.
We can do that.
That was fun.
How long has it been
since you've been
on a Ferris wheel?
Oh, look at
the skeeball.
You ok?
You know what?
Let's leave here,
and we'll go
to the hotel room,
and I'll make you
another bubble bath.
Barry,
what are you doing?
Barry? Oh, god, Barry.
Barry!
Barry!
Could someone--
hi. Um...
Abbie Hoffman.
We were having
such a good time.
So, I'm sorry.
I'll--
I'm Abbie Hoffman!
I'm not Barry!
What can I do?
I just--
just tell me.
You know?
Why don't you just--
why don't you
just come to bed?
You've had
such a long day.
Barry, please.
Please.
I'm Abbie Hoffman.
I'm not Barry.
I'm not Gary.
I'm not sleepy or dopey
or donner or blitzen
or Nixon or spiro.
I'm Abbie Hoffman.
You see?
I'm Abbie Hoffman.
Son of John and Florence.
I'm Abbie Hoffman!
Brother, husband, father!
I'm Abbie Hoffman!
I'm Abbie Hoffman!
I'm Abbie Hoffman!
I'm Abbie Hoffman!
I'm Abbie Hoffman.
The official diagnosis
is a bipolar I disorder.
It's recurrent, severe,
with psychotic features.
The common name
is manic depression.
During "up" episodes, you're
able to do a million things
and do them well.
But during
the "down" spells,
life itself
is beyond painful.
Going underground
aggravated your condition.
It's impossible
to know who you are
when you aren't allowed
to be who you are.
Well, then, the cure
is being Abbie Hoffman.
There is a drug
called lithium
that has been very effective
in treating this disorder.
I'm not gonna
take some drug
that's gonna flatten
me out like a zombie.
No.
Politics by medication.
Repression by drugs.
Fascism in a bottle.
You need help.
This isn't
about politics.
We're here
because we love you.
We're here because we want
to see you get better.
You have a disease,
and it's affecting you
more every day.
Johanna sees it.
I can see it.
Baby,
i have an idea.
We can go to
my grandma's house
on the river.
It'll be peaceful.
It'll be private
and--
and once you're settled in,
i can bring America.
And he can spend time with
Barry, which will offset
the distance, the time
missed being his father.
Just say you'll try.
It's very close
to the cottage.
You think?
Yeah.
Oh.
Now, look out
over there.
There's a rock.
That's where I made out
for the very, very,
very first time.
Mm-hmm.
And on that dock
over there
Ty Taylor III took off
my bikini top.
Oh, enough.
Yes, he did.
It was cold,
and it was exciting.
Mr. Glenn, your press
credentials have cleared,
so you'll have the full
cooperation of the agency.
Terrific. Thank you.
We cooperate
with the press now.
We have
an open-door policy.
Well,
i appreciate it.
Wow.
I'm actually looking
for something pretty specific.
Is there any sort of order
to any of this?
Well, we know
where everything is.
Happy hunting.
Come on. I mean,
give me a clue
or something, at least.
You've got 2 hours.
On behalf of the bureau,
have a very nice day.
It's so
beautiful here.
Haven't been up this early
in a long time.
Mm-hmm.
Tell me later.
Come on back to bed.
How can you sleep
with all these birds
making so much noise?
Mmm.
This river.
This river down here
is so beautiful.
It's--it's--
it's bourgeois
perfect.
Mm-hmm.
Ohh. Except the army corps
of engineers
wants to open the river
to supertankers.
That'll destroy it all.
If there's
no other business,
then I'd ask for
a motion to adjourn.
Uh, change the name.
Yeah.
Well, try chanting
"the committee to stop
winter navigation
on the St. Lawrence
river" on the news.
That's not gonna work.
You need something
short and exciting.
Well, have you
any suggestion, Mr...?
Freed. Barry freed.
Yeah.
"Save the river."
Save what river?
What's wrong with it?
What are they trying
to do to it?
And then you, uh,
you engage that person
in a dialogue.
You explain
your position
and then, boom,
you got another person
in your corner.
And then
we need to organize
the towns and the cities
around the river.
You get everybody organized,
and then, um,
well, and then we'll win.
Of course it's important
to me. Come on.
You know that.
I want to save the river
without the world
knowing who Barry is.
So what if they do?
Huh?
So what?
I am so sick of...
You know Barry?
That was Abbie Hoffman.
Did you take
your medicine?
Why is it that every time
i string a few ideas together
you think that i--
that I didn't take my pills
or something.
Why is that?
I just--i don't want you
stuck in prison.
You won't survive it.
We won't survive it.
I'm a political organizer.
That's my life.
Dear one,
kid's been preoccupied
with you lately.
These things seem
to go in stages.
He discovered your
first book lying around,
and now every day
he brings it over,
and we go directly
to his favorite picture
of mommy and daddy
at the Pentagon.
He's become a first-rate
conversationalist.
No surprise,
given his parents.
Hi.
I got a letter
from your dad.
"Honey, glad to hear
everything is great.
I miss you
and the kid terr--"
Allan, what
are you doing?
Why did you do that?
I hate letters.
They're so stupid.
What--what's going on
with you? What's wrong?
Dad never comes
to visit my school.
You know he would--
he would come
visit your school.
He would spend
time with you. He--
we're in a very
unique situation.
Yeah, I know.
You've told me.
I have told you, and
I'm gonna keep telling you.
You have to understand that.
You have to understand
that he wants to be with you
if he could be.
I'm sorry to rush you
right now,
'cause I want to talk to you
about this,
but I gotta get you ready
to go to barr and Johanna's,
and you love going there.
And we'll talk more
about it in the car, ok?
Junior's doing fine,
and we're both
enjoying him a lot.
Camped out every night.
Cooking in the woods.
Sleeping in the tent.
It's possible sometimes
to forget he's a little kid
and think of him
as a friend.
He's eating well.
Things are going well.
Does that mean
the plane's gonna crash?
Even the medicine
is working.
We'll miss him
when he's gone.
Please have him
come back soon.
They
will pay plenty for you.
You gotta finish
stuffing those envelopes.
You like the river,
don't you?
Huh? You wanna keep it
that way?
Barry, he doesn't
understand.
Well, he better start.
Look, this is the kind of
work your father used to do.
Screw him.
"Screw him.
Screw him."
Remember how young he is.
I found it.
I got it.
Cointelpro.
Counterintelligence
program.
"To disrupt
and destabilize
political groups
in the United States."
It was set up by hoover
at Nixon's request
to destroy not only
the anti-war movement,
but the black panthers,
environmental groups,
you name it.
And there are...
Look at this--
1,600 pages on Abbie
in the key agitators
index.
The son of a bitch
was right.
Of course he was.
He was living it.
Screw him?
You know what
your father did, huh?
He helped stop
a goddamn war!
He got his fuckin' ass
kicked for civil rights!
You realize that?
Look at me.
I'm your father.
Ok?
I'm Abbie Hoffman.
Yeah.
No.
I'm your fa--
no!
My hair was
a little longer,
I didn't have a beard,
but it's me.
And i--and I didn't
mean to leave you.
I'm just trying
to hug ya.
Well, don't...
Barry.
Well, how the hell
would he know this
being underground, huh?
A few years ago,
the FBI office
in media, Pennsylvania,
was burglarized.
Some of
the documents stolen
were about cointelpro.
Abbie?
You knew about this.
Last time I was here,
why didn't you tell me?
We always knew
there was a limit
to what we could
find out.
We read the church
committee finding,
the Carl stern report,
but the FBI wasn't
exactly crazy
about us looking
into their files.
We needed someone
with impeccable
press credentials.
Congratulations.
I know that this whole thing
is a shock to you.
You know, but you've
got to understand
that we couldn't tell you
because, well,
it was dangerous.
I wouldn't have
said anything.
I'm not very good
at this father thing...
But, uh...
You know,
I never meant it to
be like this, kid.
It was, you know,
i...
I--i didn't want to
leave you and your mom.
You know, I love you
both very much.
I do. Know that.
M-maybe
you could come by
and visit again
sometime, you know?
Give it another shot,
you know? Heh heh.
Ok.
Yeah.
You mean, like,
uh, bullshit "yeah"
to shut me up
or the real thing?
No sports.
I don't like sports.
But sports are
fantastic, you know...
When I was your age...
Ok. Jesus.
No sports. Ok, deal.
No sports.
Tonight at sunset,
junior caught
his first and second fish.
I cleaned them,
and we both cooked them.
And then we looked
for the big Dipper.
Glenn came through
after all.
Cointelpro
is gonna die.
Aaaah.
Hoover's turnin'
in his fuckin' grave.
I think I cut a deal.
What kind of deal?
Pretty sure I can get
time served.
No. Are you insane?
You're gonna start
believing them
after all these
years of lies?
No. This is different.
We have proof now.
This is a can of worms
they don't want to open.
We have a very strong
case of entrapment
against the state.
No.
It's a good deal,
Johanna.
For who?
You know, there's
quite a difference
between turning yourself in
and getting caught.
Barry freed's about to get
an environmental award
from senator moynihan.
What are we
talking about here?
Someone's
gonna recognize him.
It's a matter of time.
Angel, we have proof
of what they did,
you know, to me
and to anyone
who opposed them.
I'm scared.
I mean, it's not just you
who's taking a risk.
It's me, too.
It's both of us.
I want to have a child
with you.
So, who would
the dad be?
Would it be Abbie,
or would it be Barry?
You see?
I'm not denying
Abbie Hoffman,
but I fell in love
with Barry.
As long as there's
no Abbie Hoffman,
then they've won.
And if they can
do it to me,
they can do it
to anyone.
That's...
That's not the way
this country should be.
It's not the kind
of country
I want to live in.
Radical leader Abbie Hoffman
turned himself in
after 6 years underground.
The last 2 years
at this house
on the scenic
St. Lawrence river.
An FBI spokesman
expressed relief today
that this dangerous fugitive
would no longer be a threat
to the security
of the United States.
Abbie,
what's the difference now
than when you first
went underground?
Greed...
Lots of greed.
And I'm coming back
to fight it.
In the news tonight,
the efforts of
attorney Gerry lefcourt
to help his client
Abbie Hoffman
get out of jail.
Lefcourt has initiated
a major letter-writing
campaign.
Abbie Hoffman,
who had been sentenced
to 3 years in prison
by judge Brenda soloff,
has been paroled
after serving 2 months
in a maximum security
prison
and 10 months in
a work-release program.
Well, I've been very busy
for the last, uh,
couple of years.
Um, i--i plan on taking it
easy for a very long time.
Heh heh.
Good morning,
women and men of the jury.
At, uh, at 50,
I am obviously the oldest,
uh, reluctantly the oldest
member of
these student defendants.
This trial is about
questioning the acts
of the most powerful agency
in our government:
The CIA.
And please believe me
when I tell you
I know personally
how dangerous it is
when the government lies.
All we're asking here
is that the government
not lie to us.
We don't think
that's asking a lot.
I've been asking
that same thing
since I was a young man.
The sixties...
No matter what people think
about the sixties,
they know that young people
were out in the streets,
taking on the most powerful
government in the world.
And we didn't win
every battle,
but think about
what we did accomplish.
Apartheid was
driven out of America.
We ended legal segregation.
We ended the idea
that you could send
a million soldiers
10,000 miles away
to fight some evil
unjust war.
We ended the idea that women
are second-class citizens.
I mean, we were reckless,
we were silly,
arrogant, and headstrong.
But we were right.
And we didn't mind
saying so.
My government has been
trying to silence me
my whole life.
I don't know
what it is about my ideas
that are so dangerous.
But I say to you,
you young people...
And to you, my--
that's my son here...
It's always the young
that make change.
You don't get
these kind of ideas
when you're middle-aged.
The--the young have daring,
creativity, and energy.
They have impatience.
So you take your--
your young legs
and your eagerness
and your natural feelings
for justice and peace
and a better deal
for our planet,
and you go out,
and you make tomorrow
better than it is today.
You go out,
and you save your country.
It's your turn now.
We find the defendants
not guilty.
trimark home video