[J.R.]

Its a pretty good anti-war movie. Life is bizare, people in power are often idiotic, motives are to be questioned, and letting unchecked aggression stand isn't the end of the world (keep in mind the GB senior opening quote). Some situations don't need to be confronted. Its ok to not care about some things, to avoid conflict and just live simply. There's also something beautifully fatalistic about its philospohy, something about not looking or seeking too much, not living in denial about reality and taking yourself too seriously.

The characters make the movie, its kinda like rushmore or the royal tenenbaums in that regard, its sheer absurdity. Everyone seems to be flailing away, full of internal contradictions and mornonically bumbling along. Its hard to capture the essence. You either appreciate absurdity or you don't, it depends on your world view. It also helps to be really stoned or with a strong drink nearby, or to have at least embraced the bohemian lifestyle at some point. But its not an earthshattering movie, it just hits a cord with a certain disenfranchised sentimentalism that many go thru during adolesence that some never quite let go of. And Bob Dylan's soundtrack is excellent and adds depth to these themes.