Steal This Movie

2000
6.4| 1h47m| en
Details

Five years after Yippie founder Abbie Hoffman goes underground to avoid a drug-related prison sentence, he contacts a reporter to get out the story of the FBI's covert spying, harassment and inciting of violence they then blame on the Left.

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Reviews

Merolliv I really wanted to like this movie. I feel terribly cynical trashing it, and that's why I'm giving it a middling 5. Actually, I'm giving it a 5 because there were some superb performances.
BelSports This is a coming of age storyline that you've seen in one form or another for decades. It takes a truly unique voice to make yet another one worth watching.
Aneesa Wardle The story, direction, characters, and writing/dialogue is akin to taking a tranquilizer shot to the neck, but everything else was so well done.
Cheryl A clunky actioner with a handful of cool moments.
meganwalter I truly love this movie. It teaches a younger generation about a time, not too long ago, when people were able to give up everything because of a cause. It is inspiring and I recommended this to all who are a fan of history and will be entertained by an interesting life. Vincent D'Onofrio is a very talented actor and if you only know him from Law & Order, you may be surprised by his role in this movie. He brings a sense of innocence and humor to the role of Abbie Hoffman that allows the uninitiated to develop compassion for a great leader and complicated man. I felt that having watched this movie I have learned a lot. How the government behaved towards all progressive movements during the 60s and 70s. How an individual can come "undone", even while trying to bring about social change and that it is important to speak out against injustice no matter the cost.
itamarscomix 'Steal This Movie' is a well-thought, well-written well-acted, well-made dramatization of the life of left-wing activist Abbie Hoffman, probably the most famous of the Chicago Seven. (The title is a play on the title of Hoffman's autobiography, 'Steal This Book', though it certainly doesn't have the poignancy of that title.) 'Steal This Movie' made some bold casting choices. The lead role was given to Vincent D'Onofrio: not an obvious choice, because Vincent looks very little like Abbie, which caused many die-hard history aficionados to bash the decision. However, Vincent fills the role wonderful, brilliantly, expressing all the conflicting sides of Hoffman's personality, his sense of humor, his dead seriousness, strict political consciousness, bi-polar disorder, having to live in hiding and away from his wife and son. He makes the character come alive much more than someone else could have by simply looking and talking like him. Abbie's wife Anita is played wonderfully by SNL's Janeane Garofalo, accomplished comedian but not so as a dramatic actress.Though it doesn't have that much cinematic value by its own right, 'Steal This Movie' does a fantastic job of getting through both the spirit of the time and the greatness and difficulties of Hoffman's activities and his character - a great and fascinating person whose impact has long been overlooked. It's also a wonderful document of an important period that is practically ignored (relatively, of course). For those interested in the late 60s, in the hippie movements, Black Panthers and other left wing political movements of the time, and of course in Hoffman himself - it's invaluable, on top of being both touching and entertaining. A good watch.
emptymask Let me start out by saying that I am a huge fan of Abbie Hoffman and have read Steal this Book and Steal this Urine Test. Also am a even bigger Jerry Rubin fan. But his movie was a discusting pile of rubbish that made a very PG version of Abbie Hoffman. The director took no chances into making Abbie Hoffman interesting in this movie. They despicted Stew Albert as a F***ing cartoon chjaractor devoid of intellegence, the man was a proffesor at Berkley for christsakes. Ok they did a horrid casting job for Anita Hoffman, did a Horrible job casting for the Jerry Rubin character. I just guess the movie doesnt fit the news flashes that I have seen of Abbie or the books that he wrote. The movie just didnt fit and upset me. Oh yeah and theat is the absolute worst voice over I have ever heard of Richard Nixon. This is one of the few movies that I have ever rented that I could not sit all the way through because, I have a passion for Abbie Hoffman and his discruntled band of Yippies and this movie was just plain badly done. And it hurt me that now when people see a movie about the yippies they will see a terrible adaptation, and not get a true sense of reality. Instead they get a hollywoodized palanthra of crap.
kmac1313 First I have to ask, Vincent, what were you going for with that accent, New Yawk, Bahston, Joisey? Sounded like a combination of all but it distracted me from your dialogue. Should have just played Vincent playing Abby.Second, there was a review here that should be removed as the guy that wrote it is so off base I think he saw a different movie. Dude, FYI. it's Jerry Lefcourt. Look into it. Third, Abby was kicked (really he was kicked) off the stage at Woodstock by Townsend during the Who performance. Abby was the type of guy you wanted to kick. He was all about Abby.This film is a romanticism of the truth. Don't steal it; steal Medium Cool instead.

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