Thumb Tripping

Essentially a simple story of a young man and a young woman who make a chance meeting on the beach and are heading in the same direction, so they decide to thumb it together. While their mutual attraction grows by hormones and without the unnecessary element of romance so foreign to most young lovers, they are exposed to a series of characters who give them rides and who indoctrinate them to the dangers and wonders of life on the road. Bruce Dern and Michael Conrad are standouts as two of the drivers who move them along the highway.

There is some coming of age for both youngsters, mixed with heartbreak born from confusion and jealousy, but ultimately harmless. Again, it's really a simple, enjoyable story about a couple of hitchers.

The film treats with some of the hippie concepts from the early 70's of free love and free rides and tends to show that, as the Steely Dan song goes, "Only a fool would say that."