Arthur Penn's chronicle of hippie life during the late 1960s garnered the acclaimed director his second Oscar nomination. Based on the song by folk music troubadour Arlo Guthrie, son of legendary "Dust Bowl" balladeer Woody Guthrie, this tribute film to "the last generation" features memorable scenes with other folk artists like Pete Seeger, who join Arlo in song to make a profound statement about war, protest and change. In the late '60s, a changing social and political climate inspired a new generation to create a lifestyle outside of the mainstream.

Twenty-two year-old Arlo's journey to find a place for himself and his music includes a visit to his dying father in the hospital, gigs in New York and romps with his friends Alice and Ray, who run a small restaurant in Stockbridge, Massachusetts. And when an incident at Alice's Restaurant plays a pivotal role in Arlo's avoidance of the draft, it sends him down a road that he will consider a small price to pay to keep his freedom and beliefs.