Review of The Spirit of '76 (1990) by Eric B — 21 Feb 2012

As if you couldn't already tell from the DVD cover, "The Spirit of '76" is a silly blast of nostalgic kitsch.

The year is 2176. A trio of American scientists from a gray, cheerless future aim to travel back in time to 1776, in order to find the forgotten Constitution and rediscover what once made their country wonderful. But their rickety capsule has a technical glitch, and they are sent back to 1976 instead. They soon meet up with two vapid teen brothers (played by Redd Kross' Steve and Jeff McDonald), and the plot doesn't go much further than this. Instead, we're just bombarded with a parade of campy '70s references, none of which are especially arcane or knowing. Disco, mood rings, Pop Rocks, feathered hair, smiley faces, the Bicentennial...you can guess the rest.

The casting may be more entertaining than the script. Former teen idols David Cassidy and Leif Garrett have prominent roles, and there's something oddly epic about seeing them share a scene near the end. Other vintage icons playing along with the joke include Rob Reiner (his brother Lucas wrote and directed the film), Carl Reiner, Barbara Bain ("Mission Impossible," "Space: 1999"), Tommy Chong and Iron Eyes Cody, while then-trendy figures like Moon Zappa, Julie Brown and members of DEVO also turn up in cameos.