Plot

Five young activists with diverse convictions embark on a quest to affect political change, each in their own unique way. But can regular citizens really change the system nowadays? The 60's activist, Tom Hayden, advises them and compares his own experiences. Amazingly, in the process, these individuals must change themselves.

A ballet-teaching anti-war protester with an expensive sports-car, a Pro-Life activist cocktail waitress, a black-block anarchist with dreams of hip-hop stardom, a Native American union organizer, and a Log Cabin Republican all walk into a bar? okay, so maybe they don't. But these five adamantly outspoken Americans all take turns holding court in director Louis Yansen's documentary, which obstinately celebrates our First Amendment and the wide-open plurality of opinion that makes this country great, even during a politically charged time when dissent is more often than not equated with treason. Shot over a period of several years, Yansen's film becomes fascinating in the way he's able to chart his young ideologues evolving over time, and we see them choose their battles wisely (and sometimes unwisely) in the face of many obstacles, including increased government clampdowns on political activism, and the indignity of cordoned-off, faraway "Free Speech Zones." Chicago Seven alum Tom Hayden supplies a running commentary, but Yansen wisely never chooses sides, instead espousing a perhaps antiquated American ideal - one where all points of view will be heard and respected.