The Spirit of '76 (1990 film)

The Spirit of '76
DVD cover
Directed by	Lucas Reiner
Produced by	Roman Coppola Fred Fuchs
Written by	Roman Coppola Lucas Reiner
Starring	David Cassidy Carl Reiner Rob Reiner Olivia d'Abo Geoff Hoyle Jeff McDonald Steven Shane McDonald
Music by	David Nichtern
Cinematography	Stephen Lighthill
Edited by	Glen Scantlebury
Production company	Castle Rock Entertainment Commercial Pictures
Distributed by	Columbia Pictures
Release date	October 12, 1990
Running time	82 minutes
Country	United States
Language	English
Box office	$52,310

The Spirit of '76 is a 1990 American comedy film that spoofs American culture of the mid-1970s. It stars David Cassidy, Carl Reiner, Rob Reiner, Olivia d'Abo, and the rock groups Redd Kross and Devo. The movie was released on October 12, 1990.

By the year 2176, a magnetic storm has degaussed all recorded history, causing such valuable documents as the U.S. Constitution and the Declaration of Independence to be lost. Three time travelers, Adam-11 (David Cassidy), Chanel-6 (Olivia d'Abo), and Heinz-57 (Geoff Hoyle) are sent back to July 4, 1776, to retrieve America's heritage, but due to an unnoticed time machine malfunction, end up in 1976 instead, during the United States Bicentennial. While pursuing their mission, the time travelers dress in period costume (e.g., tight bell bottom pants), and experience est, the Sexual Revolution, Pop Rocks, disco, long gas lines, the AMC Pacer and even drug paraphernalia shops.

They are in turn pursued by Rodney Snodgrass (Liam O'Brien), a science whiz and UFO buff, who thinks they are aliens, and plans to use them to win the Bicentennial Science Fair prize at his high school. His self-absorbed, disco-dancing brother, Eddie Trojan (Leif Garrett), pursues Chanel-6 for his own pleasure. Both are foiled by two dimwitted but good-hearted teenage friends, Tommy Sears and Chris Johnson (Steve and Jeffrey McDonald of Redd Kross), who help the time travelers repair their craft and return to 2176, with their 1970s artifacts and a copy of the Constitution, printed on a shirt which was bought from an est seminar attendee (Barbara Bain).