The Strawberry Statement (film)
| The Strawberry Statement | |
|---|---|
 |
|
| Directed by | Stuart Hagmann |
| Produced by |
Robert Chartoff Irwin Winkler |
| Written by |
James S. Kunen (novel) Israel Horovitz |
| Starring |
Bruce Davison Kim Darby Bud Cort Andrew Parks Kristin Van Buren Kristina Holland |
| Music by | Ian Freebairn-Smith |
| Cinematography | Ralph Woolsey |
| Edited by | Marje Fowler Roger J. Roth Fredric Steinkamp |
| Distributed by | Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer |
|
Release date
|
June 15, 1970 |
|
Running time
|
109 minutes |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
| Budget | $1.5 million |
The Strawberry Statement is a 1970 cult film about the counterculture and student revolts of the 1960s, loosely based on the non-fiction book by James Simon Kunen (who has a cameo appearance in the film) about the Columbia University protests of 1968.
The film details the life of one student. Its setting is not Columbia University in New York City but a fictional university in , which is based on San Francisco State College (later San Francisco State University). Thunderclap Newman's "Something in the Air" and numerous other rock songs are used on the soundtrack.
Simon (Bruce Davison), a student at a fictional university in San Francisco (based on San Francisco State College) is indifferent to the student protests around him, until walking in on a naked woman (Kristina Holland) in his dormitory roommate's bed. While she quickly runs over to the toilets to dress, Simon protests to his roommate that their time should only be devoted to studying, so they can get good jobs and lots of money.
Coming back clothed, the woman refuses setting another date with the roommate because she'll be busy protesting. She explains the university's plan to construct a gymnasium in an African-American neighborhood, thus causing conflict with the local African American population. She tells him that she and others plan to take over one of the university's buildings.
Simon later experiences love at first sight with a stranger female student (Kim Darby) and uses his photographer position in the college's journal to photograph her. Following her into the university building the students are taking over, he joins the takeover just by being there. She approaches him while he boringly fools around in the toilets. She says her name is Linda and asks him to rob a food store with her so the striking students can eat.
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