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

Plot

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 attempting to carry their mission, the time travelers dress in period costume (e.g., tight bell bottom pants), attend EST, experience 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 their UFO (their time machine) 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 off of an EST seminar attendee (Barbara Bain).

Production

Several family members worked together on the production of the film. Roman Coppola co-wrote the script with Lucas Reiner and produced the film, and sister Sofia Coppola designed the era-costumes used for the piece. Lucas Reiner wrote and directed the film, and his father Carl Reiner and brother Rob Reiner both had appearances as actors in bit parts. Lucas Reiner s girlfriend at the time played a waitress in the film, and she and Reiner later married. Barbara Bain, an actress who portrayed one of the Be Inc, Seminars attendees, is the mother of Susie Landau, one of the producers and casting director for the film. In the DVD commentary for the 2003 edition of the film, director Lucas Reiner noted that directing the death scene with his father in the beginning of the film was difficult. Carl Reiner also appeared on the DVD commentary, and praised Lucas job as director, as well as the script to the film.

Lucas Reiner discussed the casting of the film by producer Susie Landau, and noted that once actor David Cassidy of The Partridge Family was successfully signed to the project, other stars from the 1970s signed on as well. Several musicians also played bit roles in the film. Members of the new wave rock band Devo appeared as the Ministry of Knowledge, Jeff McDonald and Steven Shane McDonald, members of the band Redd Kross played Chris Johnson and Tommy Sears. Martin von Haselberg and Brian Routh of The Kipper Kids portrayed the CIA agents, Tommy Chong appeared in a scene in a head shop, and Moon Zappa had a cameo as an archetypal zodiac aficionado. Reiner complimented Sofia Coppola on her costuming work for the film, noting that she was only seventeen years-old during initial production. Coppola had to research for the 1970s as she was very young through the period, and also developed costumes for two other periods – the future in the year 2171, and the future after the time-travelers returned home and changed the culture. The production budget for the film was tight, and crew members brought in 1970s period items of their own to supplement props in the film. Production designer Danny Talpers designed the prop for the time machine out of two hot tubs – which was a reference to their popularity during the period. Instead of the more expensive cutaway technique, Reiner simply moved the camera back and forth during dialogue to save money.

Reception

The Spirit of 76 received mixed reviews. The Denver Post described it as both idiotic and aggressively bright , and a review in the Chicago Sun-Times did not think it was very funny. The Sacramento Bee called it a cool comedy of the 70s, noting that it was a bit high-paced, but also extremely likable. An Entertainment Weekly review wrote that: References to est and disco, along with someone s mint collection of Kiss posters and other memorabilia, get tossed out willy-nilly; the movie s only unifying force is that smirky irony, and gave the film a rating of C− . Allmovie wrote positively of the film, calling it a: lively sci-fi comedy that makes great fun of the 70s. The film received two stars from the TLA Video and DVD Guide 2004, which described it as: lightweight with the occasional laugh.

The film was released in only a limited number of theaters, and the total reported box office gross was $52,310.

Home media

SVS/Triumph Home Video released The Spirit of 76 on VHS on January 22, 1992. It was released on DVD by Warner Home Video on June 3, 2003.

Soundtrack

• Average White Band – Pick Up the Pieces
• Chicago – Saturday in the Park
• The Carpenters – Top of the World
• Grand Funk Railroad – We re an American Band
• Starland Vocal Band – Afternoon Delight
• Love Unlimited Orchestra – Love s Theme
• Maria Muldaur – Midnight at the Oasis
• The Hues Corporation – Rock the Boat
• Peter Tosh – Legalize It
• Blue Öyster Cult – (Don t Fear) The Reaper
• Walter Murphy – A Fifth of Beethoven
• Bachman–Turner Overdrive – Takin Care of Business
• Van McCoy – The Hustle
• Peter Frampton – Do You Feel Like We Do
• Sweet – Fox on the Run
• Eli s Second Coming – Love Chant
• Carl Douglas – Kung Fu Fighting
• Wild Cherry – Play That Funky Music
• Rick Derringer – Rock and Roll, Hoochie Koo
• Vicki Sue Robinson – Turn the Beat Around
• Disco-Tex and the Sex-O-Lettes – Get Dancin
• Edgar Winter Group – Frankenstein
• The Sylvers – Boogie Fever
• The Trammps – Disco Inferno
• Bay City Rollers – Saturday Night
• Redd Kross – 1976
• The Dickies – Spirit of 76

Year	1990
ReleaseDate	1990-10-12
RuntimeMins	82
RuntimeStr	1h 22min
Plot	In 2176, a magnetic storm erases all recorded history, including the U.S. Constitution, so, three time travelers are sent back to July 4, 1776, to retrieve the heritage, but end up in 1976’s Bicentennial, while being perceived as …
Directors	Lucas Reiner
Writers	Roman Coppola, Lucas Reiner
Stars	Mark Mothersbaugh, Gerald Casale, Carl Reiner
Produced by	Roman Coppola,Simon Edery,Susan Landau Finch,Fred Fuchs,Alan Renshaw
Music by	David Nichtern
Cinematography by	Stephen Lighthill
Film Editing by	Glen Scantlebury
Casting By	Susan Landau Finch
Production Design by	Daniel Talpers
Art Direction by	Isabella Kirland
Set Decoration by	Victoria Ruskin,Thomas J. Wiegand
Costume Design by	Sofia Coppola
Makeup Department	Denise Estes,Jonathan Horton,John Krause,Gayle Lederman,Monika Maka,Carol Newcomb
Production Management	Simon Edery,Lisa English,Dianne Griffin
Second Unit Director or Assistant Director	Michelangelo Csaba Bolla,Rocky Capella,Danila Curcio,Sonny Lowe,Greg Pestoni
Art Department	Mathew Badger,Ted Benjamin,Zehra Berkman,James Brown,Mark Buck,Kevin Constant,Paolo DeLeon,Lisa Devo,Todd Evans,Amanda Flynn,Anne Lee,Todd Lookinland,John P. Maynier,John McFarlane,Peter V. Meiselmann,Ross Morfeld,Chris Murphy,Howard Rada,Reenie Raschke,Anne Ross,Caroline Stechschulte,Bart Trickel,Jenny Wilkinson,Sara R. Winchester
Sound Department	Jose Araujo,Kim Aubry,Laurie Bernard,Kim B. Christensen,Márcio Câmara,Gloria D Alessandro,Thom Coach Ehle,Mark Fay,Roy Finch,Jeff Gomillion,Steve Hamilton,Lora Hirschberg,Samuel Lehmer,Tim McGovern,Donny Miele,Jennifer Myers,Kevin O Connell,Jeffrey R. Payne,Joan Rowe,Michael Semanick,Eric Thompson,Jennifer L. Ware
Visual Effects by	Chris Dawson,Bob Dohrendorf,Dave Gregory,Sylvia Keulen,Dan Kohne,Sean O Connor,Pat O Neill,Billy Robinson
Stunts	Kevin Bailey,Rocky Capella,Sean P. Donahue,Chuck Lyons,Johnny Martin,Todd Martin,Mike Martinez,Tim Meredith,Jeff Mosley,Frank Sanza,Nick Sanza,Rick Slater,Michael Smethurst
Camera and Electrical Department	Marie-Claire Brochard,John A. Burke,Jeff Gilliam,Charles Griswold,Lisa Harper,Brook Johnson,Aggie Lukaszewski,Rich McKay,Dave Nagel,Melissa Painter,Stuart Perkin,Daniel Schwartz,Luke Seerveld,Mark Shankel,Janet Silva,Jerry Spagnoli,Nicholas F.M. Stahl,Forrest Thurman,Jack Wiley,Geoffrey Williams,James Woods
Casting Department	Amy Baker,Robin Gurland,Annette Pirrone
Costume and Wardrobe Department	Hollyce Fagerhaugh,Shellagh Hannigan,Sally Huyser,Susan Rubin,Pamela Atiimo Smith,Deanne Weidig
Editorial Department	Daniel Belmour,Laurie Bernard,Gus Carpenter,Alan Chudnow,Luis Colina,Ben Damonte,Stephen Federico,Robert Fenz,Jennifer Gallagher,Stephen Kearney,Peter V. White
Location Management	Sarah Hammond,Charles Matheson,Thomas J. Wiegand
Music Department	Torbin Xan Bullock,Michael Farrow,Sandy Gibson,Scott Gootman,Jon Herbst,Heather Noble
Script and Continuity Department	Jay Mason
Transportation Department	Timm Carney,Edward Delao,Drew McKeen,Peter Moody,Scott Rosencrans,Michael Smethurst
Additional Crew	Scott Bagley,Jacqueline Barcos,Erik Bergmann,Victoria Berry,Lisa Brooks,Jeannette Brown,Stel Deleon,Sophia Douglass,Consuelo Faust,Peter C. Hassan,Thea F.L. Henry,Kimberly Hughes,Hedy Jacobowitz,Ashley Jones,Kenn Kashima,Sylvia Keulen,Peter LeCompte,Barbara Ludlum,Jean Mandel,Susan Marenco,Karin Mercurio,Heather Noble,Ron Roggé,Richard Rollins,John Ross,Todd Ross,Michael Smethurst,David Snook,Susan Tompkins,Paul Wilson,Nadja Dee Witherbee,Keiko Yoshioka,Francis Ford Coppola
Thanks	Jean Allsworth,Derek Alpert,Mauro Borrelli,Debbie Brubaker,Craig Conolly,Sandi Dudek,Merry Dunning,Mark Ebenhoch,Shopan Entesari,Catherine Farley,Linda Foye,Bob Fukuyama,Karen Gilbert,Joe Gottfried,Michael Hamm,Barry Hansen,Matt Heckert,Betsy Hobgood,Gwyneth Horder-Payton,Eddie Lambert,Mickie McGowan,Syd Mead,Christienne Metropole,Beth Miller,Terry Morrison,Dana Nunes,Marty Olinick,John H. Peters,Katrina Rivers,Fred Roos,Kristina Schreck,Abby Schroeder,Aaron Schröder,George Shapiro,Jon Sholle,Sandy Stanton,David Steinberg,Stacy Williams
Genres	Comedy, Sci-Fi
Companies	Black Diamond Productions, Castle Rock Entertainment, Commercial Pictures (I)
Countries	USA
Languages	English
ContentRating	PG-13
ImDbRating	5.8
ImDbRatingVotes	798
Keywords	year 1776,year 2176,spoof,satire,year 1976