Steal This Movie

2000

Steal This Movie

Critics Consensus

D'Onofrio's performance fails to do justice to Hoffman, and the depiction of the 60s also rings false.

51%

TOMATOMETER

Total Count: 43

72%

Audience Score

User Ratings: 2,915
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Movie Info

Steal This Movie! is a dramatic account of the tumultuous life and times of Abbie Hoffman, one of the most visible and influential figures of America's 1960s counter-culture. (Its title was inspired by Hoffman's irreverent "survival guide," Steal This Book.) Hoffman's founding of the Youth International Party (better known as the "Yippies") and inventive acts of street theater -- including an "exorcism" of the Pentagon and the riotous protests at the 1968 Democratic Convention in Chicago -- made him a household name and a star of the anti-war movement. They also earned him enemies, and he was eventually arrested for trying to sell cocaine to an undercover cop, a bust that he contended was a set-up meant to discredit him. Rather than face a long prison sentence, Hoffman went underground, leaving behind his wife and children and posing as "Barry Freed," who became a respected environmental activist. In time, Freed acknowledged that he was Hoffman, spent two months in jail, and returned to activism full-time until his 1989 death. Steal This Movie stars Vincent D'Onofrio as Hoffman, Janeane Garofalo as his wife Anita, Kevin Corrigan as Jerry Rubin, Troy Garity as Tom Hayden, and Jeanne Tripplehorn as Joanna Lawrenson, who became romantically involved with Barry Freed.

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Cast

Vincent D'Onofrio
as Abbie Hoffman
Janeane Garofalo
as Anita Hoffman
Jeanne Tripplehorn
as Johanna Lawrenson
Kevin Pollak
as Gerry Lefcourt
Donal Logue
as Stew Albert
Kevin Corrigan
as Jerry Rubin
Alan Van Sprang
as David Glenn
Troy Garity
as Tom Hayden
Ingrid Veninger
as Judy Albert
Stephen Marshall
as Louis Wertzel
Joyce Gordon
as Florence Hoffman
Bernard Kay
as John Hoffman
Keith Jones
as John Friones
Michael Cera
as america (ages 7 and 8)
Craig Ryan
as america (age 16)
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Critic Reviews for Steal This Movie

All Critics (43) | Top Critics (10)

View All Critic Reviews (43)

Audience Reviews for Steal This Movie

  • Mar 21, 2012
    Based on the times of Abbie Hoffman speaking out in the 60s against vietnam and various other things, wanted by the F.B.I and going on the run, and F.B.i corruption, was part of his story and depicted here, D'onorfrio is a good watch and the look of the film feels very authentic especially a 2000 film, archive footage and montage also helping out, yet another in a long line of 60s american history and while not fantastic a interesting watch.
    scott g Super Reviewer
  • Jul 08, 2011
    Steal This Movie is an interesting, captivating, and for the most part unknown biopic of Abbie Hoffman. I will watch anything Vincent D'Onorfio is in; no matter if it's a critically acclaimed film like Full Metal Jacket, a television show(Law and Order) or a unknown movie like this or Staten Island. He's a very good and under appreciated actor. Once again he gives an eccentric and flawless performance as a leader of the counter-culture movement of the 1960's. I won't go into the full details of Abbies life, but basically the government started to perceive him as dangerous and forced him to "go underground." He left behind a wife and son who he could only talk to through letters as he was being searched for by the FBI. The last half of Steal This Movie is damn near flawless. The movie features a great soundtrack featuring "Season of the Witch," "The Star Spangled Banner"(Hendrix style) and many protest songs that we've all heard throughout the years. Steal This Movie is definitely a movie that deserves some respect.
    Melvin W Super Reviewer
  • Jan 21, 2011
    Good movie based on the life of Abbie Hoffman. Most of it is told in flashbacks. A journalist is writing a piece on Abbie Hoffman, and through interviews with him, his wife, friends and lawyers we see what happened to make Abbie go "underground"...which is where he is at the beginning of the film. This covers the time from his first arrest, to his coming out of the underground. Vincent D'Onofrio does a great job as the man himself, and Janeane Garofalo is wonderful as his wife Anita.
    Cynthia S Super Reviewer
  • Nov 16, 2010
    It pains me to give this movie two stars but as a great advocate for Abbie Hoffman and the Yippie movement in general, I cannot condone such an inaccurate representation of the great mans life. Although this movie, on the surface is energetic, informed and entertaining, after reading Hoffman's autobiography and his own book "Steal This Book" I cannot say that this movie represented the man he truly was, more than represented an over illustrated and almost cartoon like version of one of the most inspirational people of the twenty first century. Abbie Hoffman - five stars. Steal This Movie - two stars. Enough said really.
    Unknown H Super Reviewer
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