If the idea behind this movie was taken to studio execs now, it would almost inevitably get thrown out with a guffaw.
Picture the pitch:
"It's a comedy about a death-loving teen who falls in love with a 79-year-old eccentric woman who lives in a caravan"
So where's the commercial appeal in that? Fortunately, this movie was made in the heady days of indie cinema during the 70s, when the likes of Bogdanovich, Scorsese, Coppola, Friedkin and the like were just starting to flex their muscles.
That Ashby's name does not immediately not spring to mind when you think of this period is a travesty.
It's the kind of movie you can imagine Alexander Payne, Paul Thomas Anderson or Richard Kelly making in the 21st century.
This is a sweet, quirky, touching, and exceptionally dark film that deserves a wider audience. Sadly, TV schedulers rarely show films like this and the likes of Blockbuster don't have it on their shelves that often.
Here's hoping the likes of Netflix in the US and Lovefilm in the UK plug this gem.