SimilarScreen
1969

1969

The year the country split apart and a generation came together.

19885.61h 35m

Overview

Two rebellious youths, Ralph and Scott, find themselves struggling with adulthood as the Vietnam War rages. Feeling trapped in their small town, Scott battles with his conservative veteran father, Cliff, and Ralph deals with his desperately sexual mother, Ev. When tragic news arrives from overseas, the entire town, inspired by Ralph and Scott's antiwar efforts, reevaluates its attitude toward the war.

Directed by Ernest Thompson
Written by Ernest Thompson
Produced by Daniel Grodnik, Bill Badalato
Box Office0Revenue: $6.0M

Top Cast

Robert Downey Jr.

Robert Downey Jr.

Ralph Carr

Kiefer Sutherland

Kiefer Sutherland

Scott Clifton Denny

Bruce Dern

Bruce Dern

Cliff Denny

Mariette Hartley

Mariette Hartley

Jessie Denny

Winona Ryder

Winona Ryder

Beth Carr

Joanna Cassidy

Joanna Cassidy

Ev Carr

Christopher Wynne

Christopher Wynne

Alden Palmer Denny

M

Mert Hatfield

Coach Heart

Scott N. Stevens

Scott N. Stevens

Hitchhiker

K

Kara Zielke

Nude Woman

Themes & Keywords

small townvietnamgraduation1960s

About 1969

1969 is a drama, war, romance film released in 1988 exploring themes of small town, vietnam, graduation, 1960s. Directed by Ernest Thompson, it stars Robert Downey Jr., Kiefer Sutherland, Bruce Dern. Two rebellious youths, Ralph and Scott, find themselves struggling with adulthood as the Vietnam War rages. Feeling trapped in their small town, Scott battles with his conservative veteran father, Cliff, and Ralph deals with his desperately sexual mother, Ev. When tragic news arrives from overseas, the entire town, inspired by Ralph and Scott's antiwar efforts, reevaluates its attitude toward the war.

Movies Similar to 1969

Discover titles like 1969 — ranked by similarity and community votes

We found 15 movies similar to 1969

If you enjoyed 1969, you'll love these handpicked recommendations. Each title below shares similar themes, tone, and storytelling style. Our algorithm analyzes genres, keywords, director filmography, and cast connections to find the closest matches. Whether you're looking for the same emotional depth, narrative structure, or visual style, these picks are curated to deliver the best viewing experience for fans of 1969.

The Deer Hunter
36% Match

Three steelworkers enlist in the army and are sent to Vietnam, one leaving behind a rushed marriage, the others a shared love. What they encounter during the war changes their lives forever.

The Last Picture Show
34% Match

High school seniors and best friends, Sonny and Duane, live in a dying Texas town. The handsome Duane is dating a local beauty, while Sonny is having an affair with the coach's wife. As graduation nears and both boys contemplate their futures, Duane eyes the army and Sonny takes over a local business. Each struggles to figure out if he can escape this dead-end town and build a better life somewhere else.

Dead Presidents
33% Match

On the streets they call cash dead presidents. And that's just what a Vietnam veteran is after when he returns home from the war only to find himself drawn into a life of crime. With the aid of his fellow vets he plans the ultimate heist -- a daring robbery of an armored car filled with unmarked U.S. currency!

Dogfight
32% Match

Dogfight(1991)

Movie6.9/10

In the fall of 1963, Eddie Birdlace is an 18-year-old Marine Corps volunteer who is about to ship out with three of his buddies for a tour of duty in Vietnam. Planning a massive blowout for their last night in San Francisco, Eddie, his buddies, and a number of other Marines set up a contest they call a "dogfight”.

American Gangster
29% Match

Loosely based on the criminal career of Frank Lucas, a gangster from La Grange, North Carolina, who smuggled heroin into the United States on American service planes returning from the Vietnam War, before being detained by a task force led by Newark Detective Richie Roberts.

Across the Universe
28% Match

When young dockworker Jude leaves Liverpool to find his estranged father in the United States, he is swept up by the waves of change that are re-shaping the nation. Jude falls in love with Lucy, who joins the growing anti-war movement. As the body count in Vietnam rises, political tensions at home spiral out of control and the star-crossed lovers find themselves in a psychedelic world gone mad.

Full Metal Jacket
27% Match

A pragmatic U.S. Marine observes the dehumanizing effects the U.S.-Vietnam War has on his fellow recruits from their brutal boot camp training to the bloody street fighting in Hue.

The Unbearable Lightness of Being
27% Match

Successful surgeon Tomas leaves Prague for an operation, meets a young photographer named Tereza, and brings her back with him. Tereza is surprised to learn that Tomas is already having an affair with the bohemian Sabina, but when the Soviet invasion occurs, all three flee to Switzerland. Sabina begins an affair, Tom continues womanizing, and Tereza, disgusted, returns to Czechoslovakia. Realizing his mistake, Tomas decides to chase after her.

Apocalypse Now
27% Match

At the height of the Vietnam war, Captain Benjamin Willard is sent on a dangerous mission that, officially, "does not exist, nor will it ever exist." His goal is to locate - and eliminate - a mysterious Green Beret Colonel named Walter Kurtz, who has been leading his personal army on illegal guerrilla missions into enemy territory.

Forrest Gump
27% Match

A man with a low IQ has accomplished great things in his life and been present during significant historic events—in each case, far exceeding what anyone imagined he could do. But despite all he has achieved, his one true love eludes him.

The Greatest Beer Run Ever
26% Match

Chickie wants to support his friends fighting in Vietnam, so he does something wild—personally bring them American beer. What starts as a well-meaning journey quickly changes Chickie's life and perspective.