thumb tripping be a little known hippie road movie make in 1972. it little know for a reason . the reason be that it be somewhat poor . and those who saw it ( of which there be few ) do not build for it a word of mouth reputation of any note . there be a few cast member in it who go on to big and good thing and notably meg foster and bruce dern while also the director quentin master would later score a sexploitation hit with the joan collins movie the stud . however and in this film there be very little of interest other than a freewheeling narrative that offer occasional insight into the permissive and casual attitude of the youth of the late 60 or early 70 . in most department and thumb tripping be a tedious and dated and muddle and totally forgettable misfire . young hitch hiker gary ( michael burn ) and chay ( meg foster ) make their way around california together and hitch ride when they can and spend evening under the star . gary be a kid from a decent background and a home in connecticut who have choose to postpone go to college in order to discover himself while chay be a more freewheeling type who just want to experience the here and now while she be still young . during their wandering and gary and chay come across various weird type and sometimes find themselves catch up in bizarre adventure . theyre pick up by road racer smitty ( bruce dern ) and simp ( larry hankin ) who threaten them with a switchblade while later they hitch a lift from an embitter woman ( joyce van patten ) who have hat hippy since her daughter run away to become one while another time chay find herself be ogle by a middle age trucker ( mike conrad ) while and in their final thumb trip and they find themselves travel with dysfunctional husband and wife alcoholic ( mariana hill and burke burn ) . the episodes come and go without leave much of an impression and partly due to the fuzzy soundtrack ( which render much of the dialogue inaudible ) and partly because of the thoroughly uninteresting main character . michael burn give a non performance that may one day be recommend by doctor a a cure for insomnia and while foster fare little well a a dislikable female lead whose character seem to think she free and happy but in reality be just a self centre slut . the gallery of background character be far more fascinating than these two and but they come and go too quickly to make much of an impact . the script ( by don mitchell and from his own novel ) have no idea where it go and merely amble along from one pointless situation to another . where easy rider be similarly plot less and freewheeling and at least it have interesting character and situation and and charismatic performer . thumb tripping have none of that and be a very tough film to endure from low key begin to unsatisfying end .