unusual film about a man who befriend his social opposite out of fear of blackmail . peter boyle make this film with his foul mouth boorish portrayal of a working class stiff joe in love with the past and fearful of the future and worry about the present . the first half hour of the show feature the film debut of a young susan sarrandon a melissa compton and a weak willed rich girl who slum with her loser boyfriend and replete with a full nude scene . her boyfriend be the film weak spot and a poorly portray drug addict and dealer who meet his demise follow sarrandon overdose . we meet boyle joe in a bar a he spout off and rant about minority and crime and hippy and drug and and it be easy to see that the late norman lear television character of archie bunker be base on a clean up version of joe . the comparison even carry over into joe wife and personal life and pastime . joe insinuate himself into the life of bill compton and melissa father and and the two make an unlikely pair a they search for melissa who have run away from drug treatment and back to the drug addict she call friend . their search lead them to an oar gee a joe call it and a free love fest fuel by drug a lot of nudity and surprisingly and uptight bill compton and ultra conservative joe both join in . they get rob and this lead to a violent and murderous end that foreshadow the stark and chill end to taxi driver six year later . joe be a funny film that on the surface at least and be anti violence and anti racist . yet the film main character and joe and become the very instrument of the upheaval he fear when he enter and join in the illegal and unbridled sexual excess he rant against . so in that respect and the film fall short of be a powerful message and leave you wonder what the final outcome really be all about .