"The Sweet Ride" is a product of the permissiveness that had seeped into films in the late 1960s. Since 1934, Hollywood had adopted the rigid new Production Code...and all sorts of content in films was being banned outright. Overt sexuality was a definite no-no during this period. But with the mid-late 1960s, the Code began to vanish...and studios routinedly ignored its rigid constraints. So, in "The Sweet Ride" there is lots of nudity and cursing...though the nudity was rather restrained and the women often turned away from the camera so you didn't see that much. But it was clear the men and women in this film were having a randy good time...a definite taboo in the Production Code era movies! Unfortunately, while this movie is more permissive, this doesn't translate to it being a particularly good or enjoyable film.
The story is mostly set in a beachfront house where three ne'er do wells live and spend their time doing anything but work. Mostly, they drink and chase women. The leader of these guys, Collie (Anthony Franciosa), is a 40 year-old who is the least mature of them. Choo-Choo (Bob Denver) is a piano player who seems to spend much of his time avoiding work and fighting. And, Denny (Michael Sarrazin), is a surfer...and not even a professional one. How they can afford this house is a mystery and they all seem like 12 year-olds in men's bodies.
Their lives are disrupted when a topless woman, Vickie (Jacqueline Bisset), struggles to find her way to shore in the most modest way possible. It seems her bikini top was pulled off in the surf. Denny saves her from this predicament and soon the pair begin dating. However, Vickie is a real screwball...a woman whose life is made up of lies. The story begins with Vickie being discovered in the road...beaten badly and left for dead. The story also seems to imply she was molested...though they never say it in so many words.
While I did like how the film ended for Denny, I really tired of the characters. After all, they all seemed pretty pathetic and difficult to like. Additionally, many will dislike the vagueness of the ending...as apart for Denny, the rest seem to be stuck in their awful lives. Overall, a mildly interesting film but nothing more.
