Set in Portland, Oregon in 1971, Bob Hughes (Matt Dillon) is a 26 year-old ringleader of a "family" of drug addicts who travel across the American Pacific Northwest supporting their habit by robbing pharmacies and hospital drug cabinets in search of Valium, Dilaudid and other narcotics to pop, shoot and snort. With his frustrated wife Dianne (Kelly Lynch), his loyal easygoing partner Rick (James Le Gros), and Rick's juvenile girlfriend Nadine (Heather Graham), Bob plots ingenious heists and spends the rest of his time sitting around the house getting high.
When the heat becomes too intense in Portland, the quartet hits the road for small-town drug stores and hospitals, but when their luck runs out it does so in grand fashion. A highlight of the film is an appearance by recovering addict Tom (William S. Burroughs), a defrocked priest who lectures Bob on the dangers of temptation, adding some penetrating social commentary towards the end. After a tragedy strikes the "family" Bob decides to try to "go straight," but finds that there is more to extricating himself from the drug user's lifestyle than just giving up drugs. His inner war with fear and dark forces eventually compels him to enter a methadone treatment program, then find a regular job, even though he knows it means breaking up the "family".
The movie definitely captures the 1970s era well with its acting, dialogue and wardrobe. Performances by Dillon and the others are very good. The mood of this crime drama is generally uncomfortable, however some comic relief is added throughout in the dialogue and trippy visual imagery. Some of the pranks they pull on detective Gentry (James Remar) whom they are eluding are quite humorous. Elliot Goldenthal composed the movie score. Gus Van Sant and Daniel Yost wrote the screenplay derived from James Fogle's book of the same title. Openly gay Gus Van Sant directed. It was his breakthrough picture, very well-received critically.
