Peter Fonda motors on 40 years after 'Easy Rider'

By Alex Dobuzinskis

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Forty years ago, actor Peter Fonda flew down America's highways on a motorcycle in counterculture classic "Easy Rider." So what better way to celebrate the film's anniversary than with a bunch of bikers?

On Friday, Fonda motored into the Southern California city of Glendale for an annual motorbike event called "Love Ride" where "Easy Rider" would be shown in an outdoor screening.

Fonda, the son of legendary actor Henry Fonda, has been part of the "Love Ride" for more than 25 years, as it grew from a few bikers to thousands motoring up the freeway.

This year, the formal ride was canceled as the poor economy depressed turnout, so the "Easy Rider" screening became the main reason for participants to gather at a Harley-Davidson shop for a scaled-down event.

Speaking by phone before the screening, Fonda told Reuters "Easy Rider," which sees a 40th anniversary DVD edition hit retail stores this month, is still relevant today because many of the social problems it highlights persist.

One of the most famous parts of "Easy Rider" comes at the movie's end when Fonda's motorbiking character Wyatt tells riding buddy Billy, "We blew it."

"People often ask me, 'Do I still feel the movie is relevant?'" Fonda said. "And my answer to them is, when ... I say, 'We blew it,' if you look out the window today and you say we haven't blown it, (then) I don't want to take whatever drug you're on," he said.

The line, uttered cryptically after the drug addled Wyatt and Billy made a bundle of cash in a cocaine deal and ventured to New Orleans, has been interpreted in different ways by movie pundits, but critics have praised its simple summation of the two main characters' journey.