Nathaniel Hawthorne Flowers

The year is 1969. After an interminable four years under the boot of the US military, 24-year-old Nathaniel Hawthorne Flowers is ready for his real life to begin. But when Nate is denied admission to UC Santa Cruz, he decides that a bachelor's degree isn't necessarily the path he's laid out for himself. When a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity presents itself, even Nate is tempted by the allure of conventionally defined success. Madrone inspires us to consider how far we'll go to remain true to ourselves.

Tim, an SDS member, avowed communist and anarchist, has had a transformation on the bombed-out streets of New York and is now a full-fledged member of Weatherman. Bent on bombing America to its senses, he wants Nate at his side. Nate, although anti-war and intellectually sympathetic, is unwilling to participate in Tim’s anarchy - until, that is, Tim blackmails him. Their lives become an antagonistic pas de deux as the stakes rise: They try to remain collegial while despising each other's lifestyle.