I'm watching the movie and I just read it takes place in 1976.
Funny thing is the house interier and the cars are all 1960's. And the Aunt and Uncle looked like they stepped out of 2007.
Dancing with Paula Abdul and the D-Listers
Maserati777
I agree, i didn't know it was 1976 till the start of the Soapbox derby when the announcer said it. the women's hair was a bit "flippy" but other than that i just thought they drove old pick-ups cause they were poor. I didnt think they had to place the movie in 1976, i mean, the Jim Kliekan character could have been back from the Gulf war or even 9/11. they just didn't have a good designer or costume person to place it in the 60's. Uncle Jeff should have had shorter hair and dressed more conservative. The house should have had harvest gold or Avocado color appliances. kids should have had either shorter hair, if parents were conservative, kids would be too. Thats why Bobby would have stood out as the new kid, with longer hair from California.
The distinction and conflict between the brothers would have been greater too. The brother that died was the "artistic" ie: hippee brother, younger was more conservative, staying home to run the family business.
They could have done alot more with it, and budgets would not have had to have been greater, they just needed someone with a "vision".