The Innocents' Crusade

Even worse, Bill's parents have decided to make a family road trip out of their son's college search and are right there every night when he returns to the motel, dejected from the day's failures

It would be bad enough if Bill decided to give up his dreams of a higher education, but instead each rejection inspires him with a new kind of optimism

Taking a cue from an article his mother gives him about a medieval crusade of children - all of whom either starved or drowned on the way to the holy land - Bill takes it into his head that what his generation lacks is a mission and decides to start his own crusade

Bill's father, a borderline alcoholic, can't fathom it. Instead of offering Bill his support, he waits and watches for an opportunity to discourage his son and force him into the resigned, work-a-day life that he's had to lead since he was Bill's age

As the "crusade" proceeds from town to town and shopping mall to shopping mall, Bill accrues an increasingly outrageous entourage, not the least interesting of whom is Laura, a runaway heiress, with whom Bill will fall in love

The trials of college hunting reach unexpected extremes when a bright but unfocused young man corrals his parents, girlfriend and an assortment of equally directionless wanderers into an impromptu road trip aimed at bringing innocence to the world again

"Keith Reddin writes terrific characters, roles actors can really sink their teeth intohe's also a big-picture playwright, tackling complex political themes with rare verve" - Variety