Gary Beck

Still Defiant Gary Beck

The Pierce family took in disadvantaged youth, Steve Genelli, for the summer and he and Randy Pierce became lifelong friends. They played junior tennis, had summertime adventures and went to Yale. As the two friends matured, their world views began to conflict. Randy protested the Vietnam War, while Steve joined the Marine Corps. However, when an explosion in an underground bomb factory sent Randy into hiding, an act of friendship ensured he found safety with Steve in the East Village. Reunited as a team, they work at a local community center, where they face a rent strike with their slum landlord and eviction. The pair work with homeless youths, until some of the kids get into serious trouble and the program faces closure. Can Randy and Steve resolve the crisis to find another way to work with disenfranchised teenagers. Gary Beck's follow-up to Acts of Defiance continues the story of a turbulent friendship. As the relationship evolves in the shadow of the Vietnam War, Beck asks, can friendship transcend ideology?