If there's one thing Ronald Reagan helped perpetuate - for better or for worse - it's that politics and pop culture, specifically Hollywood, go hand in hand. From Arnold Schwarzenegger doing jumping jacks on the White House lawn to Clinton capturing the youth vote on MTV, it has long been evident how pop culture has affected our political system. The Last Party, a documentary look behind the scenes of last year's presidential campaigns from a movieland perspective, completes the crossover. Our host; actor Robert Downey Jr.

Downey is a man who had fully wallowed in 80's decadence, but today Mr. Less-Than-Zero has become Mr. 90's-P.C. He's married, on a health kick and uses words like "organic" a little too freely. Though he had participated in some politically minded movements before (mostly at the coercion of his then-girlfriend Sarah Jessica Parker), he was not sure just where he stood. "We picked a pop star who admitted he didn't know much about the system," says co-director Marc Levin. "But he's part of the same orbit. That's how this whole thing works now - it's like a movie."

The concept for The Last Party came from the film's three twentysomething producers: Donovan Leitch, Eric Cahan, and Josh Richman. "Originally we were just going to do it about the Democratic convention," recalls Richman. "But we needed money, so I asked Robert, and suddenly we were making a feature film."

From AIDS demonstrations in New York to anti-abortion protests in Houston, The Last Party attempts to capture the swelling unrest that was present during the last few months of the election. With a merciless camera and all-hearing microphone, Downey meets with impressive participants on both sides of the fence: Patti Davis, Jerry Brown, Joey DiPaolo, Al Sharpton, Oliver North, and G. Gordon Liddy. Memorable moments include WAC members drumming their way down Fifth Avenue; Young Republicans picknicking in Texas; and starlets debating in the VIP room of Planet Hollywood.

Watching The Last Party now, eight months into Clinton's administration, could easily bring on waves of nostalgia for last year's activism, and in many ways the documentary itself serves as an appropriate metaphor for today's political state of mind. "Everything changed all the time," says Leitch. "We all had different visions of how it should be presented." Richman, responding from the West Coast, is more adamant. "We all went to war with each other and now nobody is welcome in each other's houses."

And what of last year's demands and hopes? "I think a lot of people, including myself, have slacked up since the election," confesses Downey. "It's become more comfortable to poke fun at Clinton or belittle the work he's done. I think we should give him a break. Just keeping open a critical eye isn't enough."