Different Drummers is based on a true story about two unusual boys in Spokane, Washington in the mid 1960s. In this more innocent time, when body builder Jack Lalanne ruled the airwaves, the two heroes, a couple of elementary school students, make a bold attempt to triumph over mortality through friendship. Eleven year old David is slowing down and is now wheelchair-bound by muscular dystrophy, while Lyle can't stop speeding up. Back then, he was referred to as having a condition called MDB (Minimal Brain Dysfunction) but today he would be diagnosed with "Attention Deficit Disorder." Lyle wants more than anything to get David out of his wheelchair and running again, and he concocts a wild scheme involving a science project, some firemen, drummers, the school principal, a cop and a hand-walk across the school gymnasium, among other things. It works like this: Inspired by his TV idol, Lalanne, and his message of "intestinal fortitude and willpower," Lyle manages to convince David that ...
年迈的摇滚明星约翰·奥尔曼（小哈里·康尼克 饰）的专辑销量不佳，热门歌曲人气也逐渐下降。于是他决定暂停事业，重拾活力，并搬到了地中海田园诗般的塞浦路斯岛上一座孤立在悬崖边的房屋中。然而，他追求低调生活的愿望却被频繁的访客打乱。后来，当一段旧情重新燃起时，他又面临着更加复杂的意外。
四个地方高中生为考大学来到东京，正赶上进步人士为废除保守派的“建国纪念日”举行游行，两代人的观念碰撞在一起。四人在对女孩的追逐中产生了强烈的性欲。他们在和大竹老师吃饭时，其他顾客唱起军歌，而大竹则唱起了春歌。当晚，大竹自杀了，中村恰好看到但没有阻止挽救，而是高唱“诞生了一个平民”。为大竹守灵的晚上，一众高中生唱起了春歌怀念大竹。第二天，四个学生护送女生回家，产生了强奸她们的幻想，又有一个女生今田加入了他们的行列，唱起春歌。当资产阶级女生眉子举办反战民谣集会的时候，今田、中村等人也去了，并展开了一场民谣与春歌的大会战。当中村对眉子说曾在幻想中强奸了她们时，眉子接受挑战。大家一起来到考场大教室，男生们高唱着春歌，向眉子扑去。 日本春歌被某些评论家认为是启蒙民众、歌唱幻想、摆脱痛苦生活的象征。而片中的春歌和放纵欲望的相关情节，还带着战后民主主义思想的余韵，而新一代年轻人的反抗方式则遵从着个人欲望的规则，并带着无政府主义的色彩。同美国嬉皮运动一样，日本年轻人也以“性”为武器，向保守前辈进行攻击，春歌就是其中一种手段。然而，也正如现实生活中，这种反抗的盲目性并不能导致实质性的社会改变一样，影片结尾的一段超现实主义的强奸道出了这一代年轻人彷徨虚幻的心态。
