"We blew it"
Laderman says Wyatt and Billy's
last campfire discussion questions the meaning and validity of their quest (thus the very premise of the film), as Wyatt insists on the failure, even futility, not of America, but of their own journey(75). Meaning and validity are the reasons why Wyatt says
we blew it.This line means that Wyatt and Billy never really find what they are looking for. In my opinion this search is for happiness in an evolving country. There is a tension between mainstream America and the figures of counterculture (i.e. Wyatt and Billy), as is demonstrated in the numerous scenes filled with the conservative "rednecks" harrassing the easy riders and especially the scene in the smalltown diner where the travellers find themselves being explicity harrassed for dressing and acting differently by the sheriff and others. Wyatt and Billy are in this social space where they don't know where they belong. These characters are never truly happy and this can be seen in almost any scene with Wyatt because he never smiles, he always seems restless and uneasy (which is ironic because of the title). Take for example the scene where he and Billy are with the prostitutes. Wyatt doesn't feel like he belongs there and instead asks the prostitutes if they want to go outside for the festivities. This is why they quote unquote blew it. As figures of American counterculture they never find happiness. Their companion George is murdered and the only time that the two ever seem peaceful is when they are on the road. This movie opens up interesting questions of whether outsiders of mainstream culture can ever truly find happiness.