American Graffiti [1973]
Here’s how American critic Roger Ebert described the unique and lasting value of George Lucas’ 1973 box-office hit, American Graffiti: “[It’s] not only a great movie but a brilliant work of historical fiction; no sociological treatise could duplicate the movie’s success in remembering exactly how it was to be alive at that cultural instant.” The time to which Ebert and the film refers is the summer of 1962, and American Graffiti captures the look, feel, and sound of that era by chronicling one memorable night in the lives of several young Californians on the cusp of adulthood. (In essence, Lucas was making a semi-autobiographical tribute to his own days as a hot-rod cruiser, and the film’s phenomenal success paved the way for Star Wars.) The action is propelled by the music of DJ Wolfman Jack’s rock & roll radio show–a soundtrack of pop hits that would become as popular as the film itself. As Lucas develops several character subplots, American Graffiti becomes a flawless time capsule of meticulously re-created memory, as authentic as a documentary and vividly realised through innovative use of cinematography and sound. The once-in-a-lifetime ensemble cast members inhabit their roles so fully that they don’t seem like actors at all, comprising a who’s who of performers–some of whom went on to stellar careers–including Ron Howard, Richard Dreyfuss, Harrison Ford, Cindy Williams, Mackenzie Phillips, Charles Martin Smith, Candy Clark, and Paul Le Mat. A true American classic. –Jeff Shannon, Amazon.com
Customer Review: A long time ago, in a California town far, far away…
Seen today it’s hard to believe that the George Lucas who made the sharply observed American Graffiti is the same George Lucas who gave us Jar-Jar Binks. You can certainly see the seeds of that galaxy far, far away in this ensemble piece about a night a long time ago in a small town not so far, far away, but it’s still got an original trilogy vibe. It could almost be the Tattoine Years, with Ron Howard an embryonic Luke Skywalker, Paul Le Mat Han Solo, Richard Dreyfuss C3PO, Charles Martin Smith R2D2, Bo Hopkins Chewbacca, Wolfman Jack Obi Wan Kenobi and Harrison Ford Greedo. Thankfully there’s no Jar-Jar this time out (well, maybe Mackenzie Phillips), but there’s a lot of time spent cruising Mos Eisley in landspeeders. In its day its huge profits certainly led to as many ripoffs as Star Wars, but none managed to tap into it’s surprisingly edgy indie, almost nouvelle vague vibe without pushing the darkness or exploitation elements too far. At times it’s almost like a Californian version of Fellini’s Il Vitelloni.
The key to the film’s success is its understanding of what it’s like to be stuck in a small town yet also afraid to leave it at that point in life when you’re suddenly aware of the real threat of failure in life. So, instead of dealing with any of the big issues on the back of their mind, its various characters distract themselves with trivia, the film to-ing and fro-ing between them as the night gradually turns into day, all linked by the simple but brilliant device of having all the characters have the same radio station on in the background with Wolfman Jack as a half-heard Greek Chorus, binding the stories together like the Force - okay, enough with the Star Wars analogies already. Paul Le Mat, the one who didn’t get a sitcom, directorial career or Thighmaster infomercial deal out of it, gets the best of the script as the doomed boy racer facing up to the fact that he’s strictly small town, although there’s enough left over to give everyone in the cast their moment in the sun.
The DVD features a fine feature length documentary reuniting most of the key players (though it conveniently ignores the film’s now-forgotten sequel), production notes and trailer.
Customer Review: A perfect evocation of the moment
The depiction of small town America is so good that it is now how we think we remember it (even if we were not there) and how we want it to be. The introversion of all that is important at High School before the kids go out to face the world and loose that security once and for all is sympathetically described. As Snoopy says “You can never go home again” and even if you never leave, it will still slip through your grasp.
An excellent social study as well; different prospects for the boys and girls etc. which shows us how we have changed and ultimately, as much as we enjoy trying on these old comfortable cloths for an evening, how far we have come.
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