American Graffiti | George Lucas, 1973
Many uneducated film-lovers may believe that the bearded writer/director came to fame with the groundbreaking release of Star Wars in 1977 but he had become a big name years before this, mainly due to the release of American Graffiti, which pulled in five Oscar nominations and placed his name firmly on the map. With much the same theatrical entry into fame as Richard Linklater had in 1993 with Dazed and Confused – at least similar when considering the nostalgic values behind their respective efforts – Lucas littered his film with young and unheard-of actors/actresses, many of who would go on to greatness, including a cameo from a bright-faced Harrison Ford (an actor who would go on to star under Lucas so memorably, four years later). Just as with Dazed and Confused, American Graffiti takes place during one long and exciting summer night, and really helps invoke a spirit of a young and carefree time for America. Curt Henderson (played by Richard Dreyfuss) is an intellectually-charged individual who is, like most of his peers, worrying about the future. We open on a conversation between him and fellow graduate Steve Bolander (Ronny Howard), who seems, unlike Curt, to be looking for some kind of preamble to college life. He has a steady relationship with his girlfriend Laurie and can’t quite justify throwing this away, whereas Curt in comparison wants nothing more than to escape the home life he has since grown tired of.
This initial introductory exchange sets the tone for American Graffiti and helps construct an arc upon which the story can then weave. We are very much observing a coming-of-age tale here; as the night melts away our two characters swap their respective viewpoints, showing exactly how confusing and daunting such a time can be. Much of the film is split between the varying fares of the young gang: from meeting at the roadside diner, they go off into the night seeking differing fortunes. Curt looks to relive the life he has witnessed thus far by visiting his favourite haunts, whereas Steve attempts to go out with one last bang – and not lose his girlfriend in the process. John Miller, the jock of the piece, cruises the “strip” looking for a means to vent his anger, while his good friend Toad attempts to wow passing fillies with a stunning new set of wheels. American Graffiti presents all these characters as specific personalities with which we can relate to a certain degree. Lucas is clearly intent on simply emulating this feeling of dawning independence, impending adulthood and the loss of youth: his film paints a nostalgically fun and insightful portrait upon such a life, one that is less concerned with messages and more with creating this feeling of adolescent wilderness. All of this is complemented by the pleasing sixties’ aesthetic, making American Graffiti a rewarding seventies homage to sixties America.
Our Rating:
