American Graffiti

American Graffiti was a very popular 1973 movie co-written and directed by George Lucas. Yes, that George Lucas. The movie was hit a with the critics as well and was nominated for Best Picture. Starring Ron Howard, Richard Dreyfuss and Cindy Williams the movie became a touchstone in seventies culture even as it revisited the innocent time of 1962 in the days of cruising all night, hot rods, and wholesome middle America.

The very popular television series Happy Days starring the same Ronny Howard is often seen as a successful attempt to capitalize on the nostalgia wave the movie produced.

For me the movie was simply nothing special. Told as the tale of one night, the last night before the characters played by Dreyfuss and Howard go off to college, the movie is not supposed to be high theater. My suspicion is that having seen Happy Days for ten years growing up, and seeing movies that capture my own youthful experiences this movie seems like a relic. There just is not that much for me, with my life experiences, to embrace.

One jarring thing for me was how young Dreyfuss looked and then comparing that in my mind with the look he presented in the Jaws movies.

Certainly Richard Linklater's Dazed and Confused is the movie that makes me smile and often think of my high school experiences. When I look at certain characters in that movie I say" Hey, I knew that guy." I am sure for those folks that grew up in the fifties and early sixties this movie does the same thing.

The soundtrack was very strong, the cast as well, the movie, however, was just nothing special for me.