American Graffiti (film)

Identification American coming-of-age film

Date Released in 1973

Director George Lucas

This film depicted the lives of typical American youth before the turmoil of the late 1960’s and 1970’s emerged, introducing a number of important actors in the process.

Key Figures

• George Lucas (1944-    ), film director

American Graffiti, the second film of George Lucas, appeared when he was only ten years older than most of his youthful actors. Many films of this era capitalized on the nostalgia for the 1950’s and the early years of the 1960’s. Set in the summer of 1962, American Graffiti focuses on the anxiety and hopefulness of young adults, who lived in a happy, uncomplicated era. The film depicts the change of this era as a result of the assassination of President John F. Kennedy, civil rights marches, and the escalation of the Vietnam War, all of which became the focus of strife and turmoil of the 1970’s.

The action occurs in a small California town, as viewers follow the adventures of high school students and recent graduates over the period of a single night. In an interlacing plot, one that has four separate story lines, class stereotypes emerge: the rebel, the nerd, the senior-class president and his head cheerleader girlfriend, the hoods, and finally, the quiet, thoughtful student whose ambition remains to shake hands with President Kennedy. Each of these plots represents a rite of passage for its characters, as they deal with the emotional pangs of high school, the uncertainty of college, or the desire to stay forever cool and famous in a small town.

While the film re-creates the particularity of the California car culture made famous by the Beach Boys and other rock-and-roll groups, its fame came to rest with the actors it introduced, who went on to become the stars of the 1970’s in film and television. The impressive cast included Richard Dreyfuss, Candy Clark, Cindy Williams, Harrison Ford, Paul Le Mat, Charles Martin Smith, Mackenzie Phillips, “Wolfman” Jack, Suzanne Somers (barely seen in a white 1957 Thunderbird), and Ron Howard, the only “name” star, who at the time was known for his role as Opie on The Andy Griffith Show (1960-1968).

American Graffiti became famous as well for its rock-and-roll soundtrack, with more than forty recognizable hits from the 1950’s and 1960’s that play nonstop throughout the film. The songs were appropriate to the story’s events, each coloring the action that it underscores. For example, the nerd (played by Smith), out driving, sees Debbie (Clark) walking on the sidewalk. After inviting her into his car, she tells him to “Peel out! I just love it when guys peel out!” as Chuck Berry sings “Almost Grown.”

Impact

American Graffiti marked the end of small-budget studio films. George Lucas had approximately $750,000 to work with and completed the film in under a month. It came in on budget, and the American Film Institute later awarded it number seventy-seven of the one hundred greatest American movies. The film earned five Academy Award nominations, including Best Director, Best Original Screenplay, Best Film Editing, and Best Supporting Actress for Clark, although it won none. It is interesting to note that executives at Universal were not happy with the film, cutting several scenes over the objections of Lucas. However, after his success with Star Wars (1977), these scenes went back into the film, and it was re-released in 1978.

Bibliography

Prince, Stephen. Movies and Meaning: An Introduction to Film. 2d ed. Boston: Allyn & Bacon, 2001.

Sigoloff, Marc. Films of the Seventies: A Filmography of American, British, and Canadian Films, 1970-1979. Jefferson, N.C.: McFarland, 2000.