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American Graffiti (1973)

Starring Richard Dreyfuss, Ron Howard, Paul Le Matt, and Charlie Martin Smith.  Cinematography by Jan D’Alquen and Ron Eveslage. Edited by Verna Fields and Marcia Lucas. Produced by Francis Ford Coppola. Written by George Lucas, Gloria Katz, and Willard Huyck. Directed by George Lucas.

Over the course of one hot, summer night, four teenagers are forced to deal with issues that will affect the rest of their lives. Steve (played by Ron Howard) and Curt (played by Richard Dreyfuss) debate leaving the small town to go to college. Milner (Paul Le Mat) wants to stay and keep his position as king of the road. And all Toad (played by Charles Martin Smith) wants to do is get drunk and laid; foreign soil for the young and inexperienced kid. Together they cruise the streets of Modesto, California for the last time as a group.

As a teenager, George Lucas spent his days listening to his library of 45’s and 78’s and his nights cruising in his Fiat Bianchina. He dreamed of becoming a racecar driver, but a strong dose of reality hit him when he was broad sided by another car and nearly killed only days away from his high school graduation.  Almost immediately Lucas changed from an aimless teenager to a focused young man and he soon found himself in the University of Southern California film department. 

There he earned a reputation as an experimental and avant-garde filmmaker, but flashy cars and rock and roll were still held a place in his heart. When his feature film debut, THX 1138, turned into a financial disaster, he turned to his past for inspiration and came up with American Graffiti; an enormously personal film that is steeped in emotion and humor. The film’s shtick was that it would be literally filled with nonstop rock and roll songs from credits to credits.

Lucas even pitched it as a nontraditional musical. But unfortunately his previous failure closed a lot of prospective doors before he could even get a foot in.  Universal Studios finally gave him a chance, but they watched their investment closely.

Lucas chose his friend Gary Kurtz to produce the film, but Universal insisted he use a more experienced producer.  He was given a list of available candidates and was surprised to find his old friend and business partner Francis Ford Coppola on file.  Based on his experiences from their previous endeavors, Lucas knew that Coppola would let him make the film as he saw fit and subsequently offered him the position. Coppola reluctantly agreed to take the job. 

But the project was nearly canned when Universal was presented with Lucas’ list of eighty songs he wanted for the soundtrack.  Licensing the full list would have demanded a small fortune.  They demanded that Lucas cut it down, and so with a heavy heart he chopped his list almost in half. A catalog of forty-five songs was eventually approved and so the classic soundtrack to American Graffiti was born.

But the music is just the fuel for the nostalgic shuttle that the audience of 1973 was aboard while watching the film.  The romantic vision of youth reminded Lucas’ generation what it was like to be a kid again and they repaid their debt of gratitude by keeping the film alive in theaters for over two years.  American Graffiti became the most lucrative Hollywood investment of all time, and kept that crown for almost thirty years.

Budget: $775,000

Total US Gross: $115,000,000

Genre: Musical

Runtime: 110 Minutes

US Release Date: 8/11/73

Aspect Ratio: 2.35:1

Awards:
Academy Awards:
Nominated for best editing, best original screenplay, director, supporting actress, and picture.

Golden Globes:
Won for most promising male newcomer and best musical or comedy.
Nominated for best actor in a comedy or musical and best director.

Directors Guild of America:
Nominated for the Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Motion Pictures. 

Writers Guild of America:
Nominated for Best Comedy Written Directly for the Screen.

American Film Institute’s Top 100 Lists:
100 Years… 100 Movies (#77),
100 Years… 100 Laughs (#43).

Tagline: Where Were You In ’62?

Quote: “Hey you're supposed to be the fastest thing in the Valley man, but that can't be your car.  It must be your mama's car!  I'm sort of embarrassed to be this close to you!”

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