Critic American Graffiti film reviews

American Graffiti

1973

Overall rating: 3 out of 5

from 6451 members

It's the last night of summer 1962, and the teenagers of Modesto, California, want to have some fun before adult responsibilities close in. Among them are Steve (Ron Howard) and Curt (Richard Dreyfuss), college-bound with mixed feelings about leaving home; nerdy Terry The Toad (Charles Martin Smith), who scores a dream date with blonde Debbie (Candy Clark); and John (Paul Le Mat ), a 22-year-old drag racer who wonders how much longer he can stay champion and how he got stuck with 13-year-old Carol (Mackenzie Phillips) in his deuce coupe. As D. J. Wolfman Jack spins 41 vintage tunes on the radio throughout the night, Steve ponders a future with girlfriend Laurie (Cindy Williams), Curt chases a mystery blonde, Terry tries to act cool, and Paul prepares for a race against Bob Falfa (Harrison Ford), but nothing can stop the next day from coming, and with it the vastly different future ushered in by the 1960s. Fresh off The Godfather (1972), producer Francis Ford Coppola had the clout to get his friend George Lucas's project made, but only for $750,000 on a 28-day shooting schedule. Despite technical obstacles, and having to shoot at night, cinematographer Haskell Wexler gave the film the neon-lit aura that Lucas wanted, evoking the authentic look of a suburban strip to go with the authentic sound of rock-n-roll. Universal, which wanted to call the film Another Slow Night in Modesto, thought it was unreleasable. But Lucas' period detail, co-writers Willard Huyck's and Gloria Katz's realistic dialogue, and the film's nostalgia for the pre-Vietnam years apparently appealed to a 1973 audience embroiled in cultural chaos: American Graffiti became the third most popular movie of 1973 (after The Exorcist and The Sting), establishing the reputations of Lucas (whose next film would be Star Wars) and his young cast, and furthering the onset of soundtrack-driven, youth-oriented movies. Although the film helped spark 1970s nostalgia for the 1950s, nothing else would capture the flavor of the era with the same humorous candor and latent sense of foreboding.~ Lucia Bozzola, All Movie Guide

American Graffiti details

Formats:	PG DVD, Blu-ray
Starring:	Harrison Ford, Ron Howard, Richard Dreyfuss, Charles Ma, Mackenzie Phillips, Charles Martin Smith, Cindy Williams, Wolfman Jack, Bo Hopkins, Paul Le Mat, Suzanne Somers, Candy Clark
Director:	George Lucas
Genre:	Comedy - Gross-Out
Collections:	American Film Institute's top 100

Name	Discs
American Graffiti	PG Feature

DVD Information

Run time:	1 hour 47 minutes
Rental release:	Currently unavailable
Main languages:	English
Dubbed:	German, French, Spanish, Italian
Subtitles:	Bulgarian, Czech, Danish, Dutch, English, Finnish, French, German, Hungarian, Norwegian, Polish, Portuguese, Swedish, Turkish

Name	Discs
American Graffiti	PG Feature

Blu-ray Information

Run time:	1 hour 47 minutes
Rental release:	25 Jul 2011
Main languages:	English

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Most helpful review American Graffiti

Friendship, Music, Cars and Much Much More

By a customer from Thurlaston , 27 Apr 2007

[Highly rated reviewer]

This superb early film from Lucas has a raw quality to it that his later big budget films would lose. The performances from a young ensemble cast capture that difficult period as teenagers move forward into adult hood. The future looms large and uncertain for this group of friends as each have to make their own difficult choices about their lives. The backdrop is small town America set in 1962. A fantastic 60s sound track accompanies the movie and whilst it 's a nostaglgic look back to America of the JFK era it's done to perfection. The then largely unknown cast put in stunning performances and many would go on to have glittering carreers. The cars, I forgot the cars, you can't, they are as much an integral part of this film and form the backdrop for much of the action and are the glue that bind this movie and the story of these teenage lives together. There are many comic moments that find their way into the film but this movie is not an out and out comedy. The final credits of the film stop the viewer in their tracks and should not be missed, by this time you have become so involved with the characters that you will find this ending piece truly chilling, don't miss it. Now regarded by many as a cult film, it's easy to see why.
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Happy Days without the laughs.

By WallF (24 reviews) from WIRRAL , 26 Dec 2009

In fact this was akin to the dreadful later Happy Days series where Ritchie and Ralph were replaced by Jony and Cha Cha or whatever his name was. The cars were interesting but the lack of characters to like or dislike, of any discernable plot, and a dodgy soundtrack meant I could fast forward this by 10 minutes and not lose anything from the storyline. This makes it to my Christmas 'turkey' list.
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American grafiti

By a customer from Hebden Bridge , 26 Aug 2009

I was hoping that this film would have had more depth, but I found it to be a weak story, which represented the worst aspects of American culture.
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Same old Routine

By carlyannking (5 reviews) from Liverpool , 06 Apr 2009

THIS REVIEW CONTAINS SPOILERS Show review anywayHide

As I off to work in America in the next few months, I am embracing all things american. As this title was on the list of films to see before you die, I thought it must be good. I was a tad dissappointed to be honest. Felt like I had seen the same teen drama before- although on later thoughts, I realised that this is maybe what set the precident for other teen dramas which followed in the previous decades, for instance The Breakfast Club in the 80's and various shows during the 90's and 00's. For those of you who are used to One Tree Hill/ The OC/ Dawson's Creek, this may seem a bit old hat but the soundtrack is immense, also for you ladies, a young Harrison Ford is a noteworthy piece of eye candy!!!!
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AMERICANO STYLE

By a customer from KT15 Addlestone , 30 Jan 2009

I LOVE IT

THE CARS THE MUSIC

YOU JUST CABT BEET IT

A LOVELY PIECE OF WORK
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love it

By a customer from Birmingham , 01 Dec 2008

one of the best films of all time
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