American Graffiti (1973)

Very Cool!!!

Sadly Over-hyped

One of the most extraordinary films you will see this year. Take that as you want.

It's the kind of movie you'll want to see a second time with someone who hasn't seen it yet, to remember what it was like to watch it for the first time.

I probably watched this movie for the same reason everyone else did, because it was Lucasfilm's first movie.It just wasn't for me. I'm the wrong demographic for this movie. The humor in the movie just wasn't for me and the male characters acted so much like machos that I couldn't connect with them at all and they're kinds of douchebags. Except Terry, who I kinda liked and I liked most character developments. I know this movie was released in the 1970s and it takes place in the 1960s, but if a guy was hitting on me in such a rude way as some of the characters did I'd probably feel intimidated and run away. I don't like machos and I don't like them in movies either. It's a movie made for young men. Men might enjoy this movie more than I did, but it's just not for me. The female characters were relatable, especially Carol, even though I don't get why she stuck around with John for so long as he was so rude to her.There's a few really funny scenes in this movie, such as one scene that involves buying some high-percentage alcohol and a scene that involves a police car. They were really good comic relief.This is by no means a terrible movie like you think I make it sound. The cinematography is good for its time, the acting is great, especially Harrison Ford's, and the Beatles-like score was great. I noticed a flaw in the cinematography though. I don't know if this was intentional, but near the end we see a lot of cars driving on a road and the lights of the car Terry is driving are reflecting in the camera lens. And while I found the first act kind of unlikable the second act surprised me, I liked how the characters got themselves into trouble, it was entertaining. The third act was really good, the movie went in a direction I did not expect and I really liked the ending.

Like most people who weren't alive at the time this film was first released, I came to "American Graffiti" through "Star Wars." I first saw it on AMC or TCM or something as a kid, and mostly only remembered the awesome soundtrack until I watched it again recently. It's interesting how much more of an impact this movie made seeing it in my 20's versus my early teens. It's not just that I couldn't appreciate the filmmaking or the writing at the time. I also couldn't appreciate just how perfectly this film captures the spirit of youth, because I hadn't lived it yet. Like "Star Wars", there's something strangely stirring about "American Graffiti". I've never had a movie blow the dust off of long-buried emotions like this one did. I grew up in an environment totally different from the characters, almost 50 years after this movie takes place. But therein lies Lucas's genius: there's something universal in American culture about the magic of your late teens in the summer; of driving through humid nights looking for trouble, looking for love, looking for anything to do. I felt that again for 2 hours - that same sense of invincibility, of endless possibility, of teenage libido and out-of-control hormones that my friends and I felt at age 17. This film put me right back there.Consequently, there's a real bittersweet-ness to "American Graffiti." Because just like Milner, Curt, Steve are destined to discover, that sense of unlimited potential fades quickly. We're all forced to either embrace the future of "settling down" (Curt) or try in vain to hold on to the past (Milner). The movie is a lot less light-hearted and lot more sad seeing it as an adult. But even in that sadness there's real beauty, charm, and excitement. I daresay "American Graffiti" tops "Star Wars" as an observation of the (young American) human condition. I hope history will be kind to this film; it deserves just as much love as the rest of his work.

I was 13 when this movie came out. I remember seeing in the movie theater and it's when I fell in love with the 50s music. To this day I am crazy about 50s music.....I am sad though many great actors never really made it big like Paul LeMat, Candy Clark.....I couldn't imagine any other cast pulling it off.......the cast chemistry was amazing. This is one movie that was made without A list actors. The most famous at the time was Ron Howard.....this will be a movie that will be popular for as long as my generation lives......not other movie even comes close to having an ever lasting legacy.And get Flash Cadillac & the Continental Kids.....amazing band....RIP Sam McFadin........

My thoughts on American Graffiti- The plot was unclear at times but they all had a common goal to have one last great night before some of them go off to college. That drove the great acting and dialogue. The aspect that made this movie unique is the character's relationships undergoing during the whole movie. The underlying message in this movie adds a better outlook on it, the movie is set in 1962 when America was innocent like the teenagers and when JFK died America lost their innocence. Just like the teenagers will when they go off to college. I believe it is a fantastic movie, this was George Lucas's first movie and what a great first mark on the film industry!