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Richard Dreyfuss, Ron Howard, Paul Le Mat, Charles Martin Smith, Cindy Williams ... see more see more... , Candy Clark , Scott Beach , John Brent , Del Close , Tim Crowley , Charles Dorsett , Flash Cadillac & the Continental Kids , Harrison Ford , Beau Gentry , Herby and the Heartbeats , Wolfman Jack , Terry McGovern , Al Nalbandian , Manuel Padilla , Mackenzie Phillips , Kathleen Quinlan , Debra Scott , Suzanne Somers , Joe Spano , Lynne Marie Stewart , Ron Vincent , Ed Greenberg , Susan Richardson , Jana Bellan , Jim Bohan , John Bracci , James Cranna , Joseph Miksak , George Meyer , Christopher Pray , Charles A. Murphy , Bo Hopkins , Jan Dunn , Johnny Weissmuller Jr. , Debbie Celiz , William M. Niven , Jan Wilson

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... read more read more...), 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, Rovi

Flixster Users

79% liked it

60,018 ratings

Critics

97% liked it

37 critics

PG, 1 hr. 53 min.

Directed by: George Lucas

Release Date: August 1, 1973

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DVD Release Date: September 15, 1998

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Stats: 2,880 reviews

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Flixster Reviews (2,880)

  • fb733768972
    April 3, 2012
    fb733768972
    "American Graffiti" is the type of movie that I can see a lot of people disliking, but by the end of the movie, after all the characters go through their transformations, it is very interesting, funny, and heart warming to see how mature kids used to be, when they needed to be. T... read morehey still have an insane amount of fun while knowing that life is coming, tomorrow. Their plan is to have one last great night on the town, picking up girls, having sex, and street racing. There have been many films made that are similar to this concept, but George Lucas directs this in ways that I never would have seen coming. The characters are loveable, the premise is relatable, an the era of the 1960's was captured with perfection. The retro feel of the entire movie had a smile on my face. Still, it feels a little too long and some of the dialogue is corny. Overall, "American Graffiti" is a classic teen dramedy that everyone can relate to. It's terrific entertainment!
  • fb100002359227440
    March 19, 2012
    fb100002359227440
    An entertaining and sweet drama comedy with great cast and direction. American Graffiti flaw with a very sad ending to a very funny film. Fresh.
  • spielberg00
    August 22, 2011
    spielberg00
    AMERICAN GRAFFITI, a teen coming of age drama set in 1962, is certainly not what we would expect from George Lucas, who wrote, produced, and directed sci-fi and action movies such as STAR WARS (to stare the obvious), RAIDERS OF THE LOST ARK, THX 1138, LABYRINTH, and HOWARD THE DU... read moreCK. On the other hand, it is surprisingly good and entertaining, with an ongoing soundtrack of hits from the late '50s and early '60s.
  • TheDudeLebowski65
    July 4, 2011
    TheDudeLebowski65
    American Graffiti is George Lucas' second film, and it doesn't deal with Sci Fi adventure like Star Wars and THX 1138. Lucas has made one of the most memorable teen comedies/drama films in cinematic history. What George Lucas has made with American Graffiti is a film that everyo... read morene can relate to. A superb cast deliver great performances there is definitely great chemistry between every actor here. American Graffiti is also a film that has some of the best trash talking in any other film. The film has a great blend of comedy and drama, and George Lucas has created something unique with this film. A very good, and memorable film, American Graffiti is a superb film. I thoroughly enjoyed, and I thought it was nice to see that George Lucas made this, because as we all know, he would later make the legendary Star Wars: A New Hope. I thought it was great to see Lucas do a more different film instead of just another Sci Fi film, he made a comedy with dramatic elements, and it works so well on screen. This film is one of most well crafted teen comedies out there, and it shows the way a bunch of teens how they get ready to leave a small town and tackle the real world, something we all had to go through. A must see for diehard film buffs, American Graffiti is as funny as it is dramatic, and I think thats why this film has stood the test of time, it's simply smartly crafted and well acted that it's still a fun film to watch today.
  • ajv2688
    December 29, 2010
    ajv2688
    I saw this movie a long time ago, and I always wondered why Lucas directed it. The cast is good, but the story isn't that great. I remember not liking this movie when I first saw it, but maybe I'll give it another try someday.
  • fb619846742
    October 15, 2010
    fb619846742
    A lesser form of "Dazed and Confused", if you will, with a young George Lucas showing off his skill outside of sci-fi. Although largely forgettable and undeniably formulaic, still a very enjoyable movie that is funny, has a nice atmosphere, and is very well paced. The Richard Dre... read moreyfuss character is the most memorable part of the film, as he pursues an attractive girl across California throughout the night. I still like "Dazed and Confused" much more than this film, but I definitely respect and enjoy it to a high degree.
  • movieguru12
    July 26, 2010
    movieguru12
    I love it!!! Great characters in a great movie :)
  • ythelastman89
    November 20, 2009
    ythelastman89
    A great anthology of teenage life in the 60s. It has a lot of great early performances from now well known actors. The cinematic style is amazing and puts you into a suspension of disbelief. While I feel that the individual stories never closed properly, it wasn't bothersome to t... read morehe overall plot.
  • cosmo313
    April 26, 2009
    cosmo313
    This semi-autobiographial film depicting the antics of the final night of having fun for as group of friends before college is proof that George Lucas has talent as a director of non sci-fi films. He needs to make more films outside of that genre. As I've said before, I love film... read mores like this, and the fact that this film iwas essentially the first teen movie and the reason why Dazed and Confused exists. It's no secret that music is an essential part of films, and something I noticed,(and loved) was that there is music playing almost non-stop during the entire movie. Music is in every single scene, and I can't think of any other movies that ahve taken that approach. This movie might lose its impact for people who retroactively watch it (like me), but I think it still holds up regardless.
  • FireStormStudios
    March 7, 2009
    FireStormStudios
    This film is an interesting take on youth in the 60s. It really takes you back (even if you weren't there the first time around). I really liked to see this all-star cast, before they were ever made famous. This is a really fun movie.

View All American Graffiti Reviews

Critic Reviews

A.D. Murphy
June 27, 2007
A.D. Murphy, Variety

There is brilliant interplaying and underplaying, of script, performers and direction which will raise howls of laughter from audiences, yet never descends on the screen to overdone mugging, pratfall ... Full Review

Dave Kehr
June 27, 2007
Dave Kehr, Chicago Reader

A brilliant work of popular art, it redefined nostalgia as a marketable commodity and established a new narrative style, with locale replacing plot, that has since been imitated to the point of ineffe... Full Review

Roger Ebert
October 23, 2004
Roger Ebert, Chicago Sun-Times

American Graffiti acts almost as a milestone to show us how far (and in many cases how tragically) we have come. Full Review

Roger Greenspun
May 21, 2003
Roger Greenspun, New York Times

It is a very good movie, funny, tough, unsentimental. Full Review

Dennis Schwartz
May 21, 2012
Dennis Schwartz, Ozus' World Movie Reviews

Playfully suggests what life was like for white teenagers in small-town America during the 1950s and early 1960s. Full Review

R. L. Shaffer
January 29, 2012
R. L. Shaffer, IGN DVD

American Graffiti is a music-infused tone poem - a fond, delicate trip back to an era often forgotten. Full Review

Thomas Caldwell
April 22, 2011
Thomas Caldwell, Cinema Autopsy

It's one of the all-time great feel good films, but its sly cultural commentary is what makes it the masterpiece that it is. Full Review

Randy White
January 2, 2011
Randy White, Common Sense Media

Coming-of-age classic still a must-see for teens. Full Review

May 6, 2008
Empire Magazine

A funny-serious movie with gorgeous cars and colours and an amazing feel for the artefacts of an instantly vanished era. Full Review

May 6, 2008
Film4

Lucas' direction is skilful and assured -- he follows several stories with wit and sensitivity -- and he's matched by his cast, the whole film perfectly evoking the end of an era. Full Review

Critic ratings and reviews powered by RottenTomatoes.com

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Facts

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    • Carol: Your car is uglier than I am. That didn't come out right.
    • Curt Henderson: I'm telling you this was the most perfect, dazzling creature I've ever seen!
    • Steve Bolander: She's gone. Forget it.
    • Curt Henderson: She spoke to me, she spoke to me right through the window. I think she said I love you. That means nothing to you people? You have no romance, no soul? Someone wants me. Someone roaming the streets wants me. Will you turn the corner?
    • Steve Bolander: You wanna end up like John? You just can't stay seventeen forever.
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American Graffiti Trivia

  • This George Lucas movie has the tagline: "Where were you in '62?"  Answer »
  • Which movie was not directed by Stephen Spielberg?  Answer »
  • What was the name of the gang that took Curt for a ride because Curt sat on Gils car in the movie 'American Graffiti'?  Answer »
  • This classic American film gave new life to old fads and music, and was the launching pad for several people's careers, not the least of which included director George Lucas.  Answer »
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