Mark's Movie of the Week #7: American Graffiti

 

American Graffiti 

(Lucasfilm Ltd./Coppola Company; Universal Pictures; August 11,1973;112 minutes)

Written by George Lucas and Gloria Katz & Willard Huyck

Produced by Francis Ford Coppola 

Co-Produced by Gary Kurtz

Directed by George Lucas 

 

American Graffiti is a 1973 American coming-of-age comedy-drama film, and starring Richard Dreyfuss, Ron Howard (billed as Ronny Howard), Paul Le Mat, Harrison Ford, Charles Martin Smith, Cindy Williams, Candy Clark, Mackenzie Phillips, Bo Hopkins and Wolfman Jack.  On their last evening of summer vacation in 1962, high school graduates and friends Curt Henderson and Steve Bolander meets two other friends, John Milner, the drag-racing king and Terry "The Toad " Fields, in the parking lot of Mel's Drive-in in Modesto, California.  Curt and Steve are to travel "Back East" the following morning to start college.  Curt has second thoughts about leaving Modesto.  Steve gives Terry his car to care for until he returns.  Laurie, Steve's girlfriend and Curt's sister, arrives.  Steve suggest to Laurie that they see other people while he is away to "strengthen" their relationship.  Though not openly upset, she is affecting their interactions through the night.  Curt, Steve and Laurie attend the back-to-school sock hop.  En route, Curt sees a beautiful blonde woman driving a white Ford Thunderbird.  She mouths the words "I love you " to Curt before turning.  Curt becomes desperate to find her; one of his friends tells him "The Blonde" is the wife of a local jeweler, but Curt does not believe it.  After leaving the hop, Curt is coerced by a group of greasers (The Pharaohs) into hooking a chain to a police car and ripping out its back axle.  The Pharaohs tell Curt that "The Blonde" is a prostitute, which he does not believe.  Curt drives to the radio station to ask disc jockey "Wolfman Jack" to read a message for her on the air. Curt encounters an employee who tells him the Wolfman does not work there and that the shows are pre-taped for replay.  The employee accepts the

 message and promises to try to have the Wolfman air it.  As he is leaving, Curt sees the employee talking into the microphone and, hearing the bout, realizes it is the Wolfman, who reads the message, asking "The Blonde" to meet Curt or call him on the pay phone at Mel's.  Curt is awakened by the phone the next morning.  "The Blonde" does not reveal her identity but tells Curt maybe they will meet that night.  Curt replies that they probably will not because he's leaving town.  Terry and John cruise the strip.  Terry picks up flirtatious and rebellious Debbie.  John inadvertently picks up Carol, an annoying, precocious 12 year old who manipulates him into driving her around all night.  Bob Falfa is searching out John to challenge him to a race.  Steve and Laurie continue to argue and make up through the evening .  They finally split and ad the story lines intertwine, Bob pickup Laurie then finds John and goads him into racing.  Many follow them to "Paradise Road" to watch.  As John takes the lead, Bob's tire blows out, causing him to lose control.  His car swerved into a ditch, rolls over and catches fire.  Steve and John leap out of their cars and rush to the wreck while Bob and Laurie crawl out and stagger away just before it explodes.  Laurie grips Steve tightly and begs him not to leave her.  He assures her that he will stay.  At the airfield, Curt gazed out the window and sees the white Thunderbird driving in parallel to his plane.  An on-screen epilogue reveals that John was killed by a drunk driver in 1964.  Terry was reported missing in action near An Loc in 1965, Steve is an insurance agent in Modesto and Curt is a writer in Canada.  American Graffiti was nominated for 5 Academy Awards including Best Picture.  American Graffiti has 41 original hits including "Rock Around the Clock ", "16 Candles", "Runaway", "Why Do Fools Fall in Love", "That'll Be the Day", "Fannie Mae", "At the Hop", "She's So Fine", "The Stroll", "See You in September ", "Surfin' Safari ", "(He's) The Great Imposter", "Smoke Gets in Your Eyes ", "Little Darlin'", "Peppermint Twist-Part 1", "Barbara Ann", "The Book of Love ", "Maybe Baby", "Ya Ya", "The Great Pretender", "Ain't That a Shame", "Johnny B Goode", "I Only Have Eyes For You", "Get a Job", "To the Aisle", "Do You Want to Dance?", "Party Doll", "Come Go With Me", "You're 16", "Love Potion No. 9", "Since I Don't Have You", "Chantilly Lace", "Teen Angel", "Crying in the Chapel", "A Thousand Miles Away", "Heart and Soul", "Green Onions", "Only You (And You Alone)", "Goodnite Sweetheart, Goodnite" and "All Summer Long". Except the 3 songs "Gee", "Louie, Louie", and "Some Enchanted Evening", which were already hits. American Graffiti: the movie of the 70s, about the 60s.