American Graffiti (Richard Dreyfuss, Ron Howard) 1/2
I won't analyze too much in American Graffiti because that could make me a square. With an infinitely low budget and a cast of relative unknowns, George Lucas probably had little idea the impact it would make when it was released in 1973. There was an instant appeal for moviegoers in part because its setting, one summer night in 1962, had only transpired a decade earlier. This made the film both a flashback experience for the older set and a teen flick with romantic romps for the younger set. The film cost less than $1 million to make, but went on to gross $55 million. Yet another example of Lucas adopting a Midas touch in terms of film investment.
The most notable star in the piece was Ronny Howard, all grown-up after many years as Opie on The Andy Griffith Show. He plays Steve, a high school grad about to head to college, although his character might just as easily have been dubbed Richie Cunningham, since Howard would eventually be featured in the similar, long-running sitcom Happy Days. His girlfriend is Laurie (Cindy Williams) and she hopes he'll opt to stay for her. Williams, of course, would eventually go on to make a cameo on an episode of Happy Days as Shirley Feeney, and later herself star in Laverne & Shirley. Richard Dreyfuss was only two years from the release of a small flick known as Jaws; here he is the confused Curt, unsure if he wants to leave his California smalltown behind (although there is never really much of a doubt for the viewer). There are several other subplots, including the forever geeky Charlie Martin Smith as "the Toad" who, in his desparation to impress a young lady (Candy Clark), finds himself talking the tough guy talk but unable to walk the walk. He gets himself into more and more trouble as the movie wears on.
American Graffiti takes place during one night. The sun has just set at the opening credits, and has only risen in the final minutes of the film, so not even a full day goes by, yet the characters go through enough to talk about for years to come. This is both the strength and weakness of Lucas's screenplay. It plays as real events thanks in large part to the strength of the well-cast actors, but because it sometimes is about nothing more than hanging out or racing or dancing or talking, the urgency of the story is sometimes in question. Characters such as Falfa (a young Harrison Ford) and Joe (Bo Hopkins) are the bullies who instigate action, so their scenes are more memorable than many others. The best storyline, however, features Paul Le Mat as a drag-racing tough guy, and his accidental encounter with the barely teenaged MacKenzie Phillips. Their dialogue is funny but careful, and Phillips turns in a wonderful performance as a young girl looking for attention, but unsure where to find it.
As the cars hum and the characters find themselves in wacky situations, a superb array of 60s songs, as voiced over by Wolfman Jack, underscores the entire movie. It captures a specific time period, as do the rows of vintage cars, drive-in diners, sock hops, and cherry bombs. George Lucas probably drew from a lot of personal experience in directing American Graffiti, and very few movies have been released since then that have attempted to create the unique styles of the early 60s -- much less been as successful at it.
