American Graffiti

( 8 )

Overview

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 ...
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More About This Product

Overview

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.
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Special Features

Audio Commentary with Director George Lucas; ; The Making of American Graffiti: An Original feature-length Documentary featuring Interviews with Director George Lucas, Producer Francis Ford Coppola and members of the cast including Richard Dreyfuss, Ron Howard, Paul Le Mat, Charles Martin Smith, Cindy Williams, Candy Clark, Mackenzie Phillips, Harrison Ford and Suzanne Somers
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Editorial Reviews

All Movie Guide
Nostalgic but unsentimental, American Graffiti is a seminal coming-of-age film that speaks to anyone who has ever been a teenager. George Lucas's second feature film, it recalled a simpler time while reminding audiences that things weren't really that simple. An elegy for childhood freedom, it captured yearning conflict without exploiting it and refused to exchange its tough-love treatment of its subjects for a more breezy, simplistic rendering. The film was a surprise success (much like Lucas' next film, Star Wars) that set the tone for subsequent youth-oriented movies. It also sparked a craze for nostalgia films set in the pre-Vietnam era, an interesting detail given that, while certainly nostalgic, American Graffiti avoided the sort of sappy, one-dimensional pitfalls encountered by its numerous imitators. A classic by any standards, its message remains unforced and universal, making the film identifiable with but not defined by one particular era.
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Product Details

  • Release Date: 5/31/2011
  • UPC: 025195051026
  • Original Release: 1973

    • Rating:

  • Source: Universal Studios
  • Region Code: 1
  • Presentation: Special Edition / Wide Screen
  • Language: Français
  • Time: 1:53:00
  • Format: DVD
  • Sales rank: 1,343

Cast & Crew

Performance Credits
Richard Dreyfuss Curt Henderson
Ron Howard Steve Bolander
Paul Le Mat John Milner
Charles Martin Smith Terry Fields
Cindy Williams Laurie
Candy Clark Debbie
Scott Beach Mr. Gordon
Jana Bellan Budda
Jim Bohan Policeman Holstein
John Bracci Gas Station Attendant
John Brent Car Salesman
Debbie Celiz Wendy
Del Close Man at Bar
James Cranna Thief
Tim Crowley Eddie
Charles Dorsett Man at Accident
Jan Dunn Old Woman
Flash Cadillac & the Continental Rock Band
Beau Gentry Ants
Ed Greenberg Kip Pullman
Harrison Ford Bob Falfa
Herby and the Heartbeats Rock Band
Bo Hopkins Joe
Wolfman Jack Disc Jockey - Himself
Terry McGovern Mr. Wolfe
George Meyer Bum at Liquor Store
Joseph Miksak Man
Charles A. Murphy Old Man
Al Nalbandian Hank
William M. Niven Clerk
Manuel Padilla Carlos
MacKenzie Phillips Carol
Christopher Pray Al
Kathleen Quinlan Peg
Susan Richardson Judy
Debra Scott Falfa's Girl
Suzanne Somers Blonde in Thunderbird
Joe Spano Vic
Lynne Stewart Bobbie
Ron Vincent Jeff Pazzuto
Johnny Weissmuller Jr. Badass
Jan Wilson Girl
Technical Credits
George Lucas Director, Screenwriter
Dennis Clark Art Director
Francis Ford Coppola Producer
Jan D'Alquen Cinematographer
Ron Everslage Cinematographer
Verna Fields Editor
Douglas Freeman Set Decoration/Design
Willard Huyck Screenwriter
Gloria Katz Screenwriter
Ned Kopp Asst. Director
Gary Kurtz Co-producer
Albert J. Locatelli Production Designer
Marcia Lucas Editor
Walter Murch Sound/Sound Designer
Art Rochester Sound/Sound Designer
Aggie Guerard Rodgers Costumes/Costume Designer
Haskell Wexler Cinematographer
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Scene Index

Disc #1 -- American Graffiti
1. Main Titles [1:59]
2. You Can't Stay 17 Forever [1:36]
3. Mel's Drive-In [1:33]
4. Dating Other People? [1:58]
5. The Superfine Machine [3:01]
6. Cruisin' [1:36]
7. A Goddess In A T-Bird [1:32]
8. Judy's Sister [2:49]
9. Toad On The Road [1:59]
10. At The Hop [1:43]
11. Talking In The Toilet [1:08]
12. Joe College Strikes Out [1:25]
13. Strollin' [1:35]
14. Not The Competitive Type [2:10]
15. Drivin' Is A Serious Business [3:41]
16. Looking For Milner [:55]
17. Just Like Connie Stevens [2:13]
18. The Last Dance [5:12]
19. Waiting For A Double Chubby-Chuck [2:02]
20. Who's That Blonde? [2:38]
21. Back On The Street [1:30]
22. Baby-Sitting [2:06]
23. The Liquor Store [4:15]
24. The Graveyard [1:45]
25. Take A Ride With The Pharoahs [3:37]
26. Listenin' To Wolfman [2:06]
27. The Special Prize [1:47]
28. A Perfect Night [2:56]
29. The Right Boy [3:03]
30. The End of a Perfect Night [3:11]
31. The Goat Killer? [3:19]
32. The Big Challenge [3:13]
33. A Chance To Be A Pharaoh [4:19]
34. It's Never Too Late [2:44]
35. Gotta Find That Blonde [1:52]
36. Falfa's New Girlfriend [1:10]
37. Like A Ring, Or Something [1:28]
38. Early In The Morning [1:33]
39. Sicker Than A Dog [:45]
40. Just Like The Lone Ranger [1:11]
41. Where's Laurie? [1:37]
42. A Pretty Good Time [1:02]
43. The Wolfman [2:17]
44. Paradise Road [4:44]
45. The Big Race [1:55]
46. Number One [2:16]
47. Good Night, Sweetheart [1:18]
48. It's Time To Go [1:26]
49. Epilogue, End Titles [2:07]
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Menu

Disc #1 -- American Graffiti
   Play
   Scenes
   Bonus
      The Making Of American Graffiti
         Play All
            The Making Of American Graffiti - Genesis Of The Product
            A Personal Story
            Casting
            Production Begins
            Production Stories
            Post Production
            Final Words
      Theatrical Trailer
      Feature Commentary With Director George Lucas: On/Off
   Setup
      Spoken Language
         English 2.0
         Français 2.0 Mono
         Feature Commentary With Director George Lucas
      Subtitles
         English SDH*
         Español
         Français
         Subtitles: Off
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Customer Reviews

Average Rating 5
( 8 )
Rating Distribution

5 Star

(7)

4 Star

(1)

3 Star

(0)

2 Star

(0)

1 Star

(0)

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Sort by: Showing all of 8 Customer Reviews

  • Posted October 1, 2010

    more from this reviewer

    This is an excellent classic movie!

    What more could you want? This movie has it all, an astounding cast of actors, a great story, cool cars, and an awesome soundtrack. This movie is right on the mark about a time when young men and women could have fun cruising around town and going on adventures. George Lucas certainly has done a great job with Star Wars however this movie in my opinion has been his best work to date. It's one of the movies you hope no one ever comes along and wants to remake. I mean come on, after watching this film, who didn't want to be John Milner or Bob Falfa? James Dean doesn't have anything on Paul LeMat and Harrison Ford. This movie is a must watch for all your teenagers.

    1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

    Was this review helpful? Yes  NoThank you for your feedback.   Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.

  • Anonymous

    Posted October 1, 2010

    cruisin'

    A wonderfully nostalgic look at the early 60's. The street scenes are perfect and the music is a great compilation of that era's sound. The characters really ring true for that time.

    1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

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  • Posted October 1, 2010

    more from this reviewer

    A True American Classic

    I love this movie! It is a true American classic and without revealing my age, it permits me to go back in time when things were much simpler. I would let the movie run just to hear the music sound track.

    It is mostly about high school graduates riding around in there cars and having fun on their last night before leaving for living in the real world.

    0 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

    Was this review helpful? Yes  NoThank you for your feedback.   Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.

  • Anonymous

    Posted October 1, 2010

    SOMETIMES SIMPLICITY IS WHAT WORKS THE BEST

    I am a 2007 high school graduate. After watching this movie, I wish I had graduated 45 years earlier. It looks like people actually hung out with their friends and didn't waste their time with Nintendo, cell phones and computers. Unlike other movies, the plot is not complicated, there are not a lot of characters, there is no violence. Its just a flat-out good movie. Don't know how to explain it. You're just gonna have to watch and see for yourself. Knocks the snot out of rip-offs such as Superbad and American Pie.

    Was this review helpful? Yes  NoThank you for your feedback.   Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.

  • Anonymous

    Posted October 1, 2010

    Great Movie!

    I just watched this the other night on TV and I thought the movie was great! I went out right away and bought it.

    Was this review helpful? Yes  NoThank you for your feedback.   Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.

  • Anonymous

    Posted September 11, 2010

    No text was provided for this review.

  • Anonymous

    Posted June 22, 2010

    No text was provided for this review.

  • Anonymous

    Posted September 8, 2011

    No text was provided for this review.

Sort by: Showing all of 8 Customer Reviews