Review of American Graffiti (1973) by Shane M — 09 Feb 2014

An amazing coming-of-age comedy-drama that has 5 Oscar nods to prove it. Set in 1962 Modesto, California, American Graffiti follows the coming-of-age story of a group of friends and other people who decide to spend their last night of freedom together before they grow up and move on with their regular lives, and start their new lives as adults.

Released two years before his masterpiece Star Wars, George Lucas gives us an earlier masterpiece that focuses more on realism, teenage life, adult life, growing up, and following your dreams. Lucas does an amazing job at bringing this film to life through stellar direction that conveys realism with perfect settings for scenes, as well as co-writing the script alongside Gloria Katz and Willard Huyck, who actually use realistic dialogue that make this oh so convincing.

Another great contribution to the film is the producers Francis Ford Coppola and Gary Kurtz, who know just where and when to shoot a scene. The cast also does an incredible job as characters with similarities and differences in terms of appearance and personality.

The film also has a very accurate and nostalgic look at 1960s culture that brings back memories of the ones who lived through that era, as well as showcasing dating, staying up late, making everyday last as long as possible, as well as remain important, hot rods, going out to restaurants and drive-ins, committing crimes, going to dances, drinking liquor, drag racing, pulling pranks, hitting on people, having sex, moving on in your life, following your dreams, making decisions, going through changes in your life, and looking back at the good times.

The film also has an amazing soundtrack full of classic songs that even support the mood of the scene the music occurs in. American Graffiti is also incredibly funny and emotional. It may play its detail a little safe as its rated PG, but it still works and is better off without an R rating.

This is a must-see for any coming-of-age fan, and one thing that I should point out is that I'm surprised that this got 5 Oscars nods (Best Picture, Director, Original Screenplay, Supporting Actress, and Film Editing) since this is a comedy, and comedies aren't usually nominated for Oscars though lots of comedies have been nominated this year.