Review of Dazed and Confused (1993) by Dane P — 25 Jan 2013

A hilarious and very fun look at the lives of high school students in 1976, Dazed and Confused illustrates the mood of the time in an energetic but unsentimental way. The movie doesn't try to tell a powerful, emotional story; it exists to commemorate the rock n' roll mentality of youth in the '70s, and it does so near flawlessly.

The cast is filled with familiar faces, including Ben Affleck, Matthew McConaughey, Parker Posey, and Milla Jovovich, with some of them in smaller parts than others. The two actors that stand out especially are Rory Cochrane as Slater, the resident pot-head who at one point discusses George and Martha Washington's pot farm, and Matthew McConaughey as Wooderson, the blonde-haired and mustached twenty-something who still hangs out with high school students.

The movie doesn't have a singular plot, but is rather a portrait of one eventful night on which the characters drink, smoke, and listen to loud music. It seems almost impossible not to like or appreciate the movie at least a little, and as a celebration of the '70s, Dazed and Confused succeeds in a big, thoroughly enjoyable way.