Contains: the making of american graffiti documentary featuring interviews with director george lucas executive producer francis ford coppola and cast members plus never-before-seen screen tests of the cast and theatrical trailer. Studio: Uni Dist Corp. (mca) Release Date: 05/31/2005 Starring: Ron Howard Richard Dreyfuss Run time: 112 minutes Rating: Pg
Here's how critic Roger Ebert described the unique and lasting value of George Lucas's 1973 box-office hit, American Graffiti: "[It's] not only a great movie but a brilliant work of historical fiction; no sociological treatise could duplicate the movie's success in remembering exactly how it was to be alive at that cultural instant." The time to which Ebert and the film refers is the summer of 1962, and American Graffiti captures the look, feel, and sound of that era by chronicling one memorable night in the lives of several young Californians on the cusp of adulthood. (In essence, Lucas was making a semiautobiographical tribute to his own days as a hot-rod cruiser, and the film's phenomenal success paved the way for Star Wars.) The action is propelled by the music of Wolfman Jack's rock & roll radio show--a soundtrack of pop hits that would become as popular as the film itself. As Lucas develops several character subplots, American Graffiti becomes a flawless time capsule of meticulously re-created memory, as authentic as a documentary and vividly realized through innovative use of cinematography and sound. The once-in-a-lifetime ensemble cast members inhabit their roles so fully that they don't seem like actors at all, comprising a who's who of performers--some of whom went on to stellar careers--including Ron Howard, Richard Dreyfuss, Harrison Ford, Cindy Williams, Mackenzie Phillips, Charles Martin Smith, Candy Clark, and Paul Le Mat. A true American classic, the film ranks No. 77 on the American Film Institute's list of all-time greatest American movies. --Jeff Shannon
Here's how critic Roger Ebert described the unique and lasting value of George Lucas's 1973 box-office hit, American Graffiti: "[It's] not only a great movie but a brilliant work of historical fiction; no sociological treatise could duplicate the movie's success in remembering exactly how it was to be alive at that cultural instant." The time to which Ebert and the film refers is the summer of 1962, and American Graffiti captures the look, feel, and sound of that era by chronicling one memorable night in the lives of several young Californians on the cusp of adulthood. (In essence, Lucas was making a semiautobiographical tribute to his own days as a hot-rod cruiser, and the film's phenomenal success paved the way for Star Wars.) The action is propelled by the music of Wolfman Jack's rock & roll radio show--a soundtrack of pop hits that would become as popular as the film itself. As Lucas develops several character subplots, American Graffiti becomes a flawless time capsule of meticulously re-created memory, as authentic as a documentary and vividly realized through innovative use of cinematography and sound. The once-in-a-lifetime ensemble cast members inhabit their roles so fully that they don't seem like actors at all, comprising a who's who of performers--some of whom went on to stellar careers--including Ron Howard, Richard Dreyfuss, Harrison Ford, Cindy Williams, Mackenzie Phillips, Charles Martin Smith, Candy Clark, and Paul Le Mat. A true American classic, the film ranks No. 77 on the American Film Institute's list of all-time greatest American movies. Befitting that reputation, the collector's edition DVD includes a full-length commentary by Lucas, a behind-the-scenes featurette about the film's production, a photo gallery, and extensive production notes. --Jeff Shannon
Customer Reviews:
Avg. Customer Rating: 4.5 / 5.0
Charming and Unique! It Grows On you! Too Bad About the DVD!:
I have to admit that I didn't like this film the first time I watched it as I didn't really appreciate the documentary style layout and it seemed a little slow to develop. Now that I've seen it again after a few years, I've actually come to like this a lot as I realise that this is a very unique film with a very good storyline and good acting as well as it describes the lives of High School graduates/dropouts and their very real sense of loss having to leave the safe/secure comfort zone of school to face... more info
The wonderful 60's:
My favorite movie of all time - after Titanic.
I grew up in the 60's, and relate to this wonderful movie. I love everyone in it, and sometimes play it just to have the music playing while I'm doing housework. Great plot, great acting, and love Modesto for the small town set.
Great, great movie!!
Happy Days:
American Graffitti, released in 1974, takes place near Modesto California where George Lucas (the films director and co-writer) spent his high school years. One of Lucas's stated purposes in making this film was to document the practice of "cruising." For those of us that didn't grow up in that era cruising basically consists of driving around town all night looking for something to do. A practice unthinkable for most of us now thanks to gas prices. The whole town seems to revolve around doing everything in... more info
Graffiti Means the Writing on the Wall:
What a glorious, nostalgic, and ultimately melancholy movie this is. It ranks in my top five, maybe top three films of all time. I saw this meditation on early '60s California again the other night on the big screen, and realized from the other men in the audience, and from my wife's ho-hum reaction, that American Graffiti appeals mostly to and is about men. The hot rod cars are the first tip-off of course, and "cruising the strip" as street rodder Milner calls it (we used to call it "cruising... more info
