History Film / AmericanGraffiti

A sequel, 1979's ''Film/MoreAmericanGraffiti'', was set in the mid-to-late '60s and follows several characters after the events of this film.

A sequel, 1979's ''Film/MoreAmericanGraffiti'', was set in the mid-60s and follows several characters after the events of this film.

[[caption-width-right:315:[[{{Tagline}} Where were you in '62?]]]]

A huge (and unexpected) hit for Creator/{{Universal}}, ''American Graffiti'' established Lucas's box-office bona fides, kicked the already-existing '50s nostalgia boom of the [[The70s '70s]] into high gear, and provided the template for countless teen comedies to follow. The film is also notable for its EnsembleCast of soon-to-be-well-known young actors, including Creator/RichardDreyfuss, Creator/RonHoward,[[note]]Howard was actually the best-known one at the time of filming, having already been a child star and a regular on ''Series/TheAndyGriffithShow''[[/note]] Paul Le Mat, Creator/CharlesMartinSmith, Creator/CindyWilliams, Creator/MackenziePhillips, Bo Hopkins, Creator/HarrisonFord, Creator/KathleenQuinlan, Creator/JoeSpano, Creator/KayLenz, and Creator/SuzanneSomers. Also featured is famous radio disc jockey Creator/WolfmanJack playing a version of himself.

A huge (and unexpected) hit for Creator/{{Universal}}, ''American Graffiti'' established Lucas's box-office bona fides, kicked the already-existing '50s nostalgia boom of the [[The70s '70s]] into high gear, and provided the template for countless teen comedies to follow. The film is also notable for its EnsembleCast of soon-to-be-well-known young actors, including Creator/RichardDreyfuss, Creator/RonHoward,[[note]]Howard was actually the best-known one at the time of filming, having already been a child star and a regular on ''Series/TheAndyGriffithShow''[[/note]] Paul Le Mat, Creator/CharlesMartinSmith, Creator/CindyWilliams, Creator/MackenziePhillips, Creator/SuzanneSomers, Creator/HarrisonFord, Creator/KathleenQuinlan, and Creator/JoeSpano. Also featured is famous radio disc jockey Creator/WolfmanJack playing a version of himself.

** The film is happening just as The60s are rolling into view and The50s, with their cruising early rock-'n'-roll culture, are fading in the rearview mirror. On a larger scale, the assassination of UsefulNotes/JohnFKennedy the following year is widely seen as the clear point after which America as a whole grew far more cynical and passionate about social issues.

''American Graffiti'' is a 1973 [[ComingOfAgeStory coming-of-age]] comedy-drama film directed by Creator/GeorgeLucas, based on his memories of growing up in the late [[TheFifties 1950s]] and early [[TheSixties '60s]]--and thereby managing to cram in as much of that era's PopularHistory as possible. (He was, of course, [[OnceOriginalNowCommon one of the first to do this]].) It is the first film to be produced by Creator/{{Lucasfilm}}. Lucas's friend and fellow filmmaker Creator/FrancisFordCoppola, who was just coming off his own success directing ''Film/TheGodfather'', produced the film along with Gary Kurtz.

A huge (and unexpected) hit for Creator/{{Universal}}, ''American Graffiti'' established Lucas's box-office bona fides, kicked the already-existing '50s nostalgia boom of the [[TheSeventies '70s]] into high gear, and provided the template for countless teen comedies to follow. The film is also notable for its EnsembleCast of soon-to-be-well-known young actors, including Creator/RichardDreyfuss, Creator/RonHoward,[[note]]Howard was actually the best-known one at the time of filming, having already been a child star and a regular on ''Series/TheAndyGriffithShow''[[/note]] Paul Le Mat, Creator/CharlesMartinSmith, Creator/CindyWilliams, Creator/MackenziePhillips, Creator/SuzanneSomers, Creator/HarrisonFord, Creator/KathleenQuinlan, and Creator/JoeSpano. Also featured is famous radio disc jockey Creator/WolfmanJack playing a version of himself.

** The film is happening just as TheSixties are rolling into view and TheFifties, with their cruising early rock-'n'-roll culture, are fading in the rearview mirror. On a larger scale, the assassination of UsefulNotes/JohnFKennedy the following year is widely seen as the clear point after which America as a whole grew far more cynical and passionate about social issues.

* TheFifties: Set in 1962, but the fashions, music, etc. reflect the 1950s, since real-life aesthetics and attitudes of course don't follow actual decades.

%%* SeeminglyWholesomeFiftiesGirl

* TheSixties: When the movie really takes place. It's just the style of the New Frontier has yet to replace the cruising culture in that part of the country and it's too early for [[Music/TheBeatles Beatlemania]].

The movie has a lesser-known sequel, 1979's ''More American Graffiti'', which was set in TheSixties and according to Lucas "[[BoxOfficeBomb made all of ten cents]]".