American Graffiti (1973)

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A couple of high school grads spend one final night cruising the strip with their buddies before they go off to college. (imdb)

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Directed By: George Lucas

Written By: George Lucas, Willard Huyck, Gloria Katz

Starring: Richard Dreyfuss, Ron Howard, Harrison Ford, Bo Hopkins, Charles Martin Smith, Paul Le Mat, Candy Clark, Cindy Williams, Mackenzie Phillips, Manuel Padilla Jr., Wolfman Jack, Beau Gentry

Genres: Comedy, Drama, Music

Franchise: American Graffiti

Country: USA

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American Graffiti belongs to 73 collections

1. 1001 Movies You Must See Before You Die (collaborative: moderated by kozan26 - 239 stars)

2. Academy Award - Oscar - Best Picture and Nominees (collaborative: moderated by smviper00 - 46 stars)

3. Psychotronic Film and Video Guides (collaborative: moderated by Gregzilla - 40 stars)

4. They Shoot Pictures 1,000 Greatest Films (2008 revision) (collaborative: moderated by Scottathon - 39 stars)

5. Empire's 500 Greatest Movies Of All Time (public: Ross - 36 stars)

6. New York Times' The Best 1,000 Movies Ever Made (collaborative: moderated by theficionado - 32 stars)

7. They Shoot Pictures 1,000 Greatest Films (2010 revision) (collaborative: moderated by MMAlpha - 32 stars)

8. National Film Registry (collaborative: moderated by PeaceAnarchy - 31 stars)

9. The Guardian's 1000 films to see before you die (collaborative: moderated by PeaceAnarchy - 31 stars)

10. AFI 100 (collaborative: moderated by PeaceAnarchy - 27 stars)

11. They Shoot Pictures 1,000 Greatest Films (2014 revision) (collaborative: moderated by Jehan - 27 stars)

12. AAA: Empire's five star movies (collaborative: moderated by KasperL - 25 stars)

13. They Shoot Pictures 1,000 Greatest Films (2012 revision) (collaborative: moderated by PeaceAnarchy - 25 stars)

14. 24 hour (or less) timeframe (collaborative: moderated by djross - 24 stars)

15. IMDb Top 250 Complete (collaborative: moderated by Jorg - 23 stars)

16. Academy Award - Oscar - ALL Best Picture, Directing, Acting & Screenplay Nominees (collaborative - 22 stars)

17. They Shoot Pictures 1,000 Greatest Films (2017 revision) (collaborative: moderated by iconogassed - 22 stars)

18. They Shoot Pictures' Recommended Viewing (collaborative: moderated by Cinephile - 19 stars)

19. Feel Good Movies (collaborative: moderated by Midaso - 19 stars)

20. Coming Of Age (collaborative - 16 stars)

21. They Shoot Pictures 1,000 Greatest Films (2013 revision) (collaborative: moderated by rant1229 - 16 stars)

22. Edgar Wright 1000 Favorite Movies (Aug 2016) (collaborative: moderated by Aron Ericson - 16 stars)

23. They Shoot Pictures 1,000 Greatest Films (2011 revision) (collaborative: moderated by PeaceAnarchy - 14 stars)

24. They Shoot Pictures 1,000 Greatest Films (2020 revision) (public: djross - 14 stars)

25. Films available in HD (collaborative: moderated by kubricksucks - 12 stars)

26. TimeOut's 1000 films to change your life (collaborative: moderated by ppinocchio - 12 stars)

27. films101.com's 5 star films (collaborative: moderated by ppinocchio - 11 stars)

28. International Dictionary of Films and Filmmakers (collaborative: moderated by PeaceAnarchy - 10 stars)

29. 1960s period film (collaborative: moderated by djross - 9 stars)

30. AFI 100 Years... 100 Laughs (collaborative: moderated by iceblox - 8 stars)

31. David Thomson's 1000 Films (collaborative: moderated by MMAlpha - 7 stars)

32. List: Taschen (public: KasperL - 6 stars)

33. Best by different standards (public: sesito71 - 6 stars)

34. AFI 100 Years, Original 1998 list (collaborative: moderated by PeaceAnarchy - 5 stars)

35. Top 3000 movies with the most votes on IMDb (public: fanfic - 5 stars)

36. Golden Globes: Best Picture - Comedy/Musical (collaborative: moderated by CCLZA - 4 stars)

37. Cinemag's Best 200 films Ever Created! (collaborative: moderated by hristos - 4 stars)

38. They Shoot Pictures 1,000 Greatest Films (2007 revision) (collaborative: moderated by Scottathon - 4 stars)

39. Inspired by Director's Own Childhood (collaborative: moderated by mattorama12 - 4 stars)

40. Famous People Acting As Themselves (No Documentaries) (collaborative: moderated by SirStuckey - 3 stars)

41. Little to no plot (collaborative: moderated by juandr - 3 stars)

42. Roger Ebert's 4-Star Movies (collaborative: moderated by KirkJiggler - 3 stars)

43. Sound Design (collaborative: moderated by paulofilmo - 1 star)

44. Sight and Sound 2002 (Single Vote) (collaborative: moderated by PeaceAnarchy - 1 star)

45. Hollywood Hits, 1920 to present (collaborative: moderated by lisa- - 1 star)

46. Duology (collaborative: moderated by Ag0stoMesmer - 1 star)

47. Summer (collaborative: moderated by Midaso - 1 star)

48. Knoroz watchlist (public: knoroz - 1 star)

49. Roger Ebert's Top 10 Films of 1973 (collaborative)

50. David Fincher's Favorite Films (via Empire Magazine) (collaborative: moderated by juntakinte99)

51. Ratings (collaborative: moderated by cheapthrills)

52. Orson Scott Card's Perfect Movie List (collaborative: moderated by BeeDub)

53. Available on Divicast (collaborative: moderated by Dunstan-xxx)

54. NOG TE ZIEN (public: lockstock)

55. 1973: Year in Review (public: polanski28)

56. My DVD Collection (public: balseiros)

57. Filmspotting Ratings Project: Week 16 (public: PeaceAnarchy)

58. Four-Star Movies (Gail Kinn & Jim Piazza) (public: Alex Watkins)

59. BF-70 (public: caffe)

60. Vicky (public: escarta)

61. K&A (public: caffe)

62. KENDELL'S MASSIVE LIST (public: kendell)

63. Tom's Movies (public: tomwalsh)

64. My Movie Collection (public: elhenzo)

65. Low Interest Canon (public: AFlickering)

66. Backyard candidates (public: tomwalsh)

67. Films Dunstan Owns (public: Dunstan-xxx)

68. Memorable Soundtracks (public: Midaso)

69. Films I have watched 3 or more times (public: Dunstan-xxx)

70. To rewatch, one day... (public: Malcym)

71. 1970s Mile High Club (public: Dunstan-xxx)

72. Unofficially Beating The World Record For Most Films Watched in a Year (public: EsperHart)

73. Metacritic Top 50 (public: amazedemon)

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Order by:

TCI | Percentile | Date Rated | # Stars (Reviews)

Stars	User	Rating
12	BeeDub	95 _91st
Remember when George Lucas made good movies? Something something Pepperidge Farm.
7	BillyShears	85 _86th
I don't like Vietnam. It's coarse and rough and irritating and it gets everywhere. Not like here. Here everything is soft and smooth.
3	Stain	70 _55th
The four main characters are supposed to be friends but you know perfectly well that these types (the class valedictorian, the jock, the nerd, et al.) would never in real life have said two words to each other through all four years of high school. Like other Lucas films this movie is not really about people at all but machines (in this case, the cars)
3	wetwillies	100 _98th
Better than I remembered it being. Lucas creates this real, living, breathing world. There's a constant feeling of motion and also a warm nostalgia that makes the whole thing easy to love. No, it's not a film about plot. It's a film about characters and also about a soundtrack full of great songs. (two times)
3	AndreasThau	80 _77th
George Lucas, hwhere did you get OFF?
3	Leonardis	93 _75th
I loved this. Good performances and even directing from George Lucas. I personally prefer it over Footloose and Grease. It stands on its own grounds pretty well for what seems like a rinse and repeat formula. A really fun time and worth watching if you haven't seen it yet.
3	Vdecraim	80 _73rd
It is a strange thing for a '90s-kid to be nostalgic about times long passed. I became obsessed with '70s-music after "Boogie Nights." Raved about '20s-Paris after "Midnight in Paris." And now, after "American Graffiti", I find myself captivated by the late '50s. Considering atmosphere and ambition, this almost felt like a Linklater-film, due to its similarities to "Dazed and Confused." But I found this to be a much stronger film. Better pacing. Better soundtrack.
2	BattleToad	95 _97th
After Rebel Without a Cause, and before the Brat Pack, American Graffiti became the film that defined a generation. The number and depth of the storylines is enough to consider this a fantastic film, but it's real shining aspect is in its sense of time. It really feels like that last hoorah before moving on in life, in this case it's the last hoorah before leaving home for college, a huge step in anyone's life. It's one night of fun, love, and great music. Awesome!
2	Pickpocket	5 _44th
Overrated but still decent enough. It's also really unrealistic. The jock, nerd and valedictorian are not friends in real life people. Also the police car thing doesn't work (thanks Mythbusters!). Richard Dreyfuss also felt miscast. He's 28 at the time playing a recent high school grad. You ain't Dustin Hoffman. That said, I liked the visuals and the cars, even if it was a little boring and ultimately pointless.
2	Sapphire	95 _95th
This film proves that George Lucas really can direct. This is one of the best films about high school friendships EVER. It's so realistic that (despite the time frame - early 60s) you can easily relate to the characters. Despite the fact that it's a comedy (& an extremely humourous & heartfelt one) the last 5 minutes chill you to the bone.
2	Alex Watkins	3 _38th
Heartbreakingly nostalgic, one of the best high school movies ever.
2	martryn	83 _83rd
You eventually have to grow up. You have to look at your old life and your childhood friends and make those tough choices about what is important to you and your future. And some people face that choice with more courage and grace than others. This movie does a fair job of showcasing that. A solid coming-of-age film that has a nice mix of comedy and drama.
2	pati	93 _94th
This is by far the best movie George Lucas has made or ever will. I still like Star Wars more, but this is a much better movie.
2	edkrak	50 _29th
Evokes in me a feeling of idontgiveafuckness.
2	tef	50 _8th
Honkeys cruise around, eat shitty food, and bore the shit out of me. The Howlin' Wolf is not nearly as good as the real one.
2	Melvin Smif	85 _91st
When I see movies like this I yearn for days that I never lived in. I think it would have been great to grow up in a time when music meant something and wasn't processed more than our food, cars looked cool instead of the plain looking crap we drive today, and cruising was a viable form of entertainment. Man I miss those days that I've never experienced.
2	RottenTomato	97 _94th
One of the most influential of all teen films, American Graffiti is a funny, nostalgic, and bittersweet look at a group of recent high school grads' last days of innocence.
2	glumpy_99	70 _35th
Ramshackle, freewheeling depiction of youth culture circa the 60s (though feeling more like the point HAPPY DAYS became WOODSTOCK) is a little too loosely structured and labored to be entirely successful; Lucas' flat, at times uncertain direction doesn't help matters. Almost feels like a dry run for Spielberg's 1941, though not nearly as frenetic and abrasive; the well-stocked cast of future stars and a general amiability keep it watchable. Ford is particularly amusing as a stoner tough.
2	brandons	88 _86th
One of the most influential of all teen films, American Graffiti is a funny, nostalgic, and bittersweet look at a group of recent high school grads' last days of innocence.
2	Arberwaticus	81 _37th
Well acted and filmed, this end of highschool movie is like looking into a time capsule. It has a lot of sleaze that goes by aa flirting that would just not be okay nowadays.
1	Dorkovsky	4 _40th
Enjoyable enough, but really really over-rated. The characters are so underdeveloped that pretty much any important decision or action that they make throughout the course of the film feels unnatural.
1	Harmonica	93 _96th
Perfect marriage of form and narrative. Roaring engines, howling disk-jockeys, squealing tyres, a thrumming jukebox, a cacophony of sights and sounds, a frenetic social scene, the overwhelming anxieties and excitement of burgeoning youth, the lust for freedom, the trappings of local city life, the incursion of adulthood. Don't blink, it will be gone forever. Memories of a life once-lived, a time and place that only exists in memory. Angels in white T-birds, forever out of reach.
1	TheDiceman	55 _49th
Great film
1	Ytadel	8 _93rd
A film made over a decade before I was born, set over a decade before it was made, that makes me feel nostalgic for a time I have no context for whatsoever. It's about cars and music and love and life and a touching ode to endings, and it rocks.
1	twincinema	80 _75th
Nothing will prepare you for the epilogue of this film.
1	frederic_g54	8 _78th
Making a plotless movie is not an easy thing to pull off, yet Lucas does a great job at capturing a specific time and place that manages to feel as fresh, fun and exciting as I'm sure it must have been back in the day. This mood is further deepened by a rich cast of characters, all with their own distinct voices and unique personalities. On a final note, the soundtrack is an absolute winner, one I caught myself singing and dancing to during pretty much its entire running time. Great flick.
1	vesupria	6 _61st
It's an interesting portrait of the early 60s in America, especially 'teen pop culture.' It relies heavily on nostalgia. Through the eyes of this movie the youth of the day were fickle in their decision making (lack of life experience), but at the same time there was a feeling that they were outside the boundaries of day and night, and of responsibility and still possessed a free spirit. I thought the ending scenes were great, without being astounding or anything.
1	Shmendrek	4 _83rd
Does a fine job capturing a specific moment in time familiar to so many passing into adulthood. Unless Lucas really pulls something amazing out of his ass, this will be his best work.
1	TheRev	44 _18th
OVER RATED!! GREAT CARS, but really over rated.
1	andayb	60 _46th
lucas, as it seems, was able to produce semi decent sincere scripts in his pre-star wars era. American Graffitti is loaded with a heavy dose of Americana, but it barely has a plot. it's more of a bunch of loosely connected sketches than a real story, and the 50's feel-good atmosphere of the movie is somewhat lost on newer generations. On the plus side, there's a lot of eye candy for vintage car enthusiasts.
1	batface89	76 _25th
Classic teen film that is a little on the boring side.
1	Optimus_mike	70 _48th
Really concerns my generation in any way, other then seeing a young Harrison Ford.
1	moraesfelipe	68 _68th
One of the most influential and important coming-of-age films, Graffiti perhaps hasn't aged well, but its characters are still very funny and entertaining. Ric Dreyfuss, on his best shape, is the most interesting, deepest and bittersweet of all, a star who would shine again and write one chapter of the New Hollywood two years later, with Jaws.
1	letskillrobots	35 _98th
Lucas' best film
1	SirStuckey	90 _94th
Love this movie. Great story, great acting, funny, and has a great soundtrack. It even had the great Wolfman Jack.
1	filmfreak88	85 _89th
Tends to occasionally wander, but then I guess the sense of youthful aimlessness is part of its charm. When it hits its nostalgic sweet spot, it's really really good.
1	Velvet Crowe	65 _69th
A great picture representing the teen culture of 60's, but for me it held no real sense of nostalgia and at times it felt immensely sappy.... both of which, I think, it relied too much on. But for what it is, I don't think it's terrible and I can definitely see what people like in the film. I've always digged the soundtrack of 60's era music and the overall setting in general. They don't make cars like those anymore...
1	dunbar	82 _80th
A film that captures the times with clarity and good characters (see all Dazed and Confused)
1	damil	50 _25th
This film has a lovely nostalgic feel, and you can tell how much love Lucas had for that era. It was nice enough. I often love films about this time period, but I didn't quite connect with this one, for whatever reason. I can see why a lot of people like it though.
1	Dennis Brian	100 _97th
"Where were you in '62" was the slogan for the film. 1962 was obviously a very important year for Lucas but for the country at large it was the year before Kennedy was killed (Curt, played by Richard Dreyfuss, has a life goal of shaking Kennedy's hand) and many teens were still basically innocent. Steve, played by Ron Howard, is reminded how timid he can be by Laurie, played by Cindy Williams, his girlfriend, (he was afraid to kiss her the first time), even as they are fight
1	comepelicula	30 _12th
You can see the hard effort and heart that went into this movie, but that makes it a bit stiff and uninteresting, made me realize that George Lucas is not really a good director
1	sopachuco13	90 _84th
American Graffiti is a snapshot of post-war American culture. Rock-n-Roll plays just as much of a part in this movie as any of the characters. DJs are the curators of cool and culture, bringing the sounds of sex, freedom, and passion to the ears of cul-de-sac babes who've known nothing but comfort. It's strange watching this movie now, knowing that the movie really represents white privilage in it's truest form but that shouldn't take away from the message of teenage invinciblity.
1	MacSwell	75 _71st
Teenagers drive around on a summer night in the early 60s. Even with its apparent lack of story, the writing creates sympathetic and relatable characters who are a joy to watch, and it carries more than enough humour with it. The cast barely puts a foot wrong (Howard is a little bland) and the sets, costumes and cars all contribute to the flawless execution of the time period. It also boasts one of cinema's best soundtracks.
1	Yiannos	80 _92nd
Like his contemporaries, Lucas applied European film techniques to create uniquely American stories, but American Graffiti was somewhat radical on its own terms as a valentine to 1950's America. The mix of nostalgia and sadness for a bygone era has never been equaled in the context of a youth oriented film. Lucas captured specific aspects of American culture at a distinct moment in time while tapping into something universal and resonant about the youth experience in the post-war world.
1	Ametrine	5 _22nd
I love so many individual parts of this film, from the one-night motif to the constant radio soundtrack. I just wish there had been even a single moment where I cared about the story. I totally get how this would have resonated with people at the time, but I'm just too disconnected from that time and these characters.

Average Percentile 59.69% from 2916 Ratings