Richard Dreyfuss American Graffiti #9 (the ending)

American Graffiti is a 1973 period coming of age comedy-drama film directed by George Lucas, and written by Lucas, Gloria Katz and Willard Huyck. The film stars Richard Dreyfuss, Ron Howard, Paul Le Mat, Charles Martin Smith, Cindy Williams, Candy Clark, Mackenzie Phillips and Harrison Ford. Set in 1962 Modesto, California, American Graffiti tells of the exploits and adventures of a group of teenagers during a night of cruising around town and listening to pirate radio personality Wolfman Jack.

Development of the film started shortly after the release of Lucas's THX 1138 in 1971, at the same time as Lucas was developing an "untitled science fiction space opera", later to become the basis for Star Wars. The film was initially funded by United Artists, but after creative differences arose with the studio, Lucas decided to work with Universal Pictures instead. Filming started at San Rafael, California, but the production was kicked out of the town and most of the film was shot in Petaluma, California. Although Universal interfered little with production, it did object to the film's title of American Graffiti, recommending Lucas change it to Another Slow Night in Modesto.

The editing of American Graffiti was strenuous: the first cut was roughly 210 minutes long, and the final cut was released at 112 minutes.To this day the location of the other 100 minutes of footage remains unknown. The film received positive reviews and was a unanimous box office success (recouping 92 times its budget with its North American financial take). The film was nominated for five different categories at the 46th Academy Awards, and in 1995, American Graffiti was deemed "culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant" by the United States Library of Congress, and was added to the National Film Registry for preservation.

Category:

Entertainment

Tags:

• Richard
• Dreyfuss
• American
• Graffiti

[bmiltonb]

Man, I remember seing this movie in my town in 1973 (in a movie theater that's now a bank parking lot.) It was the heavy metal days, but I left the theater almost in tears at how incredible it was--you knew those people like your own friends, which they were! I felt like I'd lived that entire night with them, and was overwhelmed with the nostalgia for a time and place I'd only heard about but never knew first hand, if such a thing was/is possible. Thank you, George Lucas, for a true classic.

[JohnKu1]

A profound,powerful ending to a masterpiece: A message for all young people, that great things await them if they are willing to leave the security of their small hometowns.

[moonstar16651]

@Zaphrod88 Actually, if I remember the sequel correctly (WARNING: SPOILER ALERT), Toad goes AWOL. He doesn't actually die.

[TanoBrati]

John Milner is one of those cool losers. Cool in high school and doing the scene, but he won't be 22 forever.

[FanOfPopCulture]

My favorite movie of all time. The writing may be the best of any Lucas film.

[fairiegirlga]

One of the greatest american moives ever made !  I cried like a baby when I first saw this back in '73 moved me to tears, I thnk I saw it 5 times, now I own it on DVD, I hated being a teenager in the 70's always felt I should have been in that era, like my older brothers and sister, that was the last great time to be a teenager in america ! That is just my personal opnion.

[lazlo717]

The end is a microcosim of the innocent early 60s turning into the the JFK assination and Viet Nam the turbulent 60s, going from the bebop sound to the Beach Boys and a changing nation. Lucas was Dead On!!

[Staszu13]

STEVE FOUND OUT DARTH VADER WAS HIS FATHER! Or was it Luke Sykywalker is an insurance agent in Modesto? LOL

[gouvyrock]

great song from the beach boys at the end!!!!

[Smokingmaniac74]

THIS MAKES ME WANT TO GO BACK THERE!!!!!!!! OH I WISH I COULD HAVE LIVED THRU THAT TIME OF INOCENCE. G. WOMACK

[Chrisdrumz]

Amazing that the same guy who did this is responsible for The Phantom Menace.

[2001perseus]

What a beautiful movie.