01
Dazed and Confused
Why this pick
Like American Graffiti, it turns one transitional night into a warm, funny ensemble portrait, drifting among teenagers, parties, cars and the exhilarating uncertainty of growing up.
A FILM WORTH A CLOSER LOOKTHE FEATURE PRESENTATION
MOVIE1973 1h 50m USA
IF THIS ONE STAYED WITH YOU
Movies like
American Graffiti
ComedyDrama
CINEHUNCH / THE NEXT FRAME
Keep the feeling.
SIMILAR PICKS / A PERSONAL CONNECTION
If you loved American Graffiti, try these.
01
02
The Last Picture Show
Why this pick
Its small-town adolescence carries the same bittersweet sense of a community on the verge of change, though with a more melancholy, black-and-white emotional texture.
03
The Hollywood Knights
Why this pick
A rowdy 1965-night counterpart built around cruising, youthful rituals and a tight local gang, with nostalgia and episodic mischief taking priority over plot mechanics.
04
Everybody Wants Some!!
Why this pick
This loose, affectionate hangout film follows a group before college begins, finding character through jokes, music, flirtation and the fleeting freedom before adult life starts.
05
That'll Be The Day
Why this pick
A British coming-of-age story with a similarly evocative rock-and-roll period atmosphere, balancing youthful rebellion, friendship and the ache of leaving a familiar world.
Finding the atmosphere, tension and little details that made this one stay with you.
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01 / THE STORY
A little about the film.
In early September 1962 in Modesto, California, on the last evening of summer vacation, recent high school graduates and longtime friends Curt Henderson and Steve Bolander meet John Milner, the drag-racing king of the town, and Terry "The Toad" Fields in the parking lot of the local Mel's Drive-In diner. Curt and Steve are scheduled to travel the next morning to the Northeastern United States to start college. Despite receiving a $2,000 scholarship from the local Loyal Order of Moose, Curt has second thoughts about leaving Modesto. Steve gives Toad his 1958 Chevrolet Impala to watch while he's away at college until he returns at Christmas. Steve's girlfriend, Laurie, who is also Curt's sister, arrives in her car. Steve suggests to Laurie, who is already glum about him going to college, that they see other people while he is away in order to "strengthen" their relationship. Though not openly upset, she is displeased with his proposal, which affects their interactions the rest of the evening.
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02 / FACES IN THE FRAME
The people who bring it to life.
Richard Dreyfuss
Curt Henderson
Ron Howard
Steve Bolander
Paul Le Mat
John Milner
Charles Martin Smith
Terry 'The Toad' Fields
Cindy Williams
Laurie Henderson
Candy Clark
Debbie Dunham
Mackenzie Phillips
Carol
Wolfman Jack
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