AMERICAN GRAFFITI (1973) C widescreen 110m dir: George Lucas

w/Richard Dreyfuss, Ron Howard, Paul LeMat, Charles Martin Smith, Cindy Williams, Candy Clark, Mackenzie Phillips, Wolfman Jack, Harrison Ford, Bo Hopkins

A perceptive film about growing up in America in the early 1960s, focusing on the way the teens use their automobiles for "courtship."

From The Movie Guide: "A hallmark film of the 1970s. In a series of touching and telling vignettes, AMERICAN GRAFFITI follows a memorable crew of small-town teenagers through one momentous night in 1962. Director Lucas' modest, near-verite approach contrasts strikingly with his glitzy following film, STAR WARS. ...

"Based on George Lucas' own teenage hot-rodding days in Modesto, California [and filmed in Sonoma County, California], the appeal of AMERICAN GRAFFITI is in its fragmentary scenes; the nervous camera jumps from character to character to present a powerful collage of American youth on the brink of maturity and the complex experiences of the coming decade. The enormous financial and critical success of GRAFFITI --- it grossed over $100 million domestically --- allowed Lucas the freedom to finance one of the most beloved and highest-grossing films of all time --- STAR WARS --- and spawned numerous imitations, even inspiring the long-running sit-com, 'Happy Days.' The film boosted the careers of a host of young performers, including Dreyfuss, Howard, Williams, LeMat, Smith, Clark, Phillips, Harrison, Ford, Kathleen Quinlan, and Suzanne Somers."

AMERICAN GRAFFITI was nominated for five Oscars: Best Picture, Director, Supporting Actress (Clark), Adapted Screenplay (Lucas, Gloria Katz, Willard Huyck) and Editing (Verna Fields, Marcia Lucas).