American Graffiti

Directed by George Lucas, American Graffiti follows several characters, including Richard Dreyfuss’ Curt, Ron Howard’s Steve, and Paul Le Mat’s John), as they experience a series of happenings over the course of one long night. Filmmaker Lucas, armed with a script written alongside Gloria Katz and Willard Huyck, delivers a slightly overlong yet mostly rewarding endeavor that grows more and more absorbing as it unfolds, as the movie’s episodic structure admittedly does result in an opening stretch that’s perhaps not quite as engrossing as Lucas has intended – although it’s equally clear that the uniformly superb performances and appealing 1950s atmosphere go a long way towards sustaining the viewer’s attention and interesting. (And this is to say nothing of Harrison Ford’s small but scene-stealing turn as a competitive racer.) There’s little doubt, then, that American Graffiti‘s shift from good to great comes with a midsection and second half rife with engrossing, rewarding sequences and digressions, and it’s apparent, too, that the increasingly stirring vibe ensures that certain story threads pack a far more potent punch than one might’ve initially anticipated – which, when coupled with a completely satisfying closing stretch, ultimately secures the picture’s place as a terrific, evocative piece of work.

***1/2 out of ****