PG | 1h 50m | Comedy, Teenage Coming of Age | August 11, 1973
“American Graffiti,” the 1973 landmark teen drama that was a game-changer in the history of American cinema, celebrates its 50th anniversary this year.
Opening credit roll in the high school film that begat all classic American high school films, “American Graffiti.” (Lucasfilm Ltd./The Coppola Company/Universal Pictures)
Beginnings
A long time ago in a galaxy (or maybe a kitchen) far, far away—before making movie history with “Star Wars”—young George Lucas was an aspiring filmmaker, coming off a commercially disappointing film debut, and thinking about his next move in Hollywood.
Lucas’s production company co-founder, Francis Ford Coppola, white-hot after directing “The Godfather,” challenged Lucas to write a mainstream audience-appealing film. Rising to the challenge, Lucas wrote “American Graffiti.”…