Motion Pictures Best scene in American Graffiti

A.G. is a certified classic...on the American Film Institutes top movies of all time list. Its George Lucas' cinematic love letter to a bygone era. I recall an interview with his mentor...Francis Ford Coppola...who after an advance screening confronted the studio execs...the "brain trust"...who didn't understand it...couldn't cope with the multiple plot lines running concurrently ...and told them they should get down on their knees and "thank this young man" for the work he did. Coppola told them if they wouldn't back the kid...then he would. The rest is history. Coming out of the tragedy of the Vietnam War and the loss of innocence for many of us at the time...the film started a Nostalgia movement that Baby Boomers couldn't wait to grasp and hold onto. The Beach Boys enjoyed a resurgence...even the Carpenters came out with an album with 50s tunes on it. My feelings for the movie...and a pining for what could have been in American culture if the English Invasion and the foreign wars had not come to dominate the late sixties...well...we can only wonder.

 

My feelings for the movie...and a pining for what could have been in American culture if the English Invasion and the foreign wars had not come to dominate the late sixties...well...we can only wonder.[/QUOTE]

Well said!

 

Did y'all know that Paul Le Mat served bravely and honorably in Vietnam. He was almost a professional boxer as well. He never really thought about being an actor. It was just another opportunity that popped up.

 

What’s real crazy is to think “The 50’s” wasn’t that long ago when the movie was made…14years…socially things really changed in that time frame…music, fashion, social climate and attitudes….it would be like a movie about the 2007 time period being written today…up until the 2020 and particularly the last 7 months I didn’t think things changed that much…I hear a song from 2007 and it sounds somewhat relevant, hell I could dress like it’s 2007 and wouldn’t know a difference today, even a car from 2007 doesn’t totally look out of place…but go from 58 to 73 and it’s like socially stepping into
A time machine in my opinion..it’s a drastic change…

 

There were many great scenes but one of my favorites is: "Let me have a Three Musketeers, and a ball point pen, and one of those combs there, a pint of Old Harper, a couple of flash light batteries and some beef jerky."

 

The lines I quote most often , "I'll die soon and it will all be over", after Toads fight. Also "Their all done having loads of fun" after they rob the pinball place.

 

I like John's look in the beginning of the film when we hear The 55 in the background..

 

Toad barfing after he got beat up, old gal looks at him and comments, "Bent over like that. He kinda looks like ol' Ginger."

Kurt sitting on the Merc, Pharoah asks, "You know Gil Gonzalez? That's his car you got your butt parked on."

 

When I grow up I wanna be a Wolfman…

 

"Where you going?"
"Uhmm, nowhere"
"Well, you must be going somewhere, you left here didn't you?"

 

So this past weekend I was at the Custom Car Revival. Darryl Starbird was there. He said he is remembered more by the 5 second line about his bubble topped T-Bird in the movie -- more than over 200 cars he has built during his career.

 

Agreed, same could be said for 1962 and 1969. Quite a cultural shift fast in the 60s, interesting to ponder about.

 

My perspective of AM has changed over the years: when it came out, it was a cool car movie with a few other sub-plots, but the cars were the main deal. All these years later, at my age (72), I see and reflect on the whole Viet Nam, changing social involvement issues of the time. Each time I see it, I think of the difficult times for young people and the country. Unfortunately, many of us know too many guys like Toad, who never came back (or came back, never to be the same). Bittersweet, yup, that's it.

 

Ditto the junk yard scene is pure hot rodder. Come on I've taken a girl to the junk yard before!!! Great Date, lots of back seats!!!

 

Every time I hear Carol shout at Falfa "Your car is uglier than I am....that didn't come out right..." I bust up laughing.

 

A few years ago I discovered someone on eBay was selling refrigerator magnets with a picture of my car on them. I reported them and sent them an email, but nothing ever came of it. They had a whole selection of magnets with pictures of other cars as well, I imagine they just copied them all off the Internet.

 

My favorite part of the whole movie was right at the end. All those words scrolling was just the damned best part of the flick.

 

"Super Fleck Moonbird"! Was that even a real Starbird car? I read on a couple of Graffiti websites it was total fiction.

 

That suckerpunch in the final minute....when we are expecting a happy ending and we get an epilog of thumbnails...like yearbook pics...and the fate of the participants in that magical night. It sort of summed up the sixties for me.

 

I liked when they referred to the cop cars a Holsteins!!!

 

Is it strange that I didn't cry when I saw Old Yeller but I cry every time I see Falfa roll his 55?

 

Strange going over there nowadays, probably once a month (1/2 hour). The PG&E plant is the same, but the open field by the crash site was planted in vineyard a couple years ago

 

The soul of that scene is what he must have felt as he'd seen "the man" doing his thing as he left.

But just for you brutha

 

It is a drastic change, or was. Everything moved at warp speed when taken in the context of time in general. Here we are though, celebrating what has always wroked and the spirit behind it. The "gospel" as Ryan calls it. Did it leave us? No but it gets overshadowed easily, temporarily forgotten, and when hoodlums like us congregate we remind and represent. Ok, we aren't really hoodlums I'm just preaching gospel. What would happen if someone tried the same formula, a movie about our glory days again with today's research, prop availabilities, talent? Would it sell? Is a rehashed 'Hollywood Knights" a better money making choice for the comedy? What would happen to our "life" should it succeed? Better stop, I'm thnking too much, it's an old movie for shit's sake...

 

Good man!!!!!.....
Thanks bro!

 

Seems like when I saw it in the theatre the crash was in slow motion, since then normal speed. Probably because I know what's going to happen...