MovieChat Forums > American Graffiti (1973) Discussion > This movie was a drag

This movie was a drag

posted 4 years ago by redban (5206)
2 replies | jump to latest

The visuals were nice. The soundtrack was ok (though it got annoying after a while, as there was music in every scene). I like the characters clothes, hairstyles, appearances, which fed the 1950s nostalgia.

But the plot just went nowhere. It felt like a random assortment of isolated events that meant nothing and led to nothing. At the end, I did not feel any sort of attachment to the characters, I didn't feel anything at their parting ways forever and moving on with their lives etc.

I don't get the rave reviews for this film. By the time I got to the 1-hour mark, I was ready to shut it off.

[–] Owlwise (1495) 4 years ago

It's a slice-of-life film, one that's focused on a threshold moment for everyone, which means that their own lives are not quite in focus, but in flux. In part, they're trying to cling to what they know, even as they understand that it's over; in part, they're uncertain but still preparing to move forward, even as the present moment already begins to turn into idealized nostalgia. Letting go of any stage of life is complicated, and all the more so at 17. The film captures this beautifully.

[–] liscarkat (16552) a year ago

A drag? No way, man! It was boss!