American Graffiti
Dir: George Lucas
1973
*****
American Graffiti is rightfully regarded as one of the best odes to the 50's (OK, the 60's but you know where I'm coming from). I think the key to its success is that it doesn't set out to tell a story as such, instead it simply shows the way of life and how it was all in one night. Great characters, great script and great Cars. Seriously, people say that the music is the main attraction, and it is good but those Cars are something else. I wonder what Lucas would have gone on to do had Star Wars not have been so successful. This and THX 1138 are great films. I'm not saying the Star Wars film weren't great, heaven forbid, it's just that he has stuck with that and Indiana Jones and not come up with anything else. I wonder if a few great films will remain unmade because of this, I guess we'll never know.