American Graffiti: More Interesting Than Entertaining

I watch George Lucas's American Graffiti about once a decade. Yesterday was the day. Considered an American classic film, I found it to be more of an interesting film than an entertaining movie as the stories of high schooler's lives about to be forever changed interweave over the course of one night. The non-stop vintage rock and roll soundtrack provides a backdrop. The film meanders giving bits and pieces in seemingly random order. The performances are a mixed bag with some being stronger than others. As intended, the film seem almost a documentary rather than a movie that builds to a pointed conclusion.

Of course, the surprise success of the low budget American Graffiti gave George Lucas the means to go on and make Star Wars and from there, the rest is history as they say. My conclusion is that I have liked previous viewings of American Graffiti more than what I saw yesterday for which I felt like I was getting an exercise in film making rather than an entertaining movie. Maybe next decade, that opinion will change again.