Wolff rating: NOT BAD
Plot summary: Teens in 1962 cruise the streets of what appears to be San Rafael, CA, and live, love, and come of age in a single night.
Biased, pithy comments: This was an early Lucas classic, a nearly experimental movie that won him fame for his filmmaking and for his ability to stay under budget. It's a finely-made movie, with excellent performances by nearly everyone (including a hilarious Harrison Ford), most of whom go on to become famous or at least well-known. However, as a child of MTV and the 80s, I can safely say that this movie pulled zero heartstrings for me---I found the world of early 60's cruising to be lonely, hostile, purile, and alien. Lucas himself has described this movie as a documentary of sorts, and it is here that the movie both finds its strength and its flaw---unless you care about cruising, there is a lot of down time in the film bereft of character development, story, or heart. So what am I saying here? This is a well-made film that I didn't enjoy watching. Your mileage will vary in proportion to how well you remember the 60s.
Other Notes: Apparently crashing into the trash can on the Vespa in the first scene was a mistake, but left in because it fit so wonderfully. The hot blonde in the T-Bird? Suzanne Sommers.
How many times I have seen it: x1
Starring: Richard Dreyfuss, Ron Howard, Paul Le Mat, Charles Martin Smith, Cindy Williams, Candy Clark, Mackenzie Philips, Wolfman Jack.
Directed by: George Lucas