Saturday, August 20, 2016

American Graffiti and the California Strip – What a Vision






When I first saw American Graffiti in high school, it stood a short generation removed from me and entirely plausible to its 1962 setting. But watching it last night, I couldn’t help wondering if the so-called California Strip actually existed in serving as the focal point for this generation in search of itself.

Of course, the coming of age themes of the George Lucas 1973 film are universal. What value should a young man or woman put on the “hick town” they’ve grown up in as they face the world in front of them. “Why should you go in search of a home, when you’ve had a home your whole life,” asks Ron Howard, as he waivers back and forth between embarking for an east coast college.

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