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Poster for Pushing the Boundaries: American Graffiti (1973) 4K Restoration
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Pushing the Boundaries: American Graffiti (1973) 4K Restoration

Opens on August 23

Director: George Lucas Run Time: 110 min. Rating: PG Release Year: 1973

Starring: Charles Martin Smith, Cindy Williams, Paul Le Mat, Richard Dreyfuss, Ron Howard

Country: United States
Language: English


The 1970s: Pushing the Boundaries

A Film Center retrospective on the most groundbreaking films to come out of the 1970s.

See more Pushing the Boundaries

About the film:

From director George Lucas and producer Francis Ford Coppola, American Graffiti (1973) is a classic coming-of-age story set against the 1960s backdrop of hot rods, drive-ins and rock n’ roll. Starring Ron Howard, Richard Dreyfuss, Harrison Ford, Cindy Williams, Mackenzie Phillips and Suzanne Somers in their breakout roles, this nostalgic look back follows a group of teenagers as they cruise the streets on their last summer night before college.

Nominated for five Academy Awards, including Best Picture and Best Director, American Graffiti (1973) features the howling sounds of Wolfman Jack and an unforgettable soundtrack with songs by Buddy Holly, Chuck Berry, The Beach Boys and Bill Haley & His Comets. In 1995, the film was selected for preservation in the National Film Registry.

About the filmmaker:

George Lucas is a visionary filmmaker best known for creating the Star Wars and Indiana Jones franchises and for founding Lucasfilm, LucasArts, Industrial Light & Magic, and THX. Lucas made his feature directorial debut with the dystopian sci-fi film THX 1138 (1971). Challenged by Francis Ford Coppola, he co-wrote and directed American Graffiti (1973) based largely on his own experiences in Modesto, CA. The film was the first Lucasfilm production, followed by Star Wars (1977), Steven Spielberg’s Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981), Jim Henson’s Labyrinth (1986), Don Bluth’s The Land Before Time (1988), and Ron Howard’s Willow (1988), among others.

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