MovieChat Forums > American Graffiti (1973) Discussion > Didn't like it

Didn't like it

posted 8 years ago by KingBrian1
6 replies | jump to latest

This movie is pretty poor. Does not appeal to anyone other than Americans of a certain generation. Seriously dated and not what I expected going into it. Expected drama and excitement. This was boring.

[–] highwaystar50 8 years ago

If you bother to read the other posts you will realize that this movie appeals to many people of many generations, not just those who were around in "62," when this movie takes place. Sorry you didn't "get it."
KS

[–] joekiddlouischama 8 years ago

Does not appeal to anyone other than Americans of a certain generation.

One might need some historical curiosity to appreciate it.

Seriously dated

The film was deliberately "dated" because it was a period piece when it came out; thus the "dated" label is meaningless, as is usually the case. Why would one want a film set in 1962 and released in 1973 to suggest the year 2016 somehow?

Actually, I would say that American Graffiti's essential explorations are essentially timeless.

and not what I expected going into it. Expected drama and excitement.

Judging a film based on one's expectations or preconceived notions says more about the viewer than the film itself.

Yes, American Graffiti does represent a different era in filmmaking, when movies would sometimes just create an atmosphere, explore vignettes, focus on character, and not try to explain everything. The goal was to let matters soak in and unwind, not to thrill you.

[–] KingBrian1 8 years ago

American Graffiti focuses on characters who were boring and we saw no overall plot. Random people getting up to anti social behavior for the time of course. For today's audience it is completely a loss. I don't usually dislike old classics this though I can't say I liked it at all.

[–] joekiddlouischama 8 years ago

Yeah, the filmmaking style is different from what one normally sees nowadays. There is a certain degree of subtlety and looseness to it, but the appearance of randomness is deliberate because the movie's ending—its postscript—shows that there was a point to the seeming pointlessness. The film is about fate and the ironies therein, about how one does not see the future coming yet perhaps could have done so in retrospect.

But none of these matters are spelled out for the audience. Like many films from that era, American Graffiti forces viewers to think for him or herself. The film is not earth-shattering, but it offers a worthwhile prism for conjuring with larger issues.

[–] liscarkat (18460) 2 years ago

"Seriously dated"

Oh, gad, the stupid "dated" argument.

The movie was set in the past. It was supposed to reflect that year in the past, 1962. It succeeded in evoking that time very effectively.

[–] liscarkat (18460) 2 years ago

"Does not appeal to anyone other than Americans of a certain generation."

Another stupid comment. First of all, it isn't true. "American Graffiti" appeals to a lot of people of different generations, and in countries other than the U.S. Second of all, what if it was true? There is nothing wrong with appealing to people in a certain generation, or in a certain country.