American identity as we know it today was largely forged in the 1950s, and proceeded to be challenged in the 60s and 70s. George Lucas, before creating one of the most beloved American movie franchises with Star Wars, directed one of the first films to look back on this era with nostalgic affection. It’s also probably one of the finest.
The story takes place over the course of one evening, but this one night is meant to encapsulate the experience of an entire generation. This is done by creating almost the feel of an anthology movie—multiple plots that the movie cuts between featuring an adorable ensemble cast, including young stars by the names of Harrison Ford, Richard Dreyfuss, Ron Howard and Suzanne Somers. We witness teenage recklessness, sexual tension and frustration, drive-in burger joints with servers on roller skates, and lots of shiny cars. It’s as sentimental about 1950s America as Woody Allen is about 1920s Paris, and has the same magical quality to it. I don’t think I’ve seen a movie from the 1970s with quite as strong a sense of place, and it’s a place I want to inhabit. We feel nostalgic for it, as a representation of innocence, even if it’s not a period during which we were alive.
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