Goodnight Sweetheart, It's Time to Go: American Graffiti and the End of Summer

I can’t think of a ton of things that make me feel sentimental about summer. For the most part, when September approaches, I welcome it without looking back. But there is one movie that romanticizes summer in a way I can get behind: American Graffiti.

American Graffiti (1973) follows a group of teenagers throughout their various adventures on their final night of summer vacation in 1962. Their escapades are narrated by a terrific soundtrack, brought to them by disc jockey Wolfman Jack. The film stars Ron Howard, Richard Dreyfuss, Paul Le Mat, Charles Martin Smith, Harrison Ford, Cindy Williams, Mackenzie Phillips, and Candy Clark. It was produced by Francis Ford Coppola and directed by George Lucas.

I watched this movie for the first time just a couple months before I went to college, and the characters (and the film itself) perfectly encapsulated the excitement I felt and the anxieties I had: What kind of people would I meet? What were some familiar spots in my hometown that I’d be leaving behind? Is my decision to go letting someone down? Will I survive? As with many movies, American Graffiti became like a friend, a confidante.

I even rewatched it the night before I left, and once I was at school, it helped me make friends (human ones). It proved to be a great icebreaker: I met someone on my dorm floor who told me she was from Turlock, adding “you’ve probably never heard of that place.” I was too shy at that point to actually quote the high-pitched girl John Milner talks to (“no, does he go to Turlock Highh?”) but all the same, my dorm-mate was probably a little confused as to why I was so excited about her being from Turlock! The second roommate I had was from Modesto, and she told me about the American Graffiti festival they had every summer. I haven’t been able to go yet, but it's definitely a bucket list item! (Side note: A number of years ago, I did get to see the vintage cars and Mel’s Diner replica at Universal Studios in Orlando. In my opinion, it’s the best part of the park. I hope that part of Universal stays there forever.)

There were some lonely times too, though, but listening to the soundtrack was a wonderful cure. The soundtrack is a character in itself, and became yet another companion. Since I had already been listening to it before I got to school, it was like a little piece of home that I had brought with me. That playlist is still on Spotify, and you can find it here:

The movie has remained a favorite of mine, and is probably among my top ten favorite films of all time. If I’m watching it by myself, I’ll quote all the lines along with the characters and dance to the songs. One of these days, I want to have an “American Graffiti Night” where I make themed food to go with the movie viewing. I may not be able to recreate Terry’s order of “a double chubby chuck, a Mexicali chili-barb, two orders of french fries, and two Cherry Cokes,” but any kind of diner food sounds good to me!

My favorite character is John Milner, and I really wish Paul Le Mat had more starring roles in big movies. I know I’m going to earn the ire of every Star Wars fan for saying this, but I would love to step into an alternate universe where he was Han Solo instead of Harrison Ford. There. I said it. You can unsubscribe to this blog right now and I’d understand. But I just love Le Mat in this, and I could totally see him bringing the “tough-but-sensitive” attitude he has in American Graffiti to the role of Han.

On a less shocking note... I often feel a sense of nostalgia for eras that were before my time. It’s a little bit like the "A Stop at Willoughby" episode of The Twilight Zone, where a man is transported to a bygone era he was never a part of; yet he senses he belongs there, and the people understand him. (We'll ignore the end of that episode for the sake of this metaphor.) But what I love about American Graffiti is that it makes me feel nostalgic not just for that summer of ‘62, but for my own childhood summers. It makes me realize that I do have some nice memories from those times: thoughts of late-night movie openings with friends, of meeting at In-N-Out before sleepovers, of frolicking on paddleboards at the lake. And the next time I’m in the mood to have those memories gently coaxed back to life again, I’ll throw on my Dewey Weber shirt, whip up some Cherry Cokes, and indulge in those feelings of bittersweet longing that only American Graffiti can stir up. As Curt puts it so eloquently:

“You ain’t got no emotions? We are going to remember all of the good times, is what we’re gonna do.”

So farewell, summer. Here’s to all the good times.