More American Graffiti (1979)

College graduates deal with Vietnam and other issues of the late '60s.

Director:

Bill L. Norton

Writers:

Bill L. Norton, George Lucas (characters),

Stars:

Candy Clark, Bo Hopkins, Ron Howard

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Candy Clark	...	Debbie Dunham
Bo Hopkins	...	Little Joe
Ron Howard	...	Steve Bolander
Paul Le Mat	...	John Milner
Mackenzie Phillips	...	Carol / Rainbow
Charles Martin Smith	...	Terry the Toad
Cindy Williams	...	Laurie Bolander
Anna Bjorn	...	Eva
Richard Bradford	...	Major Creech
John Brent	...	Ralph
Country Joe McDonald	...	Country Joe and the Fish
Barry Melton	...	Country Joe and the Fish (as Barry 'the Fish' Melton)
Robert Hogins	...	Country Joe and the Fish
Robert Flurie	...	Country Joe and the Fish
Peter Albin	...	Country Joe and the Fish

Storyline

College graduates deal with Vietnam and other issues of the late '60s.

---

Plot Keywords:

vietnam | wedding ring | arrest | national guard | police brutality | 

---

Taglines:

The sights and sounds of the '60s. There were bittersweet times. There were funny times. And it was all unforgettable.

---

Genres:

Comedy | Drama | War

---

Certificate:

PG

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English Icelandic

Release Date:

3 August 1979 (USA)

Also Known As:

Purple Haze

Filming Locations:

Baylands Raceway Park - 44333 Christy Lane, Fremont, California, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$3,000,000 (estimated)

Gross:

$8,100,000 (USA)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Lucasfilm, Universal Pictures

Technical Specs

Runtime:

110 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

George Lucas's original four story lines were about Curt (Richard Dreyfuss's character) and Laurie (Cindy Williams and the changes they underwent in the sixties, Debby (Candy Clark) being a topless dancer who had an affair with a local politician, Milner (Paul Le Mat) trying to beat the Factory Racing team at the local drag strip and Toad (Charles Martin Smith) in Vietnam. When Dreyfuss refused to sign on, Lucas had to invent a new character, Laurie's younger brother Andy (Will Seltzer, who also auditioned for Star Wars).

---

Goofs

The soldier outside the HQ bunker who spots Toad carries and then aims an AK-47 style rifle, supplied to communist forces by the Soviet Union and China. Using enemy weapons would normally be against regulations, although it was not unheard of for US soldiers in Viet Nam to obtain and use weapons like the AK-47. However, this would be very unlikely in relative rear areas like a fire base, especially under a commanding officer like Major Creech.

---

Quotes

John Milner: Hey, look, I want you to keep this, take that with you
[Hands Toad a twisted bolt]
John Milner: That's from when my flywheel broke remember?
Terry 'The Toad' Fields: That's great, man, that's really great. Hey, you know what I'm going to do for you? I'm going to capture you a VC flag.
John Milner: Naw, don't so that man, just come back alive.

---

Connections

References Mister Rogers' Neighborhood (1968)

---

Soundtracks

"Light My Fire"
Performed by The Doors
Courtesy of Elektra/Asylum Records

User Reviews

Unnecessary, Nearly Unwatchable Sequel

The final frames of the original "American Graffiti" provide one-line summaries of the fates of the film's four central male characters. While somewhat sexist in omitting the female characters, the ending of the original film provided all the information about those people that even the most ardent fan of the movie would want. However, someone felt that mega-bucks could be made by detailing the dreary lives of these characters after the original film ended. Bad move. Making an insurance salesman and his wife, a nerdy private in Vietnam, a drag race driver, and a overgrown hippie into interesting characters in interesting situations was far beyond the talents of those who wrote this nearly unwatchable movie. While most of the original cast is back, with only Richard Dreyfuss having the good sense to stay away, "More American Graffiti" is a mess of silly situations that involve protests, car races, country singers, and the Vietnam war. The use of split screens, once thought innovative and daring, is overused here to the point of distraction and adds confusion to the already confused goings one. This is a sequel that demonstrates nearly everything that can go wrong with a sequel. Perhaps it should be screened in film schools as a lesson. Even the use of period music, which was a delight in the original, is poorly done here. If you want more "American Graffiti," see the original twice.