Whoever picked the title, More American Graffiti, should have been sentenced to a few months in prison. I don’t often get so worked up over a title, but this is both lazy and misleading. It really isn’t “more” American Graffiti. The sequel to the hit 1973 film is far different in tone. It was panned (and a flop) upon release and still has mostly bad reviews.
If you can get past the title, there is actually a ton to praise here including a very ambitious visual/formal structure. This is the story of a few characters (apparently they couldn’t get Richard Dreyfuss to return) from American Graffiti.
The story here centers on two different time periods- 1964 and 1966—bouncing back and forth (the original film is set in 1962). Each character gets their own story (much like the first film) and here they each get their own unique aspect ratio. Candy Clark’s Debbie is shot in these strange split frames (above). Charles Martin Smith’s Terry the Toad is shot your traditional box 1.37: 1 sort of Vietnam TV footage style. The story of Ron Howard’s Steve and Cindy Williams’ Laurie is your wider 1.85 : 1 format with the Paul Le Mat John Milner story in the widest 2.39: 1 frame (perfect with the car racing). If executed correctly this would have been brilliant and would recall everything from Griffith’s Intolerance with the different shadings/color for each of the fractured time periods to Wes Anderson’s shifting aspect ratios for different time periods in The Grand Budapest Hotel. If Lucas is at the helm I think we’re talking about a potential watershed film and masterpiece here—but you can hardly blame him for the way he went and what he was working on in 1979/1980 leading into The Empire Strikes Back.
Often the writing is nails on a chalkboard and the acting isn’t far better- an uneasy blend of the light and dark
The talented Caleb Deschanel is here as cinematographer- the future six-time Oscar nominee had his big breakout in 1979 working here and on Being There and The Black Stallion
Blends the helicopters back to flashbacks in the audio mix just like another 1979 film I know
A small role for a young Scott Glenn, and Harrison Ford is back for a quick cameo as a cop.
Unlike Lucas’ film, this isn’t nostalgia—this is a warning sign. This is the story of how the 1960’s changed and innocence was lost. This is description more than an evaluation- but it is a colossal downer.
Some of the musical choices are inspired (such a strength of the first film) from Donovan to The Doors and others were quite weak. You can’t use Simon and Garfunkel’s “The Sound of Silence” in a world where The Graduate exists unless you’re deliberately recalling it like Kingpin or something. Also, the film needs to land more of the poignant moments throughout if you’re going to have Bob Dylan’s powerful “Like a Rolling Stone” ballad on the final credits. This film has not earned that power.
The film does stick the landing with the New Year Eve’s flashback with each character, separately, singing Auld Lang Syne—they are happy in that moment with everything about to change.
the famous postscript is much the same- and it is worth noting the fate of these characters were pretty much laid out in the first film with a nearly identical postscript
Recommend- uneven but there is far too much good here not to archive.
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