"That's a nice-a donut."

Tuesday, May 09, 2006


Dazed and Confused (1993)

"It was the last day of school of 1976. It's a night they would never forget... if they could remember." The tagline for Dazed and Confused immediately calls to mind any number of lightweight skin flicks of teenage debauchery and outlandish hijinks. One might think of Meatballs, or Dude, Where's My Car, or perhaps American Pie. I too had this mindset the first time I saw the movie. And so director Richard Linklater's first noteworthy release is made even more amazing by the fact that it is nothing like that. Well, sort of. There is plenty of hijinks and teenage inebriation, yet there is also a very warm heart at the center of this thoughtful look at several groups of young people and the dog-eat-dog world of high school.

As the tagline suggests, it is the last day of school in May 1976. While some students will be graduating, plenty of others are involved in the unofficial initiation into high school. And so we follow several upperclassman who will soon be seniors, as they haze some select kids who will be incoming freshman. For the boys it's pretty simple: they get beat with homemade paddles, by those who might charitably be described as bullies ("I hate that guy"). The girls though are put through a sinister afternoon of being yelled at and belittled, smeared with food, and then put through a car wash to clean off. Meanwhile, pretty much everyone who is anyone is thinking partying that night.

Through all the chaos, a number of distinct (but sometimes intermixing) groups emerge: the sociological intellectuals, the conceited jocks, the sluts, the doomed freshman, the stoners, the perpetual seniors, as well as the square authority figures. Two of the freshmen are sort of the center of the movie. Mitch Kramer (Wiley Wiggins) tries to elude his fate of being paddled, and then later spends the night partying with some of the seniors who just beat him. Sabrina (Christin Hinojosa) is invited into the female clique and then goes out on the town, trying to fit in with a few of her tormentors. Their tales, as well as football quarterback Randall "Pink" Floyd's (Jason London) struggle with whether or not to sign a pledge that he is morally against for the football coach, are the main storylines in the film. Although much of it is just one long freeform night of partying, it is much more structured than Linklater's films prior to this such as Slacker or How to Learn to Plow.

The movie moves nonstop, taking full advantage of the low budget but very effective ensemble casting. Many of the young actors would soon rise to fame including Matthew McConaughey, Parker Posey, Milla Jovovich, and Ben Affleck. McConaughey is especially memorable as an aging stoner who still parties and has one of the better lines: "That's what I love about these high school girls, man. I get older, they stay the same age."

The amazing feat is that while Dazed is often very funny and is filled with careless minded partying, it manages to be smart and have a number of interesting comments on youth and society. It is sort of an updated, hipper version of Lucas' American Graffiti, and with more drugs. Of course, the interesting thing about that comparison is that both movies were set about 15-20 years before they were made. Almost everyone will have someone in the movie to relate to. So, if you are put off by the marketing or the movie poster, give it a shot. And be sure to "see it with a bud."

The Verdict: A-.

Archives

March 2005   April 2005   May 2005   June 2005   July 2005   August 2005   September 2005   October 2005   November 2005   December 2005   January 2006   February 2006   March 2006   April 2006   May 2006   June 2006   July 2006   August 2006   September 2006  

     


 
 

Need to contact us? E-mail a Box Office Prophet.
Thursday, March 28, 2024
© 2024 Box Office Prophets, a division of One Of Us, Inc.