American Graffiti 1973 Watch Full Movie

American Graffiti Full Movie

On their last evening of summer vacation in 1962, high school graduates Curt Henderson and Steve Bolander meet two other friends, confident drag-racing king John Milner and unpopular but well-meaning Terry “The Toad” Fields in the parking lot of Mel’s Drive-In in Modesto, California. Steve and Curt are to travel “Back East” in the morning and start college but the latter has second thoughts about leaving. Laurie, Steve’s girlfriend and Curt’s sister, arrive moments later, and Steve suggests to her that they see other people while he is away at college to “strengthen” their relationship. Though not openly upset at first, it affects her interactions with him through the night.

The Sock Hop Amidst Adventure

Curt, Steve, and Laurie attend the high school sock hop. En route, Curt sees a beautiful blonde woman driving a white Ford Thunderbird next to them, who mouths “I love you” before turning right. The interaction causes Curt to desperately search for her throughout the night. After leaving the hop, he is coerced into joining a group of greasers called “The Pharaohs”, who force him to aid them in stealing coins from arcade machines and hooking a chain to a police car, ripping out its back axle. During a tense ride, the Pharaoh leader tells Curt that “The Blonde” is a prostitute, which he does not believe.

Terry’s Night Adventure

With Steve allowing Terry to take care of his car while he’s studying at college, Terry uses it to cruise around the strip and pick up the rebellious Debbie. Telling her he is known as “Terry The Tiger”, he spends the night trying to impress her, lying about the car being his and purchasing alcohol with no ID. While he and Debbie leave Steve’s car in a rural spot to share a romantic interlude, thieves steal the car. Later, after the alcohol has made Terry violently sick, he finds Steve’s car and attempts to steal it back. The car thieves appear and beat him up until John intervenes. Terry eventually admits to Debbie that he’s been lying about the car all along and he rides a Vespa scooter; she suggests it is “almost a motorcycle” and says she had fun with him, agreeing to meet up with him again.

John’s Unexpected Company

In an attempt to get cruising company for the evening, John inadvertently picks up Carol, a precocious 12-year-old who manipulates him into driving her around all night. Meanwhile, skilled racer Bob Falfa is searching out John to challenge him to the defining race for John’s drag-racing crown. During his night of goading anyone he comes across for a challenge, he picks up an emotional Laurie after the argument with Steve that was brewing all night.

After leaving the Pharaohs, Curt drives to the radio station to ask the omnipotent disc jockey “Wolfman Jack” to read a message out on air for the blonde in the White Thunderbird. He encounters an employee who tells him the Wolfman does not work there and that the shows are pre-taped for replay, claiming the Wolfman “is everywhere”. He says the Wolfman would advise Curt to “get your ass in gear” and see the world, but promises to have the Wolfman air the request. As Curt leaves, he notices the employee talking into the microphone and realizes he is the Wolfman, who reads the message for the blonde asking her to call Curt on the payphone at Mel’s Drive-In.

The Final Race

After taking Carol home, John is found by Bob Falfa, who successfully goads him into the definitive race along Paradise Road outside the city, with spectators appearing to watch. As Terry starts the drag race, John takes the lead, but Bob’s tire blows out, causing his car to swerve into a ditch and roll over before bursting into flames. Steve, aware that Laurie was Bob’s passenger, rushes to the wreck as she and Bob crawl out and stagger away before the car explodes. While John helps his rival to safety, Laurie begs Steve not to leave her, and he assures her that he will stay with her in Modesto.

The Epilogue

Exhausted, Curt is awakened by the payphone. He finally speaks to the blonde, who does not reveal her identity but hints at the possibility of meeting that night. Curt replies that he is leaving town. Later at the airfield, he says goodbye to his parents and friends before boarding the plane. After takeoff, he looks down at the ground from the window and sees the white Thunderbird driving along the road below. Curt thoughtfully gazes into the sky. A postscript reveals the fates of the four main characters: In 1964, John was killed by a drunk driver; in 1965, Terry was reported missing in action near An Lộc, South Vietnam; Steve is an insurance agent in Modesto; and Curt is a writer living in Canada.

Watch the full movie of American Graffiti to experience the nostalgia and adventure of these characters firsthand.