Dazed and Confused (1993)

Director:

Richard Linklater

Writer (WGA):

Richard Linklater (written by)

Release Date:

24 September 1993 (USA)

Genre:

Comedy | Drama

Tagline:

It was the last day of school in 1976, a time they'd never forget... if only they could remember.

Plot:

The adventures of incoming high school and junior high students on the last day of school, in May of 1976.

Plot Keywords:

High School | Last Day Of School | Hazing | Rite Of Passage | Stoner

Awards:

2 nominations

Cast

Jason London	...	Randall 'Pink' Floyd
Rory Cochrane	...	Ron Slater
Wiley Wiggins	...	Mitch Kramer
Sasha Jenson	...	Don Dawson
Michelle Burke	...	Jodi Kramer
Adam Goldberg	...	Mike Newhouse
Anthony Rapp	...	Tony Olson
Matthew McConaughey	...	David Wooderson
Marissa Ribisi	...	Cynthia Dunn
Shawn Andrews	...	Kevin Pickford
Cole Hauser	...	Benny O'Donnell
Milla Jovovich	...	Michelle Burroughs
Joey Lauren Adams	...	Simone Kerr
Christin Hinojosa	...	Sabrina Davis
Ben Affleck	...	Fred O'Bannion

MPAA:

Rated R for pervasive, continuous teen drug and alcohol use and very strong language.

Runtime:

102 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby SR

Certification:

Iceland:12 | Brazil:14 | Argentina:13 | Australia:M | Canada:13+ (Quebec) | Canada:14A | Norway:15 | Singapore:NC-16 | Spain:18 | UK:15 (video re-rating) (2003) | UK:18 (original rating) | UK:18 (video rating) (1994) | USA:R

Filming Locations:

Austin, Texas, USA

Company:

Alphaville Films

Trivia:

Prior to filming, Wiley Wiggins (Mitch Kramer) had never thrown a baseball in his life. Because of this, a double was used in the pitching scenes.

Goofs:

Anachronisms: When the freshmen girls are being hazed, a red Trans Am is visible in the background with 1982 Camaro/Z28 rims, yet the film is set in 1976.

Quotes:

Pink: I may play ball next fall, but I will never sign that. Now me and my loser friends are gonna head out to buy Aerosmith tickets. Top priority of the summer.

Movie Connections:

References "The Waltons" (1972)

Soundtrack:

Love Hurts

Almost a Documentary...

There are spoilers in this review...

What a great, great movie. If you want to know what being in High School in the mid 70's was like, rent this film. I grew up in the metro Manhattan area. We didn't have the freshman hazing, and few of us could afford the cars (although we sure knew about them and lusted after them), but the rest of this movie is so dead on about my experience of High School in the 70's that it's scary. Every character in the film corresponds with someone that I knew during that time. Yes, there was a lot of pot smoking, yes, obtaining beer was quite easy for underage kids...I used to buy it in bars when I was 16. We made pipes in shop class. We hung out and had parties at night, drove the streets drinking beers and smoking joints listening to the same music. There were no youth centers though. The girls that I knew were as beautiful, and also struggled to get into their jeans. They used pliers too, but they also put them on while they were wet to further get that skintight look. There was no HIV virus to worry about, Herpes was not a big thing then, the biggest worry was getting pregnant. Everyone was having sex... All of these facts also were no big deal. Most of my peers grew up just fine, and now are upstanding pillars of the community. Many today would like you to believe that this is an example of the road to ruin. It was an incredible great time. The film has interesting character development, with the same types I remember. Philosophers, heads (now called stoners), bullies and waifs. This is my American Graffiti and it is perfect. Waxing nostalgic? Perhaps, but anyone that didn't live through that time will sill love the dialog in this film, as it deals with the universal experience of that point in one's life. This is high school in the 70's. Check it out.