My favorite George Lucas film does not take place a long time ago in a galaxy far, far away.
Instead it unfolds over the course of a few hours in the humbler setting of Modesto, California in 1962. But even modest Modesto—was the city named for its humility?—can be a universe unto itself. There’s no Luke Skywalker or Darth Vader here, but American Graffiti does have its symbolic, iconic figures—from hot-rodding Harrison Ford to disk-spinning Wolfman Jack. And even Modesto, despite its unassuming name, has its share of tragedy and triumph—and they both unfold here over the course of just a few hours.
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