Harrison Ford and Bo Hopkins also appear. Set in Modesto, California , in , the film is a study of the cruising and early rock 'n' roll cultures popular among Lucas's age group at that time. Through a series of vignettes , it tells the story of a group of teenagers and their adventures throughout a single night. While Lucas was working on his first film, THX , Coppola asked him to write a coming-of-age film.
The genesis of American Graffiti took place in Modesto in the early s, during Lucas's teenage years. He was unsuccessful in pitching the concept to financiers and distributors but found favor at Universal Pictures after every other major film studio turned him down. Filming began in San Rafael, California , but the production crew was denied permission to shoot beyond a second day. As a result, production was moved to Petaluma, California. The film received widespread critical acclaim and was nominated for five Academy Awards , including Best Picture.
In , the film was selected for preservation in the National Film Registry. Set to travel " Back East " with Steve in the morning to start college, Curt has second thoughts about leaving. Laurie, Steve's girlfriend and Curt's sister, is hurt when Steve suggests they see other people while he is away to "strengthen" their relationship. En route to the high school sock hop , Curt sees a beautiful blonde woman driving a white Ford Thunderbird who mouths "I love you", leading him to desperately search for her throughout the night.
Leaving the dance, he is coerced into joining a group of greasers called "The Pharaohs" 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. Allowed to take care of Steve's car while he is at college, Terry cruises around the strip and picks 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 and purchasing alcohol with no ID.
The car is stolen while they share a romantic interlude, and later, after the alcohol has made Terry violently sick, he attempts to steal it back. The thieves beat him up until John intervenes, and Terry eventually admits the truth to Debbie and reveals he rides a Vespa scooter; she suggests it is "almost a motorcycle" and says she had fun, agreeing to meet up with him again.
