The Big Picture After the disappointing reception of his feature-length debut, THX-1138, George Luas rebounded with American Graffiti in 1973. A nostalgic, lighthearted account of the filmmaker's youthful days spent listening to rock and roll while roaming the streets of Modesto, California, the autobiographical hit struck a nerve with audiences, becoming a box office smash and nabbing five Academy Award nominations, including two for Lucas' direction and co-written screenplay.
American Graffiti PG Release Date August 1, 1973 Director George Lucas Cast Richard Dreyfuss , Ron Howard , Paul Le Mat , Charles Martin Smith , Cindy Williams , Candy Clark Runtime 110 Main Genre Comedy George Lucas' Interest in Racing Cars Almost Got Him Killed Though he was interested in entertainment and photography while growing up in Northern California, George Walton Lucas Jr.'s true passion was for cars.
Lucas’ Abandoned His Dream of Racing Cars To Pursue Filmmaking After surviving his brush with death, George Lucas began reconsidering his prospects for becoming a race car driver. "I was at this sort of crossroads-but it made me apply myself more," explains Lucas, "because I realized more than anything else what a thin thread we hang on in life, and I really wanted to make something out of my life.
Related George Lucas’ ’American Graffiti Is More Autobiographical Than You Know Lucas' second film was directly inspired by his own upbringing. George Lucas' Passion for Racing Cars is Evident in His Filmmaking Close The man behind one of history's most iconic and lucrative pieces of intellectual property may have shifted gears professionally, but his love of automobiles and high-speed excitement often informed his storytelling sensibilities as a filmmaker.