Dazed & Confused: Why the Big Party Getting Cancelled is The Best Thing That Could Happen
Summer. 1976. Texas. Was I there? Not even remotely. However the transportation I undergo when watching 1993's Dazed and Confused is considerable. It goes beyond generation envy, location envy, music envy... is this lifestyle that I can relate to as a teen reaching my Senior Year in England in the late 2010's? Not even remotely. However the immersion into this setting transcends my personal level of relatability; I do not have memories joyriding whilst smoking weed and throwing bowling balls in the windscreen of stranger's cars, nor do I have memories of partying at the Moon Tower before driving to get Aerosmith tickets on the first day of summer vacation. However the strength of desire to indulge in those times, to live and breathe in those times, as if magically having second-hand participation through a screen is palpable. I recently came to realise I could filter my favourite movies by one characteristic: How much do I wish I was a character in that world when watching this film? The stronger the sensation, the higher the ranking. This undoubtedly results in Dazed and Confused holding the top spot.
So what's it about? Well, nothing, really. Before I delve too deep in my own depths of fangirling about every considerable aspect of why I hold so much love for this movie, I have to appreciate what it is at it's surface level; how it appears to everyone watching it for the first time, before someone like me can lump on all of the emotional attachment and nuances on to it.
The film takes place on the last day of school, in 1976 in rural Texas. It's the bicentennial. It's a time that's bleeding with Americana and echoes of 'freedom', whatever that is, but more so the freedoms and restrictions that afflict the everyday American teenager. Thus, we meet our protagonist, if there was any within the large ensemble cast, Randall 'Pink' Floyd. A quarterback that was lucky enough to be exempt from cinematic quarterback tropes before they fully came into fruition, think of him as 'a quarterback with a heart of gold'. Yes, he is the pinnacle of popularity amongst his peers due to his prime place on the football team, but that takes the back seat when thinking of what Pink is as a whole. More relevant are his connections and fluency with each of the social groups and individuals; from his fellow jocks, his stoner buddies, the awkward nerds, burnouts past and present, the girls, and perhaps most significantly, the younger generation: in the shape of Mitch Kramer who acts as a cyclical symbol of his past self who Pink has great kindness for. Between the two, we have great moments of clarity in an otherwise free flowing, meandering (entirely realistic) plotline through these two characters alone. Signposted by slow motion closeups, examples include Mitch's concentration when pitching past his impending doom awaiting him with a baseball bat and other Seniors, or Pink facing away from his inner circle whilst stood at the 50yd line, taking in Don's words about doing the best one can whilst they're "stuck here". It's through these moments of clarity and reflection that the truth of Dazed and Confused lies, and the poignancy- making it a step above the brand of 'just another high school stoner movie'.
Alright, alright, alright. That's not to say it's not a whole load of good fun, with the zaniness of characters like Slater, the patron saint of stoners, and the slimy slickness but undoubted coolness of Wooderson, now the widespread face and namesake of this film, providing fantastic one liners and a surprising inclusion to characters from your high school that you probably forgot about or hoped you'd never see again; certainly not immortalised on screen by Matthew McConaughey. That's another considerable aspect of this film that is just so impressive; the uncanny perfection of character. Not only in casting, but in writing, too. My father, who grew up on the East Coast and was 15 in 1976 (so not a cool Senior, but a newly emerging freshman), and who first blessed me with sharing this movie with me for the first time, says countlessly how accurate each single character is. He knew all of these people. That's not even taking into consideration the historical accuracy of the film, which Richard Linklater has been described as a "stickler" for by New York Times Film Critic A. O. Scott. The lack of overt cultural references and by definition showing, not telling, heightens the relatability for those who did live in that era, and signifies Linklater's sophistication in making a 'period piece' without the need to slap the audience across the face with cultural references.
So what actually happens, though? I still haven't answered. After meeting Pink and in turn his minor self, Mitch, each are gearing up to leave school early (to the anarchic anthem School's Out by Alice Cooper, what else?) and looking forward to what awaits them. The night begins full of promise with a party at Pickford's which then, in an entirely realistic turn of events, gets cancelled as his parents get wind of the planned party and shut it down. This, seemingly minor plot point, amplifies Dazed past that of just a regular high school movie. The isn't the big party that everyone's talking about. There isn't the big party setting where everyone mingles and has a great time. Life isn't like that. More often that not, the big party gets cancelled, and everyone has to come up with other plans. This is where it really gets going.
Through a haphazard montage, we see the different groups of Seniors jump from car to car, from the gas station to the Emporium pool lounge (which holds perhaps my favourite scene of the entire film), to eventually everyone, through a haze of marijuana and alcohol, rally and organise a final beer bust at the Moon Tower. Is there any other way to spend the last day of school? Not in my books.
Through this vibrancy and ease of plot, seemingly unfolding in unknowing directions, both to the audience and the characters, the film carries a quiet yet prominent current of Pink's dilemma: whether to sign the pledge sheet or not. Fobbed off by his fellow football pals, Pink's separation from them is alluded to, as we see this take a more taxing toll on him than the others who are able to sign it and forget about it. Pink takes moral issue with this. The pledge sheet reads:
"I voluntarily agree to not indulge in any alcohol, drugs or engage in any other illegal activity that may in any way jeopardize the years of hard work we as a team have committed to our goal of a championship season in '76."
Are all other members of the football team indulging in alcohol, drugs and illegal activity? Of course they are. But by the end of the movie we see Pink align himself as his own, free from the politics of the football team, in the company of the best character roundup of the bunch: Wooderson, Slater and Don. A satisfying resolution to his character's dilemma, and results in Pink appearing as a fully realised, multi-faceted character. A smaller , unassuming favourite moment of mine comes between the craziness and testosterone filled cat and mouse chase between the Seniors and Freshmen, with a stakeout at the baseball game. Pink, free from his friends, walks with an elderly couple who share their excitement at him playing football next season, and how they're "counting on you boys". Despite Pink at this time still being in a personal quandary about the likelihood of him even seeing a football field next fall, he responds happily, politely, and parts ways with them amicably. A moment that is often overlooked, but acts as a strong factor in my love for the character of Pink - an inadvertent diamond in the rough of football players.
What remains is an overall film that is so enriched in it's own time and setting, but is not bound by it. Rather, it possesses the rare skill to transcend generations, as people are able to find their own levels of relatability with any aspect of the film, despite generational differences. What remains at it's core is it's inextricable link to America. To be an American teenager means something entirely different than to be a teenager in any other country, and to be an American teenager in 1976? There's no substitute. There's no equal comparison. From my own experience, I find there's something about driving around aimlessly, in the suburbs or on a highway late at night, in the heat of summer that cannot be replicated outside of America. Now I'm not one to glorify American suburbia on a regular basis, but in this instance, I find myself envious of these teens who were "stuck" in a place they hated. Ironically, just as I felt "stuck" in place I hated when I was their age within my own time and setting. So, if I were to take off the rose-coloured glasses, would I see Dazed & Confused for no more than another example of widespread adolescent dissatisfaction, with the added bonus of a great mid 70s rock soundtrack? No. What remains is a film that is truthful in it's depiction of teenage life; the passion and dispassion of it, the desire to be more than what you are, or not having the sense to know the difference. I just come to the realisation that I would rather be battling adolescence whilst getting out of a 1970 Chevrolet Chevelle walking into the Emporium with Bob Dylan's Hurricane playing. But that's just me.
Further Reading:
Alright, Alright, Alright: The Oral History of Richard Linklater's Dazed and Confused by Melissa Maerz
