George Lucas' pre-"Star Wars" masterpiece "American Graffiti" was nothing like the sci-fi space opera that eventually made him a household name, but they did share the fact that pretty much everybody thought they would fail, especially following the commercial disappointment that was his first feature, "THX 1138." But it wasn't as if the premise of "American Graffiti" screamed mega-hit, either. The film followed a group of kids who spend an evening cruising around town before two depart for college. Thankfully, Lucas' film not only benefitted from word of mouth and a stellar critical response, it spoke to a burgeoning nostalgia among boomers for the 1950s culture of their youth — the same nostalgia that made "Happy Days" a huge hit soon after. This all combined to make "American Graffiti"

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