“American Graffiti “was filmed in Petaluma, California in 1973, takes place in 1962 in Modesto, California and is characterized as a classic coming-of-age movie. A few examples of outstanding films in the coming-of-age genre include “Rebel Without a Cause” (1955), “The Graduate” (1967), “Breaking Away” (1979), “Stand by Me” (1986) and “Say Anything …” (1989).

In “American Graffiti,” Friday nights are spent cruising the town in a car, listening to music on the car’s radio, meeting people and if you were lucky, getting a date for Saturday night. Four friends are trying to decide what to do with the rest of their lives after graduating from high school.