Day 52 - Dazed and Confused


Day 52              Dazed and Confused [1993]
                          
Screenplay                    Richard Linklater
Director                         Richard Linklater
Cinematography             Lee Daniel
Music                             Harry Garfield (& Richard Linklater)
Leads*                           Matthey McConaughey, Ben Affleck, Milla Jovovich, Adam Goldberg, Parker Posey, Wiley Wiggins, Rory Cochrane, Cole Hauser, Jason London, Shawn Andrews, Sasha Jenson
Production                      Alphaville

IMDb                                 7.7/10
Rotten Tomatoes                94%

I don’t think I had ever felt the true pain of adulthood until I watched this film. I just felt happy the whole way through, young and carefree as if I was back at university. I can’t believe it took me so long to watch. I love, love, loved it, and yet it’s hard to explain why. It is all about a group of teenagers on the last day of their high school in Texas. The next lot of seniors are going to haze next year’s freshmen, the party everyone was going to gets ruined, so everyone is waiting for something to do and that’s really all you need to know. It’s just full of the usual teenage fun – drugs, alcohol, arcades, parties and a whole lot of hazing. You’ve got your jocks, your stoners, your nerds and all that jazz, but it’s not too cheesy, something about it just seems to work wondrously. The music is epic 70s stuff. The cast are a bunch of cool young cats and we even see early appearances from McConaughey and Ben Affleck. There is slightly more of a plot to it, but it isn’t necessary, that’s how feel-good this film is. I don’t think my review has done it justice, or really explained anything, but this epic cult classic needs no explanation. Just embrace your inner teenager and watch this film with a beer in one hand, a joint in the other and dive deep into your nostalgia.  


Acting                             3 / 4
Writing                            3 / 4
Cinematography           2.5 / 4
Music                           3.5 / 4
HWF rating                4 / 4


* This film has an ensemble cast so I have only listed the actors I believe to have featured the most and actors who have since become more well-known