Two of my all time favorite movies are "Hoosiers" and "American
Graffiti."
Seldom will I go back and watch a movie a second time; a third or fourth, except for those two movies. There is no telling how many times I have watched them. Christmas time when all our family is together I have been known to bring out both those movies and tell the grandkids, “This is what we are watching before any of that Chevy Chase Christmas stuff,” although that seems to be a family Christmas favorite too. When two of our grandkids, Sloan and Lawson, were staying with us this past summer I said, “Okay guys, we’re watching "American Graffiti" again tonight!” Not too much protest, only a few groans.
There are some great lines from that movie, such as:
- “Why is every girl that comes by here ugly or has boyfriend?”
- “I will love and protect this car till death due us part”
- “Tonight things are gonna be different”
- “How’d you like to ride around with me for a while, sorry I can’t I’m goin’ steady."
- “Hey don’t be stupid, experience life, have some fun.”
- “Rock-n’-roll been goin’ downhill ever since Buddy Holly died.”
- “Hey, anybody ever tell you, you look like Connie Stevens?”
- “I just love it when guys peel out.”
- “I even asked my father why you hadn’t kissed me”
- “How do I get into these things?”
- “We broke up.”
- “I get off in an hour thought you might want to come over”
- “You have got to leave the nest sometime.”
- “You been number one for as long as I can remember.”
- “If I’m not doin’ nothing tomorrow night why don’t you call me?”
- “I’m lookin for this girl, yea aren’t we all.”
- “It’s a great big beautiful world out there and I’m here sucking on popsicles.”
The greatest breaking up with your boyfriend/girlfriend line was said in that movie:
- “Seeing other people might not hurt us.”
Remember when that line was first said to you? I do.
But the greatest of all the lines from that movie, the one with the most relevance for those of us from the late 1950s’ is:
- “You just can’t stay seventeen forever.”
We all came to understand that one.
December 3, 2010
Keep on,
Larry Adamson