Page One: “American Graffiti” (1973)

Written by George Lucas, Gloria Katz, Willard Huyck

The movie version of the opening:

After the title sequence to the tune of “Rock Around the Clock,” the movie shifts to three central characters in the story: Curt (Richard Dreyfuss), Steve (Ron Howard), and Terry (Charles Martin Smith). Why the change? My guess is they wanted to introduce not only these key characters, but also a central question: Will Curt actually not fly off to college the next day? It’s a better way to engage the audience emotionally in the story.

You may read the screenplay here.

FOR EDUCATIONAL PURPOSES ONLY!

Page One is a daily Go Into The Story series featuring the first page of notable movie scripts from the classic era to contemporary times. Comparing them is an excellent way to study a variety of writing styles and see how professional writers start a story.

For more Page One posts, go here.