Dazed and Confused
Dazed and Confused, Written and Directed by Richard Linklater. Released September 24, 1993. Distributed by Gramercy Pictures.
Plot Summary:
The story centers on the last day of high school at a school in Texas in 1976. The new seniors are getting ready to haze the incoming freshman. Every character is either planning for, on their way to, or trying to get out of the biggest party of the year. Relationships are formed, friendships are tested, and social boundaries are broken in this coming of age comedy.
Critical evaluation:
Linklater creates a high school environment that is recognizable to almost any teenager even though the film is set in the 1970s. There’s the football stars, the nerds, the pretty girls, and, perhaps most hilariously, the kid who didn’t graduate and is reveling in getting to haze the freshmen one more time. What Linklater does is allow these groups to intertwine without it being a big deal. The stoners are friends with the football players because some of the football players are stoners. The cast of the movie features actors who had been unknowns in 1993 but have gone on to become major movie stars and contributed more than one catchphrase to pop culture.
Information about the Director:
Self-taught writer-director Richard Stuart Linklater was born in Houston, Texas, to Diane Margaret (Krieger), who taught at a university, and Charles W. Linklater III. Richard was among the first and most successful talents to emerge during the American independent film renaissance of the 1990s. Typically setting each of his movies during one 24-hour period, Linklater's work explored what he dubbed "the youth rebellion continuum," focusing in fine detail on generational rites and mores with rare compassion and understanding while definitively capturing the 20-something culture of his era through a series of nuanced, illuminating ensemble pieces which introduced any number of talented young actors into the Hollywood firmament. Born in Houston, Texas, Linklater suspended his educational career at Sam Houston State University in 1982, to work on an offshore oil rig in the Gulf of Mexico. He subsequently relocated to the state's capital of Austin, where he founded a film society and began work on his debut film, 1987's It's Impossible to Learn to Plow by Reading Books (1988). Three years later he released the sprawling Slacker (1991), an insightful, virtually plotless look at 1990s youth culture that became a favorite on the festival circuit prior to earning vast acclaim at Sundance in 1991. Upon its commercial release, the movie, made for less than $23,000, became the subject of considerable mainstream media attention, with the term "slacker" becoming a much-overused catch-all tag employed to affix a name and identity to America's disaffected youth culture.
Curriculum Ties:
n/a
Challenge Issues:
Sex, drugs, and language throughout
Creating a Defense:
- Make sure you have thorough knowledge of the library’s selection policy as well as a copy on hand. Your insight as well as pointing out specific portions of the policy will be helpful in discussion with the patron.
- Always have the library Bill of Rights close to show the patron your library’s commitment to providing all kinds of information.
- Make sure you’re familiar with the books that might be challenged. Be prepared to discuss the book’s intended audience, its educational significance, purpose, and also some alternative titles to read.
- Don’t get defensive. The librarian can’t take the challenge personally and either party getting upset will cause the discussion to devolve into a fight.
- LISTEN. Even if you don’t agree with the patron, their views are as valid as yours and should be respected.
Rating:
R
Why is the material included?:
Linklater has been widely regarded as a writer and director who honestly portrays the teen experience. This movie explores the lives of all different kinds of teens and doesn’t pass judgement to make any one group better than the other.
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