Drawing on a wide range of archival sources, Peter Kramer explains how American Graffiti came into existence, paying close attention to the small-town upbringing and previous films of its director George Lucas. The book also explores the film’s story, style and themes; its marketing, critical reception, commercial success and cultural impact in the United States; and relates all of this both to the transformation of American cinema in the late 1960s and early 1970s, and to the impact of the postwar baby-boom on American culture and society.