Exactly over 30 years ago, in September 1993, a little movie called Dazed and Confused premiered to a “so-so” response at the box office. The film grossed a total of approximately $8 million in theaters, slightly exceeding its $6.9 million budget.
But over time, especially here in Austin, it’s going to be hard to meet someone who hasn’t seen this movie. In fact, in 2013, the film won the Star of Texas Award at the Texas Film Hall of Fame, given by director Quentin Tarantino to director Richard Linklater and the reunited cast members.
On Sunday, September 28, the reunited cast was once again recognized by the Austin Film Society, founded by Linklater, and Focus Features, which included a special 30th anniversary screening and Q&A. (Originally scheduled for last year, it was rescheduled due to the SAG-AFTRA strike.) If you weren’t able to snag tickets to the event before it sold out literally five minutes in advance, don’t worry. You don’t have to. We were there, so we’ll tell you all about it.
“Every 10 years” theory
As a refresher, this movie introduced most of us to “new” actors such as Ben Affleck (as Fred O’Banion), Parker Posey (as Darla Marks), and Milla Jovovich (as Michelle Borrows). And, of course, the very handsome and stoned Matthew McConaughey (David Wooderson). The film was shot all over Austin, and featured attractions such as Top Notch Burger, the Americana Movie Theater (now the Yarborough Public Library Branch), and of course the famous Moon Tower (which was actually inspired by the many Moon Towers in Austin). Landmarks such as props) have appeared.
This nostalgic ’90s movie is set in 1976. It certainly represented the stoner culture of the 70s, but for many of us it also represented a simpler time. For one generation, that era was the ’70s. The other was in the 90s when the movie was released. But for those who love the film, Dazed and Confused represents a universal youthful sentiment and old Austin, and it’s this deep element of nostalgia that still makes us love the film 30 years later. This may be the reason why I continue to praise him.
Sunday’s event began with a red carpet at The Contemporary Austin, located across the street from The Paramount. Attendees included Anthony Rapp (Tony Olson), Katherine Morris (Julie Sims), Christine Hinojosa-Kirschenbaum (Sabrina Davis), Christine Harnos (Kay Faulkner), and Esteban. – Powell (playing Carl Burnett) and Heidi Van Horn (playing Freshman Girl) were in attendance. 3), Joey Lauren Adams (Simone Carr), Kathleen Cunningham (Pickford’s mother), Milla Jovovich (Michelle Borrows), Priscilla Kinser-Craft (Freshman Girl 1), Marissa Ribisi ( Cynthia Dunn), Mark Vandermeulen (Tommy Houston), Michelle Burke Thomas (Jodie Kramer), Mona Lee Fultz (Mrs. Kramer), and Wiley Wiggins (Mitch Kramer). Of course, director Richard Linklater was also in attendance.
Milla Jovovich takes a selfie with Richard Linklater. Cinematography: Arnold Wells
Let’s do our best and drink beer
Culture Map asked several cast members how the film shaped their lives decades later. From the big parts to the small parts, everyone looked back on the experience with gratitude.
Esteban Powell, who played new student Carl Burnett, said, “The path I’m walking on now was created back then in this movie.” “So everything I’m doing now is a result of choices and events that happened to me while making this film. Also, I like cannabis. My relationship with cannabis is a result of this film. I don’t know that at the time,” he added. ”
“We need to spend more time together,” Mark Vandermeulen laughed. He played Tommy Huston, Carl Burnett’s best friend, in the film, and the two walked the carpet side by side. It seems like they never missed a step. “(This movie) had a huge impact on my life. I actually met my wife at our 10th anniversary reunion. So without ‘Dazed and Confused,’ my kids would never have been.” You could say it didn’t exist.”
From left to right: Esteban Powell, Mark Vandermeulen, Wiley Wiggins. Photo: Christine St. Laurent
Michelle Burke Thomas fondly recalled the casting and filming process, as well as her first visit to Austin, adding, “It’s great to be back, but the city has changed almost beyond recognition.” . She, too, spoke about the positive influence Dazed has had on her life since then, even though Dazed has followed her (sometimes literally) throughout her career.
“I was teaching at the Chicago Actors Studio in Chicago, and one night I came out of the studio and there were a few people standing there, and they came rushing in with posters of Dazed and Confused. And it was late, like 10 o’clock.”In the afternoon, they heard I was teaching there, so they drove from Nashville to Chicago, and they drove all the way to Chicago to get my autograph.
Milla Jovovich, then and now, identified herself with the character she played, Michelle Burrows. “I was always absent-minded, mysterious, and didn’t talk much…I had my characters superimposed on me, because Richard just asked me to play guitar and sing and hang out. ” she added, pausing for a moment. “But I also really identified with Dina. Remember that scene where they use pliers to fit her jeans? I literally did that trick after the movie, just because of her style. “I’m a girl who’s going to use ‘pliers,'” she laughed.
Left to right: Christine Harnos, Joey Lauren Adams, Marissa Ribisi. Photo: Christine St. Laurent
The event was enthusiastic and packed, and the show’s favorite, Richard Linklater, was bombarded with questions and pulled in different directions, sometimes literally. He took some time to talk a little about the hazy ritual scene that took me out of the movie’s fictional world and into my world of attending high school in Austin. Both had ketchup, mustard, and flour, and the seniors were screaming “Air Raid” like Parker Posey.
“Sorry!” he laughed. “I’ve never heard of that. It’s not every day you get treated like a human hot dog.” We talked about Austin, how that has changed, and what Linklater wouldn’t specify. We kept talking about that “Golden Age.” “Try not to be too Pollyanna, but everyone’s answer to that is different. I think we’re in a really good time right now. There’s something eternally great about Austin. ”
After the red carpet, everyone rushed to the Paramount Theater to watch a movie together. The entire theater was filled with die-hard fans and Austinites who grew up watching this movie, so as you might imagine, for an hour and 42 minutes, the theater was filled with screams, laughter, and near-constant quotes.
After the film’s screening at Paramount, the cast and Linklater stopped by for a Q&A. Photography: Christine St. Laurent
I get older but they stay the same age
Personally, I avoided watching movies before the anniversary because I wanted a fresh perspective. I hadn’t seen it in decades, so I wanted to know how this movie, which was filmed in the 90s and set in the 70s, would still be in 2024. It was still interesting though. It was still nostalgic. It was still pretty wandering and had no plot, but it felt like a true story about one special yet ordinary night for a group of teenagers.
But things have changed. Whether a movie is a hit or a miss over time is determined by how the culture surrounding it changes. What seemed like nothing at the time may now make you cringe or give you pause. There were several moments like that. Characters constantly refer to women as “bitches” or “sluts.” The slurs against homosexuals were thrown around as if nothing had happened. Alcohol and partying were more popular in the 70s (and 90s) for teens than they are today. And throughout the movie, there was a theme of boys chasing girls, and girls…well, the girls didn’t really have a major role.
It’s been almost 20 years since I last watched it, and the main thing I noticed while watching this movie was that there were really few roles for female characters. They were objects to be chased, sought after, or objects that provided support and humor to the male characters along the way. It’s true that the film is based on Linklater’s personal high school experiences, so it’s natural that it will be biased toward his own perspective and reminiscences. But if this movie were made today, I don’t think critics would ignore it.
I get it, I get it, I get it
Linklater himself has spoken publicly over the years about his problems with the studio while making the film, so some of the plot nuances may have been cut. After this viewing, he admitted that he had not seen the movie for a long time.
“The more you get away from it, the more objective you can see it. But I can see the conversations I was having (at the time), and I see that it was all pretty autobiographical…what Looking at it years later, it was cool.”But this was my first real movie and I didn’t know what I didn’t know (at the time), so it was a real test. Overall, he concluded, “It was a pretty good try there. We did well.”
