| ON: Content is age-appropriate for kids this age. | |
| PAUSE: Know your child; some content may not be right for some kids. | |
| OFF: Not age-appropriate for kids this age. | |
| NOT FOR KIDS: Not appropriate for kids any age. |
Parents need to know that this movie features drug use and petty vandalism with little consequence. Overindulgence in alcohol leads to a fistfight, and overindulgence in pot-smoking leads to stupidity, but casual use of both results in an alluring sense of camaraderie.
DAZED AND CONFUSED follows the activities of a group of Texas high-schoolers on the last day of the school year as they cruise around town, drink, and fall in love. Mitch, the bullied freshman, takes revenge on the bully (Ben Affleck). The star quarterback, Randall "Pink" Floyd, is forced to choose between his allegiance to the team and his allegiance to his friends.
A classic coming-of-age tale that paints an unapologetically rosy picture of high school in the 1970s, Dazed and Confused manages to thoroughly entertain without saying much besides "boy, those were the days." Though conflict arises when characters briefly contemplate what comes after the last day of school, the film does not let such serious moments complicate the good time they experience.
Dazed and Confused helped to kick off the nostalgic preoccupation with the 1970s that continues to plague pop culture. This is not to say that the film is an empty paean to the era of bellbottoms and bongs. While Dazed and Confused is no doubt a '70s idyll, it owes its lasting popularity to spot-on depictions of timeless suburban rites of passage. The joy that Mitch experiences from transcending social barriers that seem etched in stone is contagious. With nearly every teenager on television caught up in a different brow-furrowing crisis each week, it's nice to be reminded that, on occasion, high school can be fun.
Families can talk about the deleterious effects of drug and alcohol use not depicted in the film. Where are Randall and Mitch likely to be 5 or 10 years after the close of this movie? How often do high school kids party like this? What has changed since the 1970s, in terms of the enforcement of drug laws and our knowledge of the long-term effects of drug and alcohol use?
| Studio: | Universal Pictures |
| Director: | Richard Linklater |
| Cast: | Jeremy London, Matthew McConaughey, Wiley Wiggins |
| Genre: | Comedy |
| Run time: | 103 minutes |
| Theatrical release date: | September 24, 1993 |
| DVD release date: | July 1, 1998 |
| MPAA rating: | R |
| MPAA explanation: | pervasive, continuous teen drug and alcohol use and very strong language |