The stories branch out though from just Steve and Curt. There is also Terry "The Toad" (Charles Martin Smith), who hasn't yet graduated and is just coming into his own in the town now the Curt and Steve are leaving. There is also the tale of John (Paul Le Mat), a somewhat older guy who is the king of the strip and has been the king of drag racing in Modesto for years.
Terry's night revolves around his getting use of Steve's car and therefore finally being allowed to go out and look for girls on his own, whereas John is getting tired of what his life has (or hasn't) brought him. He winds up saddled driving around Carol (Mackenzie Phillips), a far too young girl, as he hears tell from everyone he passes of someone new in town gunning for his racing title (Bob Falfa, played by Harrison Ford).
In the end, everyone in the film comes to a realization about who they are and what life should—or shouldn't—be about for them. A lot of that realization has to do with putting the town and what it has meant to them in perspective (it isn't until Curt catches a glimpse of what his life could be that he decides to leave).
Backing all of this is an absolutely fantastic soundtrack, filled with classic rock and roll tunes and the voice of Wolfman Jack introducing many of them. There may be nothing quite so iconic in American culture as driving around listening to rock and roll and American Graffiti portrays that beautifully, providing everyone watching with that nostalgic feeling whether they were there or not.
On the technical side of the equation, the first thing that you will notice about American Graffiti is that it sports a DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 soundtrack. This is a stereo mix, not a surround one, which is what the film was produced with originally. It is actually quite a good mix with little to complain about. The music in no way overpowers the dialogue and vice versa. It is also a clean track which is always nice to see (or hear) on older films. The visuals are good, but not great. There is a lot of detail to be seen in close-ups, and some colors and patterns which really pop off the screen well, but there are also some moments when it feels exceptionally dark. This may be a case of intent, but it is distracting at times. As with the audio track, it is a clean print, you will not notice dirt, smudges, or scratches.
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