Secure Immaturity

Back in college I was a wanna-be stoner. I wanted to be Jay. I wanted to be Silent Bob. And I wanted to be Slater. Because in the movie world, pothead=cool. Smoking pot never really turned out to be that cool and a night in the cells will tell you that in a cold, nasty way. But, regardless of how reality is, movie potheads are still funny. And in college, I watched Dazed and Confused to laugh and admire funny potheads. But as I trekked through my first viewing I found myself disappointed.

“Damn it. Why does this film have to be all smart and stuff. . .I want stupid stoner stuff,” I’d say as I threw up my arms in frustration. I didn’t realize then that Dazed and Confused was not made for the college pothead or even the college student of the 2000s. This was a film made for my dad. And it was a smart film made for my dad.

If you transport me eight years later to the present day, you’ll find a man not totally impressed with the pothead scene but amazingly impressed with the Dazed and Confused film. I simply love this film. . .with all my heart. I think, over time, people have wanted Dazed and Confused to be something it isn’t: a straight-up stoner comedy. And while there are elements of this in Slater, the crazy George Washington conspiracy nut pothead is never without a joint in his hand, the film is actually a love note to not the wretched 70s but the people who lived them. Richard Linklater, the director, admits that the film doesn’t glorify the 70s but simply shows it existed. . .whether he or others wanted it to.

And Dazed and Confused represents one day in the life of tortured kids living the only way they know how: by getting drunk, beating up freshmen and driving around aimlessly. My friend John says he loves this movie because it reminds him of his days in Texas. My dad enjoyed the movie because it reminded him of all the little arbitrary, life tidbits of his school days. I love the movie because, despite the time period, any young kid/adult can relate to the trials and tribulations of high school life and experience something from this movie.

Bizarrely enough, Dazed and Confused, while labeled a stoner-comedy or whatever by the general public, is actually a life changing film. Very few films truly grab you and tell the sometimes awful truth about your life. This movie is, for lack of a better word, moving with a side of hilarity and high fantasy.

The greatest power of Dazed and Confused is, however, it’s ability to think this is a documentary. The strange things about certain fictional universes is that they have a mind and time-line of their own. When I get done watching Dazed and Confused, I feel like the characters live on outside the DVD player and continue on with their lives. This is a compliment to Linklater’s direction and the amazing actors. It is no coincidence that Dazed and Confused launched many of its co-stars into either super stardom and/or steady character actor work in movies and television. Part of the fun of the film is seeing younger stars gracing the screen for the first time. Often you’ll say, ‘and there’s another one’, whilst perusing the various cast members and their stories.

Dazed and Confused is also the champion of the so-called ‘Day in the Life’ films: a film that takes place in one general 24 hour period. It is my favorite genre of film and when done right it can provide masterful results. A lot of films take place over certain periods of times ranging from a week to decades. While those films have merit, you always feel like you are getting the ‘best of’ moments of characters. ‘Day in the Life’ films force you to embrace what you can because there is nothing before or after. In a sense you are a god sent down to observe for a day. . .and that’s all you get.

In an ensemble piece, sometimes parts of the film can vary in entertainment value, but since every character is connected in some way and the film works at a break-neck pace (and strictly follows the ‘Day in the Life’ format) any parts that lag are quickly left and forgotten. But Dazed and Confused doesn’t suffer from this problem. Everything, from the characters to the production design, is flawless. I dare you to watch Halloween (made in 1979 and also a ‘Day in the Life’ film) and Dazed and Confused (released in 1993) and tell me if you can tell the difference between the two. Dazed and Confused is so authentic it defies the time barrier. This is no dress-up and play 70s film. . .this IS the 70s.

I think Dazed and Confused suffers from an image problem. I remember popping the VHS in in college and thinking how great this stoner comedy was going to be. And while my immature mind was disappointed in how ’smart’ and ‘intellectual’ it was, Dazed and Confused has come back, years later, and changed my view of life, love and happiness. Not many films of any design can do that.

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