Just over 30 years ago in September of 1993, a little film called Dazed and Confused premiered to a resounding “meh” at the box office. In theaters, it earned about $8 million total, only scarcely above the film’s $6.9 million budget.
But over time, you’d be hard pressed to meet somebody — especially here in Austin — who has not seen this movie. In fact, in 2013 the film was awarded the Star of Texas award at the Texas Film Hall of Fame, presented by Quentin Tarantino to director Richard Linklater and some reunited cast members.
On Sunday, September 28, the re-reunited cast was recognized again, this time by the Linklater-founded Austin Film Society and Focus Features, including a special 30th anniversary screening and Q&A. (It was originally scheduled for last year, but was rescheduled due to the SAG-AFTRA strike.) If you didn't manage to snag tickets to the event in the literal five minutes before it sold out, don't worry; we were there, and we'll tell you all about it.
The "Every Other Decade" theory
As a refresher, this film introduced most of us to “new” actors like Ben Affleck (as Fred O’Bannion), Parker Posey (Darla Marks), Milla Jovovich (Michelle Borroughs), and of course, a very handsome and stoned Matthew McConoughey (David Wooderson). It was filmed all around Austin, featuring landmarks like Top Notch Hamburgers, the Americana Movie Theater (now the Yarborough Branch public library), and of course, the famous moon tower, which was actually a prop inspired by Austin’s many moon towers.
The nostalgic 90s film was set in 1976. It was a representation of 70s stoner culture, sure, but it was also a representation of a simpler time for many of us. For one generation those times were in the 70s; for another, they were when the film came out, in the 90s. But for those who love it, Dazed and Confused represents that universal feeling of youth and an Austin of yore, and it’s this deep nostalgia factor that may be exactly why, 30 years later, we’re still celebrating this film.
Sunday's event started with a red carpet at The Contemporary Austin across the street from The Paramount. In attendance were cast members Anthony Rapp (who played Tony Olson), Catherine Morris (Julie Simms), Christin Hinojosa-Kirschenbaum (Sabrina Davis), Christine Harnos (Kaye Faulkner), Esteban Powell (Carl Burnett), Heidi Van Horne (Freshman Girl 3), Joey Lauren Adams (Simone Kerr), Kathleen Cunningham (Pickford's Mom), Milla Jovovich (Michelle Borroughs), Priscilla Kinser-Craft (Freshman Girl 1), Marissa Ribisi (Cynthia Dunn), Mark Vandermeulen (Tommy Houston), Michelle Burke Thomas (Jodi Kramer), Mona Lee Fultz (Mrs. Kramer) and Wiley Wiggins (Mitch Kramer). Of course, director Richard Linklater also attended.
Milla Jovovich snaps a selfie with Richard Linklater.Photo by Arnold Wells
Kick some ass and drink some beer
CultureMap asked a few the cast members how this film ended up shaping their lives decades later. Everyone with big parts to small looked back on the experience with nothing but gratitude.
"The roads I walk on now were built with this film back then," said Esteban Powell who played young freshman Carl Burnett. "So everything that I do now was a result of the choices and things that happened to me during the creation of this movie. Also," he added, "I like weed. I feel like my relationship to cannabis is a result of this movie. Which I didn't know at the time."
"We need to hang out more," laughed Mark Vandermeulen. He played Tommy Houston, Carl Burnett's best friend in the movie and the two walked the carpet side by side. It seemed like they'd never lost step. "[This movie] has had an enormous impact on my life. I actually met my wife at the 10-year anniversary reunion. So you could say that my children would not exist, but for Dazed and Confused."
Left to right: Esteban Powell, Mark Vandermeulen, and Wiley Wiggins.Photo by Christine St. Laurent
Michelle Burke Thomas fondly remembered the casting and filming process and her initial visits to Austin, adding, "It's wonderful to be back, but the city has changed so much I barely recognize it." She, too, described the positive impact Dazed has since had on her life, even though it has followed her (sometimes literally) throughout her career.
"I've been teaching at the Chicago Actor's Studio in Chicago, and I walked out of the studio one night and there was a couple of people standing there and they came rushing up with Dazed and Confused posters. And it was late, like 10 pm. They had driven there from Nashville, to Chicago, because they heard I was there teaching, and they drove all the way to Chicago to get autographs. So yeah, it has definitely followed me."
Milla Jovovich identified with her character, Michelle Burroughs, then and now. "I was always spaced out, mysterious; didn't talk much... I identified with my character. Because Richard just had me playing guitar and singing, and hanging out." She paused and added, "But I also really related to Dina. Remember that scene when they use the pliers to get her jeans together? I literally did that trick after the movie. Just with her style. I'm a girl that will use pliers," she laughed.
Left to right: Christine Harnos, Joey Lauren Adams, and Marissa Ribisi.Photo by Christine St. Laurent
The event was frenetic and packed, and the show's darling, Richard Linklater, was bombarded with questions and pulled — sometimes literally — in several different directions. He spared a few moments to chat about the hazing ritual scene, which had exited the movie's fictional world and entered mine going into high school in Austin. Both were complete with ketchup, mustard, flour, and seniors screaming out "air raids" à la 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 went on to discuss Austin, how it has changed, and its "Golden Age," which Linklater would not pin down. "Not to be too Pollyanna, but everyone has their own answer to that. I think we're in a pretty good era now. There's something about Austin that's just perpetually kind of great."
After the red carpet, everyone rushed over to The Paramount Theater to watch the movie together. The entire theater was full of die-hard fans and Austinites who grew up watching this movie, so as you might imagine, for one hour and 42 minutes, the theater was full of shouts, laughter, and nearly constant quoting.
The cast and Linklater stuck around for a Q&A after the film's screening at The Paramount.Photo by Christine St. Laurent
I get older, they stay the same age
Personally, I avoided watching the movie before the anniversary, because I wanted a fresh take. I hadn't seen it in decades and I wanted to know, how did this movie — filmed in the 90s and taking place in the 70s — hold up in 2024? It was still funny. It was still nostalgic. It was still a rather ambling, plotless, but true-to-life look into one special yet mundane night for a group of teens.
But things have changed. The way movies either hit or miss over time depends on how the culture changes around them. Something unremarkable then may now make you cringe or pause. There were a few moments like that. Characters constantly calling women "bitches" or "sluts." Homosexual slurs tossed around like it was nothing. Alcohol and partying were more of a thing in the 70s (and 90s) than they are today for teens. And there was a theme throughout the movie of boys chasing girls, and girls... well, the girls really didn't have a major role.
The main thing I noticed about this watching of the film, nearly 20 years after my previous viewing, was how little a part female characters really had. They were objects to be chased or desired, or to support or humor the male characters along their way. It's true that this movie was based on Linklater's personal high school experience, so it makes sense that it would be skewed to his own perspective and recollection. But if this movie was made today, I don't think critics would let this go unnoticed.
Alright, alright, alright
Linklater himself has talked quite publicly over the years about his issues with the studio when making the film, so perhaps some of the nuances of the plot were cut. After this viewing, he admitted he hadn't seen the movie in a long time.
"The more you get away, the more you can see it objectively. But I see conversations I was having [then]. And I see everything in it was all pretty autobiographical... Seeing it all these years later, it was cool... But, it was my first real film; I wasn't that confident [then]. You don't know what you don't know, and it was my trial by fire." Overall, he concluded, "that was a pretty good try there. We did alright."
