American Graffiti 40 Years Later  Saturday night at my house I
often trot out classic movies and force the urchins to watch
them. There is much wailing and gnashing of teeth, but I think
it's important to teach kids about American culture, and films
are certainly a big part of it. Actors like John Wayne, Cary
Grant, Marilyn Monroe and Audrey Hepburn are worth seeing and
remembering.  So the other night I trotted out American
Graffiti, a film released 40 years ago. The movie was directed
by Star Wars guy George Lucas and chronicles one night in the
lives of some California teenagers in the year 1962.  The first
thing the kids noticed was Harrison Ford, playing a young hood
driving a hot rod. That got their attention. The movie featured
other great actors like Richard Dreyfuss and Charles Martin
Smith along with Ron Howard and Cindy Williams. Those two later
turned the Graffiti success into the TV shows Happy Days and
Laverne and Shirley.  About twenty minutes into the movie, which
is heavy on dialogue, light o