American Graffiti quotes

View Quote Curt: Are you the Wolfman?
Manager: No, man, I'm not the Wolfman. He's on tape. The man is on tape.
Curt: Where is he now? I mean, where does he work?
Manager: The Wolfman is everywhere. I can't talk for the Wolfman, but I can tell you one thing. If the Wolfman was here, he'd say: 'Get your ass in gear!' The Wolfman comes in here occasionally bringing tapes, you know, to check up on me, what-not. And the places he talks about that he's been. The things he's seen. There's a great big beautiful world out there. And here I sit sucking on popsicles.
Curt: Why don't you leave?
Manager: I'm not a young man anymore. And the Wolfman gave me my start in the business. And I like it. I'll tell ya what. If I can possibly do it tonight, I'll try to relay this dedication in and get it on the air for you later on.
Curt: That would be terrific.

View Quote Curt: I don't think I'm gonna be going tomorrow.
Steve: You chicken fink... After all we went through to get accepted? We're finally getting out of this turkey town and now you want to crawl back into your cell - right? You wanna end up like John? You just can't stay seventeen forever.

View Quote Curt: Why is it every girl that comes around here is ugly? Or has a boyfriend? Where is the dazzling beauty I've been searching for all my life?
John: I know what you mean. The pickin's are really gettin' slim. The whole strip is shrinking. Ah, you know, I remember about five years ago, take you a couple of hours and a tank full of gas just to make one circuit. It was really somethin'.

View Quote Debbie: [After Steve takes his car back] I can't believe it! You practically get killed trying to get your car back, and then you let him have it.
Terry: [giving up all pretenses] It's not my car.
Debbie: What?
Terry: It is not my car.
Debbie: Well then, where is your car?
Terry: I don't have a car.
Debbie: Well, what about your Jeep? Well, how am I gonna get home?
Car Hop: [with drinks on a tray] Where's your car? I have to hang 'em on a car.

View Quote Debbie: Is that tuck and roll?
Terry: Yeah!
Debbie: Bitchin! I just love the feel of tuck and roll upholstery.
Terry: Yeah? Well, get in and I'll let you feel it... I mean, you know, you can touch it... uh... I'll let you feel the upholstery.

View Quote Girl: You got a bitchin' car...In fact, your car's so neat, we're gonna give you our special prize. You want me to give it to ya?
John: Hey sweetheart, if the prize is you, I'm a ready Teddy.
Girl: Well, get bent turkey. [throws a water balloon]

View Quote Hank Anderson: The Moose Scholarship went to the right boy. You! We were all proud of you.
Joe: Uh, we're all done having loads of fun out here.
Hank Anderson: I hope you'll be taking along with you a little piece of this place.
[the boys leave]
Hank Anderson: Some day he'll make a fine Moose.

View Quote Joe: OK, you got it? You're on your own. I'm going to wait over there.
Curt: Now, wait a minute, Joe. What if he hears me?
Joe: Shhh. Listen! Look at it this way. Now, you have three choices. One, you chicken out and in that case I let Ants tie you to the car and drag you around a bit. And you don't want that.
Curt: No.
Joe: Two, you foul up and Holstein hears you and, well, you don't want that.
Curt: No, I don't.
Joe: Three, you're successful and you join the Pharaohs with a car coat and a blood initiation.
[Pats Curt on the shoulder and runs back to the car]
Curt: Wait a minute. What blood initiation?

View Quote Joe: Whadaya doin', creep?
Curt: Who, me?
Joe: No, I'm talkin' to the other fifty creeps here. You know Gil Gonzales?
Curt: Gil Gonzales? No.
Joe: Don't know Gil huh? Well you oughta. He's a friend of ours and that's his car you got your butt parked on.

View Quote John: I know, uh... you probably think you're a big shot, goin' off like this... [he slaps Curt] ... but you're still a punk.
Curt: OK, John.... So long... So long!
[Steve, Terry, Laurie and John wish Curt goodbye]
Terry: Have a good trip!
Laurie: Bye, Curt. Good-bye!

View Quote John: Over there, that's Freddy Benson's Vette...he had a head-on collision with a drunk. Boom! Didn't have a chance. A good driver too. Oh, it's pretty grim when a guy gets it and it's not even his own fault... See that over there, that '41? That used to be, believe it or not, the fastest car in the valley. I never got a chance to race Earl though. He got his in 1955 in about the hairiest crash we ever had here. Jesus, you should have seen it. Eight kids killed and both drivers. Board of Education was real impressed see, so they come up, filmed the whole thing. Now they show it in Drivers' Education class. You'll probably see it if you get lucky. Course, it's really tough when they take somebody with them.
Carol: You never had an accident though - you told me.
John: Hey, well I come mighty close. Almost rolled it a couple of times. But, I'm been just quick enough to stay out of this graveyard.
Carol: I bet you're the fastest.
John: I've never been beaten - a lot of guys have tried. It seems to me there's more guys lately than there's ever been.

View Quote John: This better be a joke, 'cause I'm not drivin' you around.
Carol: What's the matter? Am I too ugly? Judy doesn't want me with her and now you don't want me with you. Nobody wants me - even my mother and father hate me. Everybody hates me.

View Quote John: What the hell's goin' on here, Toad? Hey, man, are you all right?
Terry: Yeah, I'll die soon, then it'll all be over, John.
Debbie: Wow, you're just like the Lone Ranger.
John: Yeah, yeah. Listen, are you with him?
Terry: You're talking to the woman I love.
John: What happened, man?

View Quote Laurie: Oh Steven! Oh, Steven, please, don't leave me. Don't leave me, Steven.
Steve: I won't. I won't.
Laurie: I couldn't bear it. Please.
Steve: Believe me.
Laurie: Do you love me? Do you? [He answers her with a kiss.]

View Quote Laurie: You know, it doesn't make sense to leave home to look for home, to give up a life to find a new life, to say goodbye to friends you love just to find new friends.
Steve: Wait a minute. Could you say that again?
Laurie: It's something Curt said.
Steve: Oh, figures. You must've talked his ear off trying to get him to stay.
Laurie: Oh no, Steven. That's not true at all. I didn't say anything. Curt just said at dinner tonight that he didn't see what the big hurry was. He thought that he ought to stick around and go to J.C. for a while, and try and figure out what he wanted to do with his life.
Steve: That sounds logical.
Laurie: Do you think so?
Steve: Sure. I think Curt's probably right for Curt. Not for me, though. [She turns away] Laurie, look at me. Now you know what I want out of life. And it's just not in this town.
Laurie: I'm not going with you to the airport tomorrow.
[they kiss, Steve pressing for more, but Laurie rebuffs him]
Steve: It's our last night together for three months...I'm gonna miss you so much. I need something to remember you by. You don't want me to forget you, do ya?
Laurie: If you're not gonna remember me for anything else, why don't you just go ahead?
Steve: Oh come on, you want it and you know it. Don't be so damn self-righteous with me!
[Laurie kicks him out of her car]