DAZED AND CONFUSED

May 28, 1976. It’s the last day of school in Austin, Texas, and while teachers are snoozing high school students are making big plans to celebrate, rising seniors are itching to haze those next in line, and incoming freshmen anxiously ponder the unknown.

With intersecting storylines that emphasize the breadth of teenagehood—and featuring an ensemble cast of bellbottomed pre-stardom talent including Matthew McConaughey, Parker Posey, Ben Affleck and Milla Jovovich—Linklater’s landmark film Dazed and Confused (1993) captures youth at its most authentic: restless and stoned and just cruising around, searching for whatever thrill comes next.

In this discussion, The Big Picture podcast cohost Sean Fennessey will highlight Linklater's affinity for coming-of-age storytelling and explore the film’s intersection of adolescent freedoms and the demands of maturity.