Dedication
For my family:
Chuck, Silas, Hope, Jennifer, Mat, Eska, Mom, and Dad
Contents
Cover
Title Page
Dedication
Cast of Characters
Introduction: If I Ever Start Referring to These as the Best Years of My Life, Remind Me to Kill Myself
Part I: The Inspiration
Chapter 1: Oh My God, This Movie Is My Life!
Chapter 2: Old People in Your Face, Fucking with Who You Are
Chapter 3: The Hardest Working Slackers in Austin
Chapter 4: How to Pitch an Unpitchable Movie
Chapter 5: Don’t Lead with Your Ego
Chapter 6: A Truffle Pig for Talent
Chapter 7: I’ve Never Worn Underwear
Part II: The Shoot
Chapter 8: All of These Attractive Children, Unsupervised
Chapter 9: Maybe the ’70s Didn’t Suck?
Chapter 10: If You Don’t Like Your Character, Change It
Chapter 11: The New Kid Versus the Old Guard
Chapter 12: We Were All Hormonal
Chapter 13: Air Raid!
Chapter 14: The Next Marlon Brando Probably Wouldn’t Call Himself “the Next Marlon Brando”
Chapter 15: Anyone Who Had a Cell Phone Was Instantly an Asshole
Chapter 16: We Turned into Vampires
Chapter 17: Go Ahead and Stab Me!
Chapter 18: The “Fuck” Police
Chapter 19: Dumb and Horny and Mean and Drunk
Chapter 20: Alright, Alright, Alright
Chapter 21: She Called You a Bitch and You a Slut
Chapter 22: They Stay the Same Age
Chapter 23: Party at the Moon Tower
Chapter 24: Shawn and Milla Self-Destruct
Chapter 25: Just Keep Livin’
Chapter 26: You Can’t Go Home Again
Part III: The Comedown
Chapter 27: Faster, Funnier, Stupider
Tracklist from Richard Linklater’s Original Dazed and Confused Mixtapes
Chapter 28: Instead of Led Zeppelin, How About . . . Jackyl?
Chapter 29: Seduced and Abandoned
Chapter 30: I Was Alive, and I Wasn’t Afraid
Part IV: The Legacy
Chapter 31: Amazed and Confused
Chapter 32: Wading into the Shark Waters
Chapter 33: The New Rocky Horror Picture Show?
Chapter 34: Dazed and Confused: The Series
Chapter 35: The 10-Year Reunion
Chapter 36: A God-Awful Failure of an Anti-Nostalgia Movie
Epilogue
Author’s Note
Acknowledgments
Notes
Index
About the Author
Copyright
About the Publisher
Cast of Characters
Richard Linklater: writer, producer, director, actor, “Should Have Stayed at Bus Station,” Slacker; writer, director, producer, Dazed and Confused
Courtesy of Richard Linklater.
Main Cast of Dazed and Confused
Joey Lauren Adams: “Simone”
Courtesy of Jonathan Burkhart.
Ben Affleck: “O’Bannion”
Courtesy of Jason London.
Shawn Andrews: “Pickford”
Courtesy of Richard Linklater.
Rory Cochrane: “Slater”
Courtesy of Jason London.
Jeremy Fox: “Hirschfelder”
Courtesy of Richard Linklater.
Adam Goldberg: “Mike”
Courtesy of Jonathan Burkhart.
Chrisse Harnos: “Kaye”
Courtesy of Jason London.
Cole Hauser: “Benny”
Courtesy of Jason London.
Christin Hinojosa-Kirschenbaum: “Sabrina”
Courtesy of Jonathan Burkhart.
Sasha Jenson: “Don”
Courtesy of Jason London.
Milla Jovovich: “Michelle”
Courtesy of Richard Linklater.
Nicky Katt: “Clint”
Courtesy of Nicky Katt.
Jason London: “Pink”
Photography by Anthony Rapp.
Deena Martin-DeLucia: “Shavonne”
Courtesy of Jonathan Burkhart.
Matthew McConaughey: “Wooderson”
Courtesy of Richard Linklater.
Catherine Avril Morris: “Julie”
Courtesy of Jonathan Burkhart.
Parker Posey: “Darla”
Courtesy of Jason London.
Esteban Powell: “Carl”
Courtesy of Richard Linklater.
Anthony Rapp: “Tony”
Courtesy of Jonathan Burkhart.
Marissa Ribisi: “Cynthia”
Courtesy of Jonathan Burkhart.
Michelle Burke Thomas: “Jodi”
Courtesy of Universal Studios Licensing, LLC.
Mark Vandermeulen: “Tommy”
Courtesy of Richard Linklater.
Wiley Wiggins: “Mitch”
Courtesy of Jason London.
Everyone Else
Sandra Adair: editor, Dazed and Confused
Wes Anderson: director; screenwriter; producer
Gary Arnold: former film critic, Washington Times
Autumn Barr: actor, “Stacy,” Dazed and Confused
Chris Barton: former staff writer, Daily Texan
Marjorie Baumgarten: film critic and contributing writer, Austin Chronicle
Burt Berman: former Senior VP of music, Universal Pictures
S.R. Bindler: director; Matthew McConaughey’s high school friend
Louis Black: co-founder and former editor, Austin Chronicle; actor, “Paranoid Paper Reader,” Slacker; co-director, Richard Linklater: Dream Is Destiny
Robert Brakey: apprentice editor, Dazed and Confused
Mark Brazill: co-creator, That ’70s Show
Lisa Bruna: casting assistant, Dazed and Confused
Jonathan Burkhart: first assistant camera, Dazed and Confused
John Cameron: first assistant director, Dazed and Confused
Peter Carlson: former reporter, Washington Post
Jay Clements: Huntsville High School alum; son of Richard Linklater’s late football coach, Joe Clements
Shavonne Conroy: Huntsville High School alum
Kahane Cooperman: director of the behind-the-scenes documentary Making Dazed; Richard Linklater’s former girlfriend
Douglas Coupland: author, Generation X
Bill Daniel: artist; brother of Lee Daniel
Lee Daniel: actor, “GTO,” Slacker; director of photography, Slacker; director of photography, Dazed and Confused
Sean Daniel: producer, Dazed and Confused
Brett Davis: Huntsville High School alum
Valerie DeKeyser: production assistant, Dazed and Confused
Scott Dinger: former owner, Dobie Theatre
Don Dollar: Huntsville High School alum
Katherine Dover: costume supervisor, Dazed and Confused
Erika Geminder Drake: actor, “Freshman Girl #2,” Dazed and Confused
Jay Duplass: actor; director; screenwriter; producer
Mark Duplass: actor; director; screenwriter; producer
Jesse James Dupree: lead singer of the band Jackyl
Roger Earl: founding member of the band Foghat
Greg Finton: second assistant editor, Dazed and Confused
Keith Fletcher: actor, “Cafe Card Player #1,” Slacker; extras wardrobe supervisor, Dazed and Confused
Melanie Fletcher: extras set costumer, Dazed and Confused
Richard “Pink” Floyd: Huntsville High School alum
Heyd Fo
ntenot: graphic designer, Dazed and Confused
Kim France: former staff writer, Sassy magazine
John Frick: production designer, Dazed and Confused
Sheri Galloway: assistant editor, Dazed and Confused
Harry Garfield: music supervisor, Dazed and Confused
Holly Gent: production coordinator, Dazed and Confused
Mike Goins: Huntsville High School alum
Roderick Hart: Matthew McConaughey’s former professor, University of Texas
Samantha Hart: former creative director of advertising, Gramercy Pictures
Ethan Hawke: actor; writer; director
Lydia Headley: Huntsville High School alum
J.R. Helton: scenic painter, Dazed and Confused
Terry Hoage: Huntsville High School alum
Tracey Holman: grip, Slacker; wardrobe assistant, Dazed and Confused
Don Howard: emc2 editor, Dazed and Confused
Steven Hyden: journalist
Jim Jacks: producer, Dazed and Confused
Nina Jacobson: former senior VP of production, Universal Pictures
Robert Janecka: property master, Dazed and Confused
Katy Jelski: script supervisor, Dazed and Confused
Tom Junod: journalist
Jeff Kerr: director, The Last of the Moonlight Towers
Priscilla Kinser-Craft: actor, “Freshman Girl #1,” Dazed and Confused
Kim Krizan: actor, “Questions Happiness,” Slacker; actor, “Ms. Stroud,” Dazed and Confused
Julie Irvine Labauve: Huntsville High School alum
Sam Lawrence: Matthew McConaughey’s friend during the ’90s
Jason Lee: actor; Marissa Ribisi’s former boyfriend
Tricia Linklater: Richard Linklater’s sister; assistant to Richard Linklater, Dazed and Confused
Michael MacCambridge: former film critic, Austin American-Statesman
Alison Macor: author, Chainsaws, Slackers, and Spy Kids
Peter Millius: former recording engineer and music producer; Deena Martin-DeLucia’s former boyfriend
Kari Jones Mitchell: Huntsville High School alum
D. Montgomery: art department and sound department, Slacker; actor, “Having a Breakthrough Day,” Slacker; assistant art director, Dazed and Confused
Christopher Morris: extra, Dazed and Confused
Kelly Nelson: assistant hair stylist, Dazed and Confused
Justin O’Baugh: extra, Dazed and Confused
Tony Olm: Huntsville High School alum
Tommy Pallotta: production assistant, Slacker; actor, “Looking for a Missing Friend,” Slacker
Vincent Palmo Jr: second assistant director, Dazed and Confused
Deb Pastor: art department, Slacker; actor, “Wants to Leave Country,” Slacker; set decorator, Dazed and Confused
John Pease: Huntsville High School alum
Kari Perkins: additional costume designer, Dazed and Confused
Don Phillips: casting director, Dazed and Confused
Keith Pickford: Huntsville High School alum
John Pierson: former producer’s representative; author, Spike, Mike, Slackers & Dykes
Tom Pollock: former chairman, Universal Pictures
Gary Price: actor, “Watching Early Morning TV,” Slacker
Brian Raftery: journalist; author, Best. Movie. Year. Ever.
Charles Ramírez Berg: professor, University of Texas
Mike Riley: Huntsville High School alum
Jason Reitman: director; screenwriter; producer
Melina Root: costume designer, That ’70s Show
Russell Schwartz: former president, Gramercy Pictures
Jason Davids Scott: unit publicist, Dazed and Confused
Shana Scott: Texas casting assistant, Dazed and Confused
Greg Sims: Shawn Andrews’s former manager
John Slate: actor, “‘Conspiracy A-Go-Go’ Author,” Slacker
Andy Slater: Huntsville High School alum
Kevin Smith: director; screenwriter; producer
Frances Robinson Snipes: Huntsville High School alum
Steven Soderbergh: director; screenwriter; producer
Kal Spelletich: actor, “Video Backpacker,” Slacker
Don Stroud: actor, “Recluse in Bathrobe,” Slacker; stand-in, Dazed and Confused
John Swasey: actor, “Beer Delivery Guy,” Dazed and Confused
Teresa Taylor: drummer for the band Butthole Surfers; actor, “Pap Smear Pusher,” Slacker
Heidi Van Horne: actor, “Freshman Girl #3,” Dazed and Confused
Clark Walker: assistant camera and dolly grip, Slacker; actor, “Cadillac Crook,” Slacker; second assistant camera, Dazed and Confused
Anne Walker-McBay: casting and production management, Slacker; co-producer, Dazed and Confused
Deenie Wallace: extra, Dazed and Confused
Leslie Warren: Huntsville High School alum
Don Watson: Huntsville High School alum
Scott Wheeler: Matthew McConaughey’s former roommate
Monnie Wills: Matthew McConaughey’s former roommate
Bill Wise: extra, Dazed and Confused
Bob Wooderson: Huntsville High School alum
Linden Wooderson: Huntsville High School alum; son of the late Bob Wooderson
David Zellner: actor; director; screenwriter
Nathan Zellner: actor; director; screenwriter
Renée Zellweger: actor, “Girl in Blue Truck” (uncredited), Dazed and Confused
Introduction:
If I Ever Start Referring to These as the Best Years of My Life, Remind Me to Kill Myself
In 2011, Richard Linklater lost everything.
From September to October of that year, the most destructive wildfire in the history of Texas burned through the middle of the state. Strong winds from Tropical Storm Lee had merged three separate fires into one massive blaze that ripped through the small historic town of Bastrop, nearly 30 minutes southeast of Austin. Bastrop State Park, a lush, 6,600-acre area teeming with pine trees, white-tailed deer, and armadillos, was reduced to a charred wasteland. The only sign of life was the sound of katydids singing from somewhere beyond the billowing smoke. Two people were killed, and more than 1,600 homes were reduced to ash, including the one that belonged to the writer-director of Dazed and Confused.
Linklater and his family were unharmed, but nearly everything he owned was destroyed. Not long after Dazed was released, he’d bought a 38-acre piece of land in Bastrop and slowly built a compound, doing some of the construction himself. It featured a sports field, tennis court, and almost every artifact he’d amassed from his entire career as a filmmaker: personal prints of his films, early drafts of scripts, production materials, publicity documents, and a museum’s worth of memorabilia that included the famous KISS statues from Dazed. Just a few years before, he’d hosted a 10-year reunion party for Dazed here, and the place was haunted with memories of the cast just hanging out. Matthew McConaughey had hit a home run in the trees. Parker Posey swam in the pool. Deena Martin got in trouble for racing around the grounds in one of Linklater’s go-karts. Those go-karts were now melted to the ground.
“Everything went up in flames,” Linklater’s friend and collaborator Ethan Hawke recalled. “Thirty years of work. He lost everything. And when I called him to say how sorry I was, he was already thinking about how grateful he was for the fire for teaching him not to be materialistic. This makes him sound like Saint Rick. He’s not. He’s his own mysterious entity.”
After hours of interviews and visits with Linklater, who was unfailingly patient and cooperative as I persistently asked him to revisit an experience that brought back unwelcome memories, I agree that Linklater is a bit of a mystery. Even his friends characterize him as someone who is hard to get close to. Still, Hawke’s story captures a fundamental contradiction about the director: he’s the master of exploring the concept of nostal
gia in his films, but he often seems actively intellectually opposed to the very idea of it. He makes period pieces that vividly capture bygone eras, and romantic tributes to childhood and early adulthood. The most important theme of his work is the passing of time. And yet when his entire history was swallowed by a fire, he seemed determined not to dwell on the loss.
“Obviously, I draw a lot of creative inspiration from the past, what people would call nostalgia,” says Linklater, who is surrounded by classic movie posters in his office in Northeast Austin. “But when I was making Dazed, I was thinking about how nostalgia can be a dangerous thing. People are nostalgic for times that never fucking existed. When you think about the past, you have to try to remember what was really going on. When people say, ‘Oh those were the good times!’ I always have to remind them, ‘No, that time sucked.’”
This was the surprising goal behind Dazed and Confused: he wanted to show how much the ’70s sucked.
As a thoughtful teenager growing up in the East Texas town of Huntsville in the late 1970s, Linklater was disgusted by adults’ nostalgia for the 1960s. “What a great time,” he says, laughing. “Rioting, war, assassinations!” But his generation ended up having the same feelings about the 1970s. That’s just the way nostalgia works: It is not a collection of memories, but a reinvention of memory itself. It’s misremembering your own life on purpose.
Linklater intuitively distrusted that type of sunny, revisionist thinking, even when he was too young to fully understand it. “I remember my football coaches being like, ‘These are the best years of your life!’ and me being like, Fuck, I hope not. There’s gotta be something better,” he says. “That scene in the movie where Pink says, ‘If I ever start referring to these as the best years of my life, remind me to kill myself.’ That’s me reminding my younger self.”
The film is set on the last day of high school in spring 1976, in a small, unnamed Texas town. Its main character, Pink (Jason London), is the quarterback, the popular kid, the guy that multiple hot girls want to make out with. In a different kind of movie, he would be having the time of his life. Instead, he’s acutely aware that he’s stuck in this place, surrounded by small-minded adults, and determined to avoid becoming one of them. Pink is a stand-in for Linklater, who played quarterback in his junior year. Mitch, the skinny, awkward freshman played by Wiley Wiggins, is also a stand-in for Linklater. “Whenever Pink talks to Mitch, that’s me talking to my younger self,” he points out.