Richard Linklater- Slacker Extraordinaire

For ten years now, Richard Linklater has been making great movies. Starting with the indie hit 'Slacker' in 1991, Linklater has consistently written and directed quality movies that have thankfully flown just below the radar of mainstream Hollywood. Along the way he has also been responsible for some of his stars' best performances, among them Ethan Hawkes portrayal of a disaffected gen-x'er in Before Sunrise and Mathew McConaughey's classic 'Wooderson' in Dazed and Confused, a role he is destined to be linked to throughout his career.

When Slacker was released in 1991 no one could have guessed it would turn out to be a cult classic. The time was ripe, however, for its tale of angst and apathy amongst the twentysomething set in Austin,Texas. The recession was in full swing, George Bush was in power and Seattle was on the cusp of delivering sombre three chord rock to the disenchanted masses. Such was the mood of the people when Slacker was released. Its story is woven among the coffee shops of Austin, with multiple characters with multiple complaints. It's a joy to watch every one of these characters develop through the story, as the plot meanders its way through a day in the life.

A lot of Linklater's movies take place in a very short time frame, actually. Before Sunrise is an overnight affair set in Vienna,Austria, starring Hawke and Julie Delpy. Hawke is an American, freshly dumped by his expatriate girlfriend living in London. He meets Delpy on the train to Vienna, where he is to catch his flight home. They hit it off, he begs her to get off the train with him, she does, and the movie follows them through 14 hours together before he departs. Vienna provides a gorgeous setting for the movie, and Hawke and Delpy give fine performances. As they get to know each other and like each other more and more there is the ever present undercurrent of sadness as they each try to escape the fact that their time together is fleeting. Their performances reflect this quandary in subtle ways, which is preferable to them constantly complaining of the position they're in, a tactic a lesser film maker might have succumbed to. Not all that well known a movie, but definitely worth renting.

The coup de gras of Linklater's work is Dazed and Confused. Set on the last day of school, 1976, this movie focuses on a Texas high school and its various characters. A terrific ensemble cast includes Parker Posey, Joey Lauren Adams, a young Ben Affleck, Jason London, Milla Jovovich, and the list goes on. It even includes Renee Zelwegger as an extra. McConaughey steals every scene he is in, however. He plays Wooderson, a few years out of high school, workin' for the city, still chasing high school girls. The character is incredibly funny and is worth the price of admission and more. Linklater manages to evoke great performances out of all his actors in this movie, despite the fact that a lot of them lacked a lot of acting experience. This is the sign of a truly gifted writer/director.

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