Dazed and Confused is a American coming-of-age comedy film written and directed by Richard Linklater. The film follows a variety of teenagers on the last day of school in Austin, Texas , in The film has no single protagonist or central conflict; rather, it follows interconnected plot threads among different social groups and characters, such as rising ninth graders undergoing hazing rituals, a football star's refusal to sign a clean living pledge for his coach, and various characters hanging out at a pool hall.
Linklater originally planned to make a teen film after his breakout feature Slacker. Slacker caught the attention of Universal Pictures producer Jim Jacks, who secured 6 million dollars for Linklater's next feature. Linklater drew heavily on his adolescence in Huntsville, Texas , to write the script, lifting the names of several people from his hometown for the characters.
Most actors cast for the film were undiscovered talent, including McConaughey, who became the film's breakout star. Linklater shot the film around Austin, with several members of his crew from Slacker. The actors were encouraged to improvise and develop their own characters, with some writing in extra scenes. Linklater gathered several s rock songs for the soundtrack, which made up a significant portion of the film's budget. The picture was marketed by Gramercy Pictures as a stoner film , to Linklater's dismay.
The film later found success on the home video market and has since become a cult classic. On May 28, , the last day of school at Lee High School in Austin, Texas , the next year's group of seniors prepare for the annual hazing of incoming freshmen.
Randall "Pink" Floyd, the school's star football player, is asked to sign a pledge promising not to take drugs during the summer or do anything that would "jeopardize the goal of a championship season". When classes end, the incoming freshman boys are hunted down by the seniors and paddled. The incoming girls are rounded up in the school parking lot by senior girls led by Darla , covered in mustard, ketchup, flour and raw eggs and forced to propose to senior boys.
