George Lucas is best known for creating the Star Wars franchise, but he only got the clout to make Star Wars after his nostalgic comedy American Graffiti became a huge box office hit. It received unanimous praise from critics, became one of the highest-grossing films of 1973, and still holds up today as a timeless classic. Only a movie with the historic, game-changing success of Star Wars could overshadow a universally acclaimed fan-favorite gem like American Graffiti. Like Star Wars, American Graffiti became the definitive film of an entire genre. Whereas Star Wars became the definitive space opera (and, more broadly, the definitive action-adventure), American Graffiti has become renowned as the definitive ensemble hangout comedy.