Welcome back to Behind The Scenes Saturday!!! Today is dedicated to one of my go-to summer comedies, Dazed And Confused! Dazed And Confused has one of those stories where audiences can just sit back and enjoy the ride. This article is dedicated to my brother, Bub. He is the one who introduced this film to me, as well as a good chunk of the films I’ve come to love. So, follow your dreams, don’t be afraid to have a good time, and enjoy these fun pictures and bits of trivia!!

(Trivia provided by IMDb.com)

(Pictures provided by google.com and IMDb.com)

(SPOILER ALERT!!!)

• Supposedly, acquiring the rights to the ‘70s pop hits for the soundtrack cost one-sixth of the film’s budget.
• During the scene where some of the students were building their paddles, the shop teacher can be seen fast asleep. The teacher was played by a real teacher who worked at that school.

• Early into filming, Matthew McConaughey (Wooderson) lost his father. Production shut down for a while so McConaughey could arrange and attend the funeral.
• Unsurprisingly, Shawn Andrews (Pickford) and Jason London (Floyd) didn’t get along during filming. Their beef with each other got so bad, that they actually got into a fight and the film’s director, Richard Linklater had to break it up. That’s why the ending has Wooderson in the group at the end of the film instead of Pickford. It’s also why even though the actors share quite a few scenes together, their characters share no dialogue.

• Not including the minors in the film, most of the cast drank real beer while shooting. Jason London refused to drink real beer on set and he was also trying to stop smoking.
• Matthew McConaughey’s production company, JKL Productions, was named after Wooderson’s life motto, “Just Keep Livin’!”

• The word “man” is said 203 times throughout the film.
• Although Wooderson was the creepy graduate who still hung out with high schoolers, in real life, Matthew McConaughey was actually younger than some of his co-stars who played teenagers, including Sasha Jenson (Dawson), Joey Lauren Adams (Simone), and Parker Posey (Darla).

• There were many scenes shot regarding a couple of soldier memorial statues getting stolen and Michelle (Milla Jovovich) giving them a KISS make-over. Gene Simmons himself purchased the statues after filming wrapped.
• Vince Vaughn auditioned for the role of Benny. He was turned down because Richard Linklater felt that he looked too much like Ben Affleck (O’Bannion), and the role went to Cole Hauser instead.

• In 2004, Richard Linklater’s former classmates, the real Bobby Wooderson, Andy Slater, and Richard Floyd tried to sue Universal Studios, claiming that they did not get the trio’s permission to use their likenesses or surnames. The lawsuit ended up having to be thrown out because the statute of limitations had expired.
• Rory Cochrane (Slater) had to wear a very long wig for the film. He said that he got a lot of strange looks from people outside of the set.

• During filming, Milla Jovovich and Shawn Andrews went to Las Vegas and got married. Because Jovovich was 16 at the time, her mother was able to get the marriage annulled.
• All of the wooden paddles were customized by the cast members who used them. One of the paddles has “17 yrs,” on it, signifying the year difference between the film’s setting and release.

• Renée Zellweger auditioned for one of the main senior girls in the film. She ended up getting an uncredited role as “Girl In Blue Truck.”
• Most of Milla Jovovich’s scenes ended up being cut from the final film. This upset her so much, that she ended up taking a break from acting and focusing on her music career. She didn’t take another starring role until 1997 with The Fifth Element.

• When he was cast for the role of Mitch Kramer, Wiley Wiggins lied about knowing how to play baseball and knowing how to pitch. The filmmakers had to bring in a double to do the pitching scenes.
• According to Richard Linklater and the film’s casting assistant, Lisa Bruna, Mark Ruffalo, Hilary Swank, Wil Wheaton, Mackenzie Astin, Jared Leto, Elizabeth Berkley, Denise Richards, Vince Vaughn, Alicia Silverstone, Kirsten Dunst, Jennifer Love Hewitt, Mira Sorvino, Reese Witherspoon, and Ron Livingston all auditioned for roles for the film.

• During filming, Ben Affleck accidentally shattered his ankle with a cricket bat. He ended up toughing it out and finishing the scene.
• According to Adam Goldberg (Newhouse), what specifically made him want the role was the fight scene between him and Clint (Nicky Katt).

• Before their final audition, Jason London and Rory Cochrane smoked an actual joint to get into character.
• The film’s producers wanted to use Lone Star Beer as the main beer that the characters drink. However, Lone Star Beer demanded a pretty pricy fee and a small percentage of the film’s profits. So, generic bottles and cans were used instead.

• Ben Affleck later claimed that his career did not receive a boost from appearing in this film like his co-stars. He stated, “It didn’t do anything for me. I was the only unlikable character in a movie full of likable characters. I was completely forgotten.”
• Claire Danes auditioned for the role of Sabrina (Christin Hinojosa). She ended up not getting the part because Richard Linklater thought she was “too classy.”

• The role of Slater ended up coming down to Rory Cochrane or David Arquette.
• Ashley Judd auditioned for the role of Jodi Kramer (Michelle Burke). Jason London ended up asking for her phone number after her audition.