Linklater's 1991 film is a masterpiece of screwball ethnography, examining that tiny but vociferous Anglo-American branch of the Slacker tribe ensconced in an Austin enclave bordered by the University and the state mental hospital. Their designations don't just reflect character, they embody worldviews, the portable reality each person here carries around like a talisman, a banner, or that hilariously cumbersome video backpack.
Howard Hampton
September 17, 2013