Trio sues 'Dazed & Confused' director over use of names

Posted Tuesday, October 12, 2004 at 12:34 PM Central

by Tim Briscoe

Three high school classmates of Richard Linklater are suing the writer-director for the use of their surnames for characters in his 1993 film Dazed and Confused. Plaintiffs Richard Floyd, Andy Slater and Bobby Wooderson attended Hunstville High School in Texas along with Linklater.

The trio claim that Linklater never asked for their consent before using them as the names of characters in his film about pot-filled, high school slackerdom in the 1970s. The film has risen to cult classic status in the decade since its release by Universal Pictures, which was also mentioned in the suit.

In the film, Randall "Pink" Floyd -- at least Linklater didn't use his real first name -- was the high school quarterback played by Jason London. Wooderson was the twentysomething played by Matthew McConaughey who hung out around school long after graduation. Ron Slater was the long-haired stoner played by Rory Cochrane.

All three men still live in Huntsville, Texas, and have become the source of ridicule and unwanted attention because people think the fictional characters were based on them.

Whether or not these beloved characters were based on their real-life counterparts, we had to know what life held for them since the '70s. Slater runs a construction company, Floyd works for a car dealership, and Wooderson works in the technology field. Oh, and classmate Linklater, amongst other movies, directed the 2003 breakout comedy School of Rock.

Oh, what we wouldn't give to show up at their class reunion!