Parallels with "American Graffiti"

A friend and I realized that the plot line of this screenplay runs dangerous parallel to American Graffiti, a film by George Lucas. This was not my intention, but here are the similarities.

1. They are both coming-of-age stories that take place during another era. AG takes place in 1962 and Carnosha takes place in 1983.
2. Drive-in restaurants play a major part. The kids from AG hang out at Mel's Drive-In. Two of the major characters hang out at The Spot Drive-In only because one works there.
3. Cars play a major role. The kids go for joy rides and drag racing in AG. Cars are manufactured and obsessed by a few of the characters in the Carnosha.
   
4. Popular music is vital for the soundtrack. AG featured at least 40 top hits from the early 1960s. One character in Carnosha listen to a lot of new wave synthpop from the early 1980s. Other characters in Carnosha have deep discussions about Frank Zappa and Pink Floyd.

Here are some important differences

1. American Graffiti paints a rosy picture of the Kennedy era, while Carnosha shows the uncertain times of the early Reagan era, especially for blue-collar workers waiting for the wealth to "trickle down."
2. Opposed to AG, not all of Carnosha's major characters are in high school. One graduated a year before and another is the father of another major character.
3. Carnosha focuses a little more on family dynamics and the fate of the local automotive industry

With that said, I still think Carnosha needs to distinguish itself a little further from American Graffiti. But I'd like to play off certain similar elements as an homage to George Lucas.