The Little Space Between Hal Ashby and Richard Linklater

This chapter offers a comparative analysis of Linklater with Ashby, drawing parallels between their films, philosophy, filmmaking practice and positioning in relation to Hollywood studios and the independent filmmaking sector. Comparative analysis of The Last Detail (1973) and Before Sunrise (1995), which share the exact same premise of characters who have just met making connections as they move towards an inexorable deadline, reveals the filmmakers’ kindred philosophy and working practice. Pushing style and structure to pay attention to the details of human interaction prompts further comparisons, which culminates with the direct link between the filmmakers that is Linklater’s poignant rendition of Last Flag Flying (2017) as “a spiritual sequel” to The Last Detail, analysis of which suggests that connecting their filmographies creates and completes a long, unbroken list of unheeded warnings against authoritarianism and the unconsidered life.