Synopsis

A group of suburban teenagers spends an aimless day cruising around in a 1972 Dodge Charger. Their drive leads to a house party, where the Smashing Pumpkins perform amid the guests, before the friends continue their restless nighttime adventure. The video captures the excitement, boredom, mischief, and fleeting freedom of adolescence, contrasting the teenagers' communal energy with Billy Corgan's detached presence in the back seat. Its nostalgic suburban setting reflects Corgan's memories of growing up around Chicago.

Factoids & Trivia

• The concept was based on Billy Corgan's idealized image of teenage life and his memories of suburban boredom. The finished video was intended to feel closer to a coming-of-age film than a conventional performance clip.

• An earlier concept reportedly placed the band in an alien hotel, with specially made elephant-like masks. The proposed version was expected to cost more than $1 million, while the eventual production was reported at about $350,000.

• The car has Illinois license plates, reflecting the song's Chicago-suburban inspiration, even though California mountains can be seen in some driving shots.

• The band members appear in small acting roles. James Iha plays the convenience-store clerk, D'arcy Wretzky plays an angry neighbor, and Jimmy Chamberlin appears as a police officer.

• Production suffered an unusual setback when the footage was accidentally left on top of a car and lost after the vehicle drove away. The group later returned to reshoot the party sequence.

• Corgan originally wanted the teenagers to trash the convenience store. The milder ending was chosen after the filmmakers persuaded him to take the story in a less destructive direction.

• The video won the 1996 MTV Video Music Award for Best Alternative Video.

• The 1998 video for "Perfect" continues the story with the same characters at a later point in their lives.