Big Wednesday

source: Big Wednesday

SPOIL ALERT! Big Wednesday is perhaps the most underrated film of all time-- it is simply an unbelievable film. It is a film that depends on each scene, each character and each line spoken to make the story work. I have never seen a film with such a great cast of characters and such a feeling of change. If this film were to be summarized briefly it would be rendered a film that showcases the effects of change. The beginning era in 1962 shows the era of innocence, partying, sex, and the era of Bear. In the early scenes, Bear is looked up to by all the surfers as a God... a man who knows all. Perhaps the greatest two scenes in the beginning come when Bear is making the "Big Wave board" and speaking of the day when "a swell so big will wipe everything that came before it". Of course, the board is ridden during the famous Big Wednesday of 1974, just as Bear had predicted. The other great scene is the party scene. Amongst my friends and myself, we now refer to awesome parties as "Big Wednesday parties", but of course none of them can compare. The second era shows Matt as the drunk, and Jack as the straight-laced lifeguard. Bear is prosperous as ever, running his huge store despite earlier being upset at "living like an inlander". A key scene comes when Matt the drunk goes to Bear for advice, and Bear again proves his wisdom. A major element of change can be seen when in 1974 it is Bear who is the drunk and Matt is attempting to give him advice. Perhaps the one line that Bear says which shows his major change is "I'm just a garbage man!" after being queried about his surfing. While everything changes, the only thing that remains constant is Matt, Leroy and Jack's intense friendship. I could go on forever, but I'd rather leave it to others to watch despite my spoils. This film will make you embrace youth and friendship like no other picture could ever do. 10/10

The lives of some California surfers from the early '60s to the '70s. Who should have been cast: Jan-Michael Vincent or Jeff Bridges? Well, in retrospect, Bridges might have drawn more acclaim to this picture. But Vincent nails the role, and although not as big of a name, he was the man for the job. John Milius is known for his conservative, manly films. This does not really mesh with the idea of the surfer, at least until you see this film. Then you understand that the surfer - to Milius - is a libertarian at heart, fighting against the "lifeguard state". The film features great music, great fights, and a nice cameo from a then-unknown Robert Englund. And heck, this is Gary Busey in his prime. Interestingly, because the film takes place during the Vietnam War, this acts like something as a counterpoint to "Apocalypse Now", another Milius film. What message are we to get from the two combined?

The surfing sequences are what make this movie, some of the waves on Big Wednesday at the end look too huge and powerful to be real, and the sight of these men standing at the foot of them on their puny little boards, battling to outrun the awesome power of the water crashing down, is real heart-gripping stuff. The tale of a group of friends drifting through the sixties and seventies, getting into scrapes, having parties, trying to avoid Vietnam and doing all that stuff sixties movies live for, is well enough done, though the script gets a bit cliche-heavy at some points. The episodic format, a series of brief snapshots taken from various moments over a spread of ten years or so, helps capture the rambling nature of these people's lives, and gives an insight on how much things change and yet stay the same between a gang of old friends as the times move on and the world turns. Katt fares well as the narrator and core, as is Stringfellow Hawk as the former champ surfer, and Busey gives his normal crazy shouty brilliance, but the surf takes the honours.

To experience the excitement of BIG WENESDAY without actually watching the movie; I reconmend the following procedure. 1. Take a glass of water. 2. Take a toothpick and break it into many pieces. 3. Put the pieces in the water. 4. Slosh the glass around and watch the pieces go up and down and this way and that. 5. Make sea noises like "woooosh". 6. Make surfer noises like "gnarly!" "whatever!" "rad!". 7. To reenact the final big wave, I suggest you dump the water down the drain and find something better to do with your time than to watch this extremely stupid, tedious, boring, long, dumb, long, overly dramatic, stupid, dumb, tedious, movie. THE END

A movie about surf, friendship and the hardness in growing up. The movie has great surf pictures, great surfers (Gerry Lopez himself), it has a beautiful script and was very well directed. I think this movie is already a classic for surfers and non-surfers... ;-) I watch the movie in VHS long ago, and i´m waiting for the DVD (next month)

What is it about Big Wednesday that inspires so much affection? I won't repeat the many tributes that have been made here, and yes, I was a surfer, and yes, this is in my top five of all time movies, and yes, I watch it about once every eighteen months. But something others don't seem to mention much is the perfect score that Basil Poledouris wrote for the movie, sound which echoes and complements the action throughout, and reminds me strongly of artists and music of the time like Jack Nitzches "Lonely Surfer", and "Beyond the Break". Not, for heaven's sake, the Beach Boys or Jan and Dean. But isn't that a big part of good movies? When music, image and story all combine? (Discuss) The other four of my five are "Andrei Rublev", "If..." "The Piano" "Journey to the Center of the Earth"

A rite of passage film comparable to Stand By Me. The film follows the lives of three men through their late teens and twenties during the troubled period of American history that was the Vietnam war. The bond between these men is exemplified by their shared love for surfing and one another. With creative photography, Jan Michael Vincent (of Airwolf fame), Gary Busey (who makes a sneaky surfing appearance again in Point Break), and William Katt (who went on to star in such films as House) doing much of their own surfing, complemented by a professional team of surfing stunt doubles including Jerry Lopez make this one of the surfing all-time classics along-side Bruce Browns 1966 Endless Summer. Whether you're into surfing or not, you'll enjoy this for its story, feel good factor, and of course the surfing footage. Watch it.

Gary Busey's career high as the insane "Masochist" with the irrisistable quote "More Beer!". Okay, this is a little patchy, but it's beautifully shot and has that old fashioned innocence that most modern teen films lack. The surfing rules and the leading trio is well played. Oh and I forgot to mention, the entire narration is by none other than Elm street's Fred Kreuger, a.k.a Robert Englund, which just makes it uber-cool in my minds eye; but I am biased. A great feel-good movie from when movies still felt pretty good.

This is a great film. I won't say that everyone would like it, because there is always someone who will hate it. But I love this movie and cannot imagine hating it. I watch it again and again, mostly for Jack who is wonderful in his personality and development. I can't rate this highly enough. The surfing scenes are spectacular, and watching the characters slowly mature and try to cope with life as an adult is always worth watching. Seeing Matt in particular struggle with his unwanted hero status and seeing his friends grow up, move away or die is really something to see. What he would have done without the capable, beautiful, indefatigable Peggy is anyone's guess. However, I must say that you either get it or you don't.