Tuesday, August 30, 2011

Big Wednesday (1978)

You know, I'm no surfer; never even tried it. But I love this movie. While surfing is a big part of this movie, its mostly used as a back drop to the story of 3 guys growing up.

The movie starts out in 1962, in Malibu, CA. It follows Matt, Jack, and Leroy "The Masochist" as they change from young guys surfing and partying, through adult pressures of young families and Viet Nam. The guys are played by Jan-Michael Vincent, William Katt, and Gary Busey, respectively.

As they grow, they take different paths in the real world. Do they fight in Viet Nam, or fight to stay out of the war? Do they accept their responsibilities as parents, or do they run from their young families?

These 3 guys are very believable in these parts. Especially Jan-Michael Vincent, as the brilliant surfer who can't seem to stay out of trouble, or the bottle. Backing them up in the cast is the always fun Reb Brown, who played Captain America in the late 70's, and young Robert Englund, as Fly, the narrator.

A lot of laughs from these guys, and other parts that are more poignant. Overall, one of my favorite movies.


1 comment:

  1. I like that Big Wednesday gave a more complimentary view of surfers than you normally see in movies or TV.

    I mentioned the film in my favorite soundtracks to listen to during writer's block list, lol:

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