Big Wednesday (1978)

The lives of some California surfers from the early '60s to the '70s.

Director:

John Milius

Writers:

John Milius, Dennis Aaberg,

Stars:

Jan-Michael Vincent, William Katt, Gary Busey

1 nomination.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Jan-Michael Vincent	...	Matt Johnson
William Katt	...	Jack Barlow
Gary Busey	...	Leroy Smith
Patti D'Arbanville	...	Sally Jacobson
Lee Purcell	...	Peggy Gordon
Sam Melville	...	Bear
Darrell Fetty	...	Jim 'Waxer' King
Gerry Lopez	...	Himself
Hank Worden	...	Shopping Cart (as Hank Warden)
Joe Spinell	...	Psychologist
Steve Kanaly	...	Sally's Husband
Barbara Hale	...	Mrs. Barlow
Fran Ryan	...	Lucy
Dennis Aaberg	...	Slick
Reb Brown	...	Enforcer

Storyline

Matt Johnson, Jack Barlow, and Leroy Smith are three young California surfers in the 1960s. At first reveling in the carefree life of beaches, girls, and waves, they eventually must face the fact that the world is changing, becoming more complex, less answerable by simple solutions. Ultimately the Vietnam war interrupts their idyll, leaving them to wonder if they will survive until "Big Wednesday," the mythical day when the greatest, cleanest, most transcendent wave of all will come.

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Plot Keywords:

wave | california | surfer | vietnam | 1960s | 

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Taglines:

A day will come that is like no other... and nothing that happens after will ever be the same

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Genres:

Comedy | Drama | Sport

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Certificate:

PG

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

May 1978 (USA)

Also Known As:

Summer of Innocence

Filming Locations:

Banzai Pipeline, Ehukai Beach Park, O'ahu, Hawaii, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$11,000,000 (estimated)

Company Credits

Production Co:

A-Team

Technical Specs

Runtime:

120 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby

Color:

Color (Metrocolor)

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Tom Berenger auditioned for the part of "Jack Barlowe" that went to William Katt.

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Goofs

During the party scene a girl screams "Waxer, no!" when another character, Crusher, not Waxer, attacks her.

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Quotes

Matt Johnson: You know, Mrs. Barlow, there's something I'd like straighten out.
Mrs. Barlow: What's that, Matt?
Matt Johnson: Well, I did a lot of things around here I'm kind of ashamed of. I tore up your lawn with my '40 Ford...
Mrs. Barlow: Many times.
Matt Johnson: Took my pants off in front of your friends...
Mrs. Barlow: Oh, yes.
Matt Johnson: And I even passed out in your closet, but I never, and I don't know who could have if I didn't, but I never, and I repeat never, ever pissed in your steam iron.

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Connections

Referenced in Twister (1996)

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Soundtracks

"Will You Still Love Me Tomorrow?"
(uncredited)
Written by Written by Gerry Goffin and Carole King
Performed by The Shirelles

User Reviews

Top five movie music - take a bow Basil

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"