The Wave (1981) (TV)

User Rating:

7.1/10   

Director:

Alexander Grasshoff

Writers:

Ron Jones (article)
Johnny Dawkins (teleplay) ...

Release Date:

4 October 1981 (USA)

Genre:

Drama | Short | Family

Plot:

A teacher plays a mental game with some of his students. Based on a true story.

Plot Keywords:

Student | Teacher | School | Game | Based On Short Story

Awards:

Won Primetime Emmy. Another 2 wins & 2 nominations

Cast

Bruce Davison	...	Ben Ross
Lori Lethin	...	Laurie
John Putch	...	David
Johnny Doran	...	Robert
Pasha Gray	...	Amy
Wesley Pfenning	...	Christy Ross (as Wesley Ann Pfenning)
Larry Keith	...	Mr. Saunders
Teri Ralston	...	Mrs. Saunders
Marc Copage	...	Student
Jamie Rose	...	Andrea
Frank Lloyd
Matthew Dunn
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Robert DeLapp
Danny Marmolejo
Michael Pasternak

Runtime:

44 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Company:

TAT Communications Company

Trivia:

Originally produced as an ABC Afterschool Special, the network chose to instead debut this film in prime time as part of its 'ABC Theater for Young Americans' series.

Quotes:

Laurie: David and I have to study.
Student: You know, if you two don't stop acting like hermits, you're gonna end up like Robert over there
[who is mouthing words while reading a comic book]
Student: .

Movie Connections:

Version of Die Welle (2008)

The Best Movie EVER!!!

OMG I LOVED THIS MOVIE! Okay, now that I've got that out of my system I just want to say that I keep on doing The Wave "fist punch to the chest then in the air making a "wave" with the hand" thing. Even to people I don't know. I don't follow "The Wave" group, I do this in a satirical manner. And the Ending, wow. I won't give it away or anything but it was SO great. Geez, I loved this movie. We watched it in German class, even though its in English. I liked this a million times better than "Findet Nemo." WATCH THE WAVE! YOU'LL LOVE IT!

Brief Summary: A teacher is teaching his students about Hitler and the Nazis when a student asks how the German people let millions of innocent people die without doing anything. The teacher (Mr. Ross) is stumped and is "saved by the bell" but must deal with her in class the next day. He starts a group called "The Wave" in class whose motto is "Strength through Discipline." The motto grows to become "Strength through discipline. Strength through community. Strength through action." The girl who posed the original question about the Germans starts to oppose the Wave and write articles for the newspaper bashing The Wave. Her boyfriend confronts her about her behavior because he supports The Wave and gets in a physical argument with her. He realizes what The Wave is doing to them, and starts to oppose it with her. They confront their teacher about this, who had just been in a meeting with the principal. I won't give away the ending but it pwnz!