Big Wednesday (1978)

A Day Like No Other

The story of three surfing buddies from the 1960's into the 1970's, it is also John Milius most personal movie, written with a surfer buddy about those days. Sam Melville's "Bear" character is pretty much Milius. For boomers a delight. Look closely for Milius' cameo as a pot dealer in Tiuajana! July 22, 2008

An American Classic

What makes this a great movie is the cinematography that was executed back in 1978. The viewer will appreciate the complexities that the filming crew had to probably endure. While there were some stupid and silly scenes in the movie, I particularly enjoyed the overall theme and the music mainly from The Shirelles. Everyone should have the opportunity to watch this movie! July 13, 2007

Terrific

"Big Wednesday" (1978) is a film that was made for baby boomers. Writer/director John Milius was born in 1944 and the material draws on a ten year span of his life from the early 1960's to the early 1970's. Along with needing a span of time to qualify as a coming-of-age saga, it was hoped that the long time span would enable it to connect with the entire range of boomers (birth dates from 1945-1963). Almost anyone born during those years will find things in the film they relate to-even shadow boomers with just the second-hand exposure provided by their older siblings. Younger viewers should enjoy the spectacular surfing sequences and might find the other stuff an interesting history lesson.

Milius is one of the so-called young auteur directors of the 70's (Coppola, Lucus, Spielberg, Scorsese, De Palma). Unlike the others he did very little after 1984, the year he released "Red Dawn", an embarrassingly moronic and histrionic right-wing propaganda film that alerted an unsuspecting world to his extremist political views. Hollywood insiders already knew about this and the Coen Brothers would use him as a model for John Goodman's character in "The Big Lebowski".

But "Big Wednesday" is his masterpiece and it is unlikely that any other writer/director could have brought this story to the screen this effectively. Unfortunately its surfer subject matter did not draw many non-enthusiasts to the theatre; even though the film is a lot more than surfing, containing a very original universal message about the process of living and changing. Low box office led to a re-edit for pay- television, with the more philosophical content taken out for that version. The current DVD and VHS are that shorter version so if you saw the "Big Wednesday" during its theatrical release you maybe somewhat disappointed.

Structured like a four act play with each transition moving the action ahead a couple of years, "Big Wednesday" follows three young surfers in the LA area (Jan-Michael Vincent, William Katt and Gary Busey). Each plays a talented surfer with Vincent's character approaching legendary status. Surfing plays a big part in their lives (Bruce Surtees' cinematography provides some of the most stunning views of the sport you are likely to ever see) but much of the film takes place away from the beach with scenes of parties, the induction center, Tijuana, family life, and romance (a full range of what growing up in southern California was all about).

Milius' treatment of surfing is reverential and sometimes even mystical, with a sweeping musical score and local character (Bear) who is a kind of guru for the sport. In a scene cut from the television version Bear explains the origin and significance of the "Big Wednesday" title. Somehow Milius gets all this right and the film transcends what might have been a pretentious exercise in sport glorification.

The final scene is truly special as the three main characters manage a convergence for a final day of surfing, a scene that recalls the freedom and awe of their teenage years, contrasting it with how removed they have gotten from this former way of life. Anyone who has had to choke back their emotions after a nostalgic rush reminds them of what they will never have again, will be moved my this wonderful sequence.

Then again, what do I know? I'm only a child. October 9, 2006

Big Wednesday

The only reason I give this a 4 star rating instead of a five is, one of the most important scenes that was in the original movie was cut from the VHS and DVD version. It is during a party when "Bear" is talking to his friends and talks about "Big Wednesday" and this explains where the title of the movie came from. Without this scene the title of the movie hardly makes sense. I'm surprised that no one else has mentioned this in their reviews if they've seen the original movie years ago. I've tried for years to obtain an original uncut version and there just isn't one around. I'd rate the original movie 5 stars. June 25, 2006

A beach culture classic

I was a surf grommet growing up in the mid 1970's. This flick touched on Vietnam in ways that I could begin to understand. When Leroy the masochist(Gary Busey) shambles into the draft board whilst combing his hair with a dead fish, the surreal and insane nature of Vietnam becomes crystal clear. This is a true surf epic directed by a guy who knows the territory. The surf footage, for a hollywood movie, is truly outstanding. There is even a cameo appearance by Mr. Pipeline himself--Gerry Lopez. April 20, 2006

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