Big Wednesday (1978)
Tomatometer
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Reviews Counted:7
Fresh:4
Rotten:3
Average Rating:5.9/10
Synopsis: BIG WEDNESDAY follows the lives of Matt (Jan-Michael Vincent), Jack (William Katt), and Leroy (Gary Busey), three young Californians who live to surf. Together, the boys ride the waves, throw beach... BIG WEDNESDAY follows the lives of Matt (Jan-Michael Vincent), Jack (William Katt), and Leroy (Gary Busey), three young Californians who live to surf. Together, the boys ride the waves, throw beach parties, and, of course, get into scrapes. However, as the years go by, the trio must contend with the escalating war in Vietnam and embark on the painful road to maturity. Although director and screenwriter John Milius usually dwells in a macho world of action, his meditation on the waning of youthful dreams, partially based on his own childhood, is surprisingly heartfelt. While the film depicts the close friendship shared by Matt, Jack, and Leroy, it also does justice to their favorite pastime with stunningly photographed surfing sequences. Widely considered to be one of the best surfer movies of all time, BIG WEDNESDAY pinpoints a specific era with pitch-perfect skill and nostalgia. [More]
Starring: Jan-Michael Vincent, William Katt, Gary Busey, Lee Purcell
Starring: Jan-Michael Vincent, William Katt, Gary Busey, Lee Purcell, Patti D'Arbanville, Joe Spinell, Robert Englund, Sam Melville
Director: John Milius
Director: John Milius
Screenwriter: John Milius, Dennis Aaberg
Composer: Basil Poledouris
Reviews for Big Wednesday
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Ambitious in goal, John Millius' tale suffers from an inconsistent tone, trying to be elegiac, nostalgic, and mythical in depicting the impact of Vietnam and aging on a clique of three surfers between 1962 and 1974 but the acting and imagery are good. Full Review |
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Imparts quintessential elements of the male psyche more persuasively than Milius' other gung-ho action pictures Full Review |
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