Stars: Jan-Michael Vincent, William Katt, Gary Busey, Patti D'Arbanville, Lee Purcell, Sam Melville, Robert Englund, Joe Spinell

Director: John Milius

Summary: Three old surfing friends of the '60s reunite after the Vietnam War to face the challenge of the giant ocean swell for one last time.

Set in the 1960s and early 1970s, 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 is surprisingly heartfelt and partially based on his own childhood. 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.

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John Milius charts a decade of social change in Big Wednesdayas three surfing buddies use surfing as a personal touchstone for their lives while growing up in the turbulent 1960s. Irresponsible hot-dogging legend Matt (Jan-Michael Vincent), serious and stable Jack (William Katt), and mad misfit Leroy, aka "Masochist" (Gary Busey), are teenage surf bums in 1963, living at the beach in a perpetual summer under the sway of surfboard-maker Bear (Sam Melville), guru, mentor, and keeper of the lore. But the times they are a changin' and boys grow up in the shadow of Vietnam while adulthood pushes them into hard decisions.

John Milius mixes the nostalgia of American Graffitiwith the reverence of a John Ford cavalry drama. Surfing becomes a kind of spiritual quest spoken of in awed mythic tones and photographed with the epic grandeur of a rite of passage. Milius' heavy-handed direction and reverent attitude slows the films and will turn off some viewers, but the director's fans will appreciate his macho attitudes and philosophical musings, and surfing fans will love the spectacular surfing footage, including the dazzling stylings of world champion Gerry Lopez (whom Milius later cast in Conan the Barbarian). Lee Purcell costars as Matt's supportive wife, with Patti D'Arbanville, Barbara Hale, and Robert Englund in supporting roles. Look for Ford stock player Hank Worden in a small role and Milius himself in a cameo selling marijuana in Tijuana. --Sean Axmaker

Main Language:	English
Region:	Region 2
Special Features:	Featurette - 1. CAPTURING THE SWELL, Audio Commentary - 1. John Milius - Director, Trailer - 1. Original Theatrical
Year:	1978
Release Date:	July 1, 2005
Runtime:	114 minutes
Certification:
Catalogue Number:	D 011182
Keywords:	Action, Wednesday, Big, General, Adventure
Genre:	Action/Adventure