Big Wednesday (1978)

63% of critics liked it
(8 reviews)
85% of users liked it
(5,649 ratings)

Jan-Michael Vincent plays a self-destructive beach bum to whom surfing is a Zen experience. We first meet Vincent in the devil-may-care 1960s, in the company of his carefree buddies William Katt and Gary Busey. The boys reunite ten years later, after one has served time in Vietnam. The beach is… More Jan-Michael Vincent plays a self-destructive beach bum to whom surfing is a Zen experience. We first meet Vincent in the devil-may-care 1960s, in the company of his carefree buddies William Katt and Gary Busey. The boys reunite ten years later, after one has served time in Vietnam. The beach is still there, the waves still break upon the shore, and towards the end of the film, the characters become people that we truly care about. Barbara Hale, the real-life mother of costar William Katt, makes a piquant supporting appearance. Cut from 129 minutes to 104 for its pay-cable release, Big Wednesday is also known as Summer of Innocence. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

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Rating, Runtime: PG, 1 hr. 44 min.
Directed By: John Milius
Written By: John Milius, Dennis Aaberg
Genres: Drama, Comedy

In Theaters: Jan 4, 1978 Wide
On DVD: Jul 9, 2002
Studio: Warner Home Video

Critic Reviews

Dennis Schwartz, Ozus' World Movie Reviews
Remains noteworthy as a cult film.
Emanuel Levy, EmanuelLevy.Com
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.
Shane Burridge, rec.arts.movies.reviews
Imparts quintessential elements of the male psyche more persuasively than Milius' other gung-ho action pictures

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Cast

            Jan-Michael Vincent as Matt

            William Katt as Jack

            Gary Busey as Leroy

            Patti D'Arbanville as Sally

            Lee Purcell as Peggy Gordon

            Robert Englund as Narrator Fly

            Sam Melville as Bear

            Barbara Hale as Mrs. Barlow

            Fran Ryan as Lucy

            Reb Brown as Enforcer

            Jack Bernardi as Tailor

            Keith Davis as Ostrich

            Sasha Jenson as Surfer #5

            Steve Kanaly as Sally's Husband

            Celia Kaye as Bride of the Bear

            Todd Lookinland as Surfer #3

            Gerry Lopez as Himself

            Frank McRae as Sergeant

            Stephen Mendillo as Orderly

            Titus Napoleon as Chubby

            Arthur Rosenberg as Official

            Joe Spinell as Psychologist

            Michael Talbott as Hog

            Lynn Theel as Party Girl #7

            Charlene Tilton as Party Girl #2

            Hank Worden as Shopping Cart

            Dennis Aaberg as Slick

            Darrell Fetty as Waxer

            Gray Fredrickson as Doctor

            Perry Lang as Tall Kid

            Ollie O'Toole as Minister

            Clete Roberts
            
            Yvon Arai as Boggie

            Iris Korn as Old Woman

            Rick Dano as Panhead

            Herb Voland
            
            Stacy Keach Sr. as Old Man

            William Kaat
            
            Jean-Michael Vincent
            
            Patti D'arbanville-quinn
            
See full cast