Most writers end up glamorising their childhood sooner or later – here is Milius’ take on being a surfer in California in the early 60s. He gives it epic treatment – not in terms of massive cast or battles, but use of devices like a narrator, discussions of history of surfing and surfers, great waves that were like battles, passing of the years, birth of children, deaths of friends, mentors, disillusionment, a climactic final battle to achieve greatness, the passing of the flame to the next generation.
It’s silly – at least to a non-surfer – but it’s genuine, from the heart and I really found myself getting swept away with it. (When I wasn’t wondering, how they were going to shoot all this evocative big print about surfing). There are also a few sex scenes, quite evocatively described – not common for Milius
The script falls into four parts, complete with chapter headings: 1963, the last summer; 1965, when the Vietnam draft came calling (a funny sequence involving avoiding the draft); 1968, when one of their number comes back from Vietnam; 1974, the arrival of the Big Wednesday.
The three heroes weren’t exactly admirable. Even sensible Jake, who goes off to war, comes back and sooks because his girlfriend marries someone else after (shock horror) not hearing from him for three years – she wants him back too but he still goes and sooks off to work in the forests. Stuff him. The wild one, here called Lance Johnson (I believe they changed it) is shown at the opening to be a drunk not worthy of his tremendous talent. And crazy Mitch deals drugs to kids. Maybe that’s the point – they stuffed their lives, but they managed to pull this off riding Big Wednesday.
Plenty of strong moments: a trip to Tijuana that turns nightmarish; the evocative character of Bear; having a funeral for an old friend; the monologues; watching a surfing movie; the final surf. Just reading it you can understand why this (a) flopped (b) has a massive cult.
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