Big Wednesday is a film about the big score in its purest form - three American surfers in search of the perfect wave. It was critically unpopular when it first came out, accused of being grandiose and pretentious - which it is. But a lot of good films are grandiose and pretentious, including Citizen Kane.
John Milius worked on the screenplay for Magnum Force, co-wrote Apocalypse Now, and co-wrote and directed a magnificent film called Red Dawn. A good director, and very highly regarded, he has the reputation for being the most right-wing film director in Hollywood, which is rather like being the tallest player on a basketball team. I don't know if he really is; I only know saw a photograph of him one time and he seemed a fairly normal guy, except that he was wearing a Green Beret uniform. I think he's upfront about the fact that he's a looney though, and we should respect him for that.
The film is based on his early days, because in his youth he was a surfer; when you see hisname in the titles, the photograph that accompanies it is of Milius and some friends with their boards. Maybe one of the reasons why the film wasn't popular with the critics was that the critics weren't surfers. But if you like the ocean, if you admire the guys who get up really early in the morning and go out where it's cold and wet, you might like Big Wednesday. It's Milius's American Graffiti.
When Gary Busey played the lead in The Buddy Holly Story, he taught himself to sing and play guitar. He learned to swim and surf for Big Wednesday...