This Australian made-for-TV movie presented 29-year-old American dropout Kevin Pearse (Beau Bridges) who decides to pursue his love of surfing in Australia while living on the interest from his grandfather’s trust fund. This brings him into conflict with his father, Sean (Beau’s real-life father, Lloyd Bridges) who wants him to take a job in his company.
In Australia, Kevin becomes a successful surfer and wins some big contests, but his personal life is mixed up between his young girlfriend Emily (Ingrid Mason) and his older lover, Moira (Victoria Shaw).
His personal problems reach crisis point while Kevin is training for a major surfing contest. Emily becomes pregnant (and will not have the abortion suggested by Kevin) and then finds out about Moira and refuses to see Kevin again.
To compound problems, Kevin’s father (who has a heart condition and is not long for this world) arrives in Sydney to persuade his son to return home.
While Beau Bridges did some of his own surfing in the film, the more difficult board-riding sequences were handled by top Aussie surf champion Mark Warren, who was also the surfing consultant on the film.
Aso in the cast are John Meillon as Emily’s self-made businessman father, Wendy Playfair as her mother and former Young Doctors star Mark Hembrow as Peter, one of Kevin’s surfing mates.
The film was made by the Australian Broadcasting Commission in association with the US company TransAtlantic Enterprises. The script is cliched and hackneyed and most of the time you can’t see the surf for the corn!
The only redeeming features of the film are the soundtrack by an American group called Fever and the surfing by Mark Warren. The final shot of boy kissing girl on the beach in front of the sun belongs on a birthday card.
Released in some markets as Mutual Respect.
Kevin Pearse
Beau Bridges Sean Pearse
Lloyd Bridges Emily Stuart
Ingrid Mason Moira Gilmore
Victoria Shaw Eric Stuart
John Meillon Gwen Stuart
Wendy Playfair Peter
Mark Hembrow Bryan
Tim Simpson Harry
Nicholas Frazer Colin
Robert Bettles Dr Dunstan
Mark Edwards Bruce McBride
Patrick Ward
Director
Don Chaffey
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While Beau Bridges did some of his own surfing in the film, the more difficult board-riding sequences were handled by top Aussie surf champion Mark Warren, who was also the surfing consultant on the film.
