Surfing broke all over the cool kids in the 1990s. Weezer wrote a song about its anti-capitalist stance, while even inland indie kids spent hundreds on beach-based clothing brands.
Kathryn Bigelow’s action-thriller never really caught the wave on release but has since become a cult classic.
Keanu Reeves is Johnny Utah, an FBI agent (and former Ohio college football star) based in LA who swaps his badge for a board to infiltrate a gang of surfing-obsessed bank robbers who wear masks of past presidents Carter, Nixon, LBJ and Reagan when they’re on the job (we’re not making this up!).
Johnny learns how to surf from Tyler (Lori Petty), who introduces him to Bodhi (Patrick Swayze) – the Grand Guru of the California Beaches – a spiritual bro looking for the ultimate rush via surfing at night and skydiving into water. Johnny gets sucked into the hijinx because he’s an adrenaline junkie too.
Bodhi and Utah end up competing with each other in the surf, the sky, and on the streets in an increasingly life-threatening contest over who has more testosterone coursing through their veins. Patrick Swayze performed much of the film’s heart-in-mouth sky-diving sequences himself – An insurer’s nightmare and an action film fan’s dream.
Bodhi – of course – turns out to be the leader of the ex-Presidents’ bank gang.
A zonked-out, pot-bellied Gary Busey plays Utah’s grizzled mentor at the Agency, veteran FBI man Angelo Pappas.
Director Kathryn Bigelow and executive producer James Cameron (Bigelow’s then-husband) saved the movie from the dumpster after it was abandoned by Thelma and Louisedirector Ridley Scott, with Charlie Sheen in the role of Utah, and reworked the screenplay.
The cinematography is gorgeous and rich, but the film lacks a substantial or coherent storyline.
Patrick Swayze died of pancreatic cancer on 14 September 2009. He was 57.
A 2015 remake of Point Break with an updated eco-terrorism narrative was widely panned and judged a failure by fans and critics alike.
The new film returned just $133 million against its $105 million budget.
Bodhi
Patrick Swayze Johnny Utah
Keanu Reeves Angelo Pappas
Gary Busey Tyler
Lori Petty Ben Harp
John McGinley Roach
James Le Gros Nathaniel
John Philbin Grommet
Bojesse Christopher Alvarez
Julian Reyes Babbit
Daniel Beer Bunker
Chris Pedersen Warchild
Vincent Klyn Tone
Anthony Kiedis Archbold
Dave Olson Rosie
Lee Tergesen Miss Deer
Sydney Walsh 15
Christopher Pettiet Psycho-Stick
Dino Andino Passion for Slashin’
Michael Kopelow Surf Rat
Matt Archbold Freight Train
Julie Michaels Fiberglass
Kimberly Martin Corey
Mike Genovese Halsey
Jack Kehler Margarita
Galyn Görg Cullen
Richard Grove Miss Jennings
Deborah Lemen Mr Duggan
Mick Regan
Director
Kathryn Bigelow
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Keanu Reeves is Johnny Utah, an FBI agent (and former Ohio college football star) based in LA who swaps his badge for a board to infiltrate a gang of surfing-obsessed bank robbers who wear masks of past presidents Carter, Nixon, LBJ and Reagan when they’re on the job (we’re not making this up!).
The cinematography is gorgeous and rich, but the film lacks a substantial or coherent storyline.
