• Trending
    • Certified Fresh & Verified Hot
    • TV Premier dates
    • New horror Movies
    • Best Movies of All Time
  • Movies
    • Movies In Theaters
    • Movies at Home
  • TV Shows
    • New TV
    • Most Popular TV
  • News
    • What to Watch
    • Guides
    • RT News
    • Awards
  • Games
    • Find Your Next Horror Watch
  • Video
  • Showtimes
  • Fanstore
  • About Rotten Tomatoes
  • Critics
  • Download the App Now
  • Logout
Rotten Tomatoes
Suggestions will appear as you start typing. Submit search Movies Tv shows RT App New News Showtimes

Big Wednesday

Play trailer Poster for Big Wednesday PG,  1979,  2h 0m,  Comedy/ Drama Play Trailer Watchlist
Stream Now Watchlist 64% 11 Reviews Tomatometer 87% 5,000+ Ratings Popcornmeter
64% Tomatometer 11 Reviews 87% Popcornmeter 5,000+ Ratings
Three 1960s California surfers (Jan-Michael Vincent, William Katt, Gary Busey) fool around, drift apart and reunite years later to ride epic waves.
Watch on Fandango Stream Now

Where to Watch

Big Wednesday

Stream

Rent Big Wednesday on Fandango, or buy it on Fandango.

Critics Reviews

View More
Christy Lemire ChristyLemire.com Jun 3, 2018
3/4
Looking back at the strong, young cast, the evocative sense of time and place and the thrilling ocean imagery, Big Wednesday certainly deserves a spot among the pantheon of classic surfing films. Go to Full Review
Quentin Tarantino The New Beverly Jun 22, 2020
While all in all I prefer Milius' directorial debut Dillinger, it's hard to argue against the idea that his surfer epic "Big Wednesday" isn't his classic. Go to Full Review
Augusto Martínez Torres El Pais (Spain) Aug 7, 2019
A poorly made film that lacks ambiguity and results excessively evident. [Full Review in Spanish] Go to Full Review
Cole Smithey ColeSmithey.com Feb 9, 2014
A
[VIDEO ESSAY] Milius constantly revisits the ocean's churning surf as a literal and metaphoric yardstick to underscore the movie's themes of personal responsibility, loyalty, and the pressures of unpredictable social change. Go to Full Review
Dennis Schwartz Dennis Schwartz Movie Reviews Jul 14, 2011
B-
Remains noteworthy as a cult film. Go to Full Review
Chuck O'Leary Fantastica Daily Oct 9, 2005
2/5
Read all reviews

Audience Reviews

View More
Jan 8, 2019 Great movie about entrance in adulthood
Theodore W Sep 4, 2017 An all time classic.
Draco M Dec 3, 2016 This is my Favorite Movie Ever! Exactly like our times--
Read all reviews
Big Wednesday

My Rating

Read More Read Less WRITE A REVIEW EDIT REVIEW POST RATING

Cast & Crew

View All

John Milius

Director

Jan-Michael Vincent

Matt Johnson

William Katt

Jack Barlow

Gary Busey

Leroy Smith

Patti D'Arbanville

Sally Jacobson

Lee Purcell

Peggy Gordon

More Like This

View All
Woody Allen: A Documentary 91% 88% Woody Allen: A Documentary Watchlist Inseparable 82% Inseparable Watchlist Amal 100% 90% Amal Watchlist I Got Life! 94% 72% I Got Life! Watchlist Dancing Arabs 94% 76% Dancing Arabs Watchlist Discover more movies and TV shows. View More
View All

Big Wednesday

Big Wednesday (1978) Big Wednesday (1978) View more photos

Movie Info

Synopsis Three 1960s California surfers (Jan-Michael Vincent, William Katt, Gary Busey) fool around, drift apart and reunite years later to ride epic waves.
Director
John Milius
Producer
Buzz Feitshans
Screenwriter
John Milius, Dennis Aaberg
Distributor
Warner Bros. Pictures
Production Co
Warner Brothers/Seven Arts
Rating
PG
Genre
Comedy, Drama
Original Language
English
Release Date (Theaters)
Aug 24, 1979, Original
Release Date (Streaming)
Apr 19, 2016
Runtime
2h 0m
Sound Mix
Surround
Join The Newsletter Join The Newsletter Cookie Settings