Wayne's World

Ask most men within a decade of my age in either direction to list the 100 best movie scenes of all time, and the scene from "Wayne's World" where they sing/lip sync Bohemian Rhapsody in the car will be on more lists than not. It might even make every list. Not designed for the "critically acclaimed" snob set, Wayne's World, the film adaptation of the extremely popular Saturday Night Live skit by the same name, targets its audience perfectly and never even enters the water, let alone jumps any sharks. The movie is true to itself from start to finish.

The bedrock of the film, as well as the skit, is the unbending friendship of Wayne and Garth. Most children have one best friend who stands out above all others, and there's no mistaking that Wayne (SNL alum Mike Myers) and Garth (SNL alum Dana Carvey) have that type of friendship. The best friends host a cable access show in Aurora, Illinois, also sharing the skit's title. Other SNL alums, such as Brian Doyle-Murray (Noah) and Chris Farley (a concert security guard), round out the cast.

The plot centers around an opportunistic television producer named Benjamin Kane (Rob Lowe), who, with funding from an arcade owner, turns Wayne's World into a slickly produced national show, causing it to lose touch with its audience, and causing friction between Wayne and Garth, who feel they have sold out their fans and their roots. A love interest is tossed to Wayne in the form of Cassandra (Tia Carerre), in triangular form due to the attention paid to her by Kane as well as Wayne.

The pop-culture cuisinart responsible for most of the SNL skits was working in overdrive in this film, and that's a good thing. Everything from product placements, to gratuitous sex, to lame plot devices were lampooned. Rob Lowe was excellent as the sleazeball junior television executive, while cameos abound from the rock world, including Alice Cooper and Meat Loaf. Though not publicized as much as the other quotables from the movie, my personal favorite scene was when Wayne and Garth were each laying on parked cars, and Garth starts whistling the closing theme from Star Trek.

SNL-based movies have been hit-or-miss since their inception, but this was unquestionably a hit.

Wayne's World—which it's hard to believe is two decades old this year—still provides me with a good time, Mike Meyers' unique brand of surreal humour still managing to tickle my ribs, the music still causing my head to bang (only perhaps not quite as hard), and Tia Carrere still making me wanna go 'Schwing!' . I don't know how much of this enjoyment is down to nostalgia—I was a metal/heavy rock fan in my twenties when I first saw the film—but my kids seem to enjoy its random, scatter-shot craziness just as much as I do, despite not understanding many of the 90s cultural references (and, thankfully, some of the more 'adult' humour).

7.5 out of 10, rounded up to 8 for being able to whisk me back to a time when torn jeans, mullets and rock music ruled (I listen to BBC Radio 1 these days and I silently weep for the modern generation).

Penelope Spheeris (also of the Decline of Western Civilization Series and Suburbia) was chosen as the director of Mike Myers and Dana Carvey's SNL creation. This is the film that catapulted both comedians' careers into the stratosphere. 1992 is an interesting time in alternative rock history between the peak of grunge in 1991, and the coming crest of the "punk revival" in 1994 with Green Day, Offspring and Rancid. Wayne's World reveled in this new "alternative rock," music a concept which was at the time much more flexible than it is now. Rife with irony, alternative rock was eventually the name given to the music that blended aspects of rock, metal, punk, pop, and eclectic "weirdness." While Wayne is the more metal half of the excellent duo, Garth is the grunge/nerd/"punk" side of the equation.

Heavy metal rock and roll fandom provides the backdrop for a non-stop train wreck of social satire. Only in 1992; and only in Meyer's and Carvey's comedic genius could Aurora, Illinois ever seem so cool. Wayne's World, in the film's plot, is the name of a Cable Access television show (dare I say "DIY") hosted by Wayne Campbell and Garth Algar. Rob Lowe plays Benjamin, an advertising scout/producer who is looking for talent to promote a chain of video game arcade stores. He finds his muse in the low-brow witticism, promptly signs the boys, and sets them up in a proper television studio. A battle ensues between Ben and Wayne for the affection of one way-hot Cassandra (Tia Carrere) who is easily lured away from Wayne at the first flourish of Benjamin's bountiful extravagance. Wayne and Garth's plans to win back Cassandra culminate in the film's tripartite finale.

"...with an underlying revisionist's conceit that belied the film's emotional attachments to the subject matter..." the film was truly entertaining, whimsical, and relevant. And to reassure Garth; No, it did not suck.

Remember how wildly popular this one was when it came out? "Wayne's World" didn't completely live up to all of the hype, but it's not a bad little comedy. Mike Myers and Dana Carvey are great as Wayne Campbell and Garth Algar, co-hosts of a basement-based cable access show. The duo seem to have it made when their show hits the commercial airwaves, but there might just be something sinister behind it all with executive Benjamin Kane (Rob Lowe) in charge.

"Wayne's World" is not generally uproarious, but it certainly has its moments (the backstage scene with Alice Cooper, portraying the leather-clad rocker and his bandmates as political sophisticates, is hilarious). Myers' act wears a bit thin as the film proceeds, and the "serious" stretch in which Wayne seemingly loses his girlfriend and best friend just doesn't fit. But even when it's not funny, "Wayne's World" is usually reasonably entertaining and charming. Carvey's bizarre Garth is one of the highlights, along with some memorable parodies and writing.

Based on the popular "Saturday Night Live" sketch, "Wayne's World" is definite period piece of the early 1990s. Its catchphrases ("... not!" and "Schwing!" among them) were repeated millions of times over by teenagers. It spawned a less-successful sequel, and although there was talk of a third installment, it's almost a certainty we've seen the last of Wayne and Garth. Nevertheless, party on!

I've always found Mike Myers to be something of an acquired taste and struggle to warm to his work. Wayne's World is the one exception, and surely the highlight of his career. The film is fairly novel in its design and has a lot of very witty moments. Dana Carvey is arguably the star of the show, playing the uniquely amusing Garth to perfection. Tia Carrere and Rob Lowe round out a pretty strong cast with decent, if slightly cheesy, performances.

I would agree that the film has aged a lot since its release, but it serves as a cultural reference point and will remain a very nostalgic and enjoyable viewing experience for people of a certain age. The subversive takes on mainstream films become a bit tiresome and the love triangle story is a little corny but this is not a film that needs analysing in great detail. A fun movie, with its own unique vibe and styling.