Back to the Beach

Plot synopsis:
In the opening scene, Bobby (Demian Slade), a 14-year-old punk teen wearing black leather clothing with a few facial piercings, narrates the story about his parents; his father (Frankie Avalon) was known as the Big Kahuna, a professional surfer from southern California who was also a teen idol and pop singer in the 1960s. His mother Annette (Annette Funicello) as a former "Mouseketeer" on the original Mickey Mouse Club TV series whom met and got married and moved to Ohio. Bobby is constantly in the throes of teenage rebellion against his seemingly square folks. Bobby'sf father Frankie (though he is never called by name in the film) currently works as a stressed out car salesman having left the surf scene in California while Annette bottles her own sense of angst up in a bevy of shopping. One day, the family decides to take an early spring vacation to Hawaii, deciding to stop in Los Angeles, California to visit their 20-year-old daughter Sandi (Lori Loughlin).After arriving at LAX and renting a convertable auto, they drive past their old beach and to a pier where Sandi lives in an small apartment above a bait shop. Sandi hasn't told her parents that she has shacked up with a local surfer named Michael (Tommy Hinkley), and only learns about her parents arrival after hearing a phone message on her answering machine announcing their arrival. When she sees them approaching, Sandi throws all of Michael's clothes out a window and into the ocean along with his surfboard and Michael himself. Frankie, Annette and Bobby know right away about Michael's presence in the apartment, so Frankie drags Bobby with him to find the "surf bum" while Annette stays behind to comfort Sandi who confides in her about living with Michael for the past six months. Annette offers to take Sandi out shopping.On the beach, while looking for the surf bum, Frankie accidentally knocks over a row of surfboards belonging to a punk surf gang led by Zed (Joe Holland) who takes a liking to the smooth-talking Bobby, but a dislike to Frankie whom he insults Frankie's thick retro hairstyle as a "hair helmet". Frankie is not intimidated by Zed and his gang's implied threats and walks away, only to knock over their surfboards again. Reunited with Annette and Sandi, Frankie and Bobby drive away.That evening, the family passes by a beachfront club called Daddy O's where Sandi works as a waitress to drop her off for work. Annette sees an advertising poster of Dick Dale and the Del Tones still appearing after 25 years and wants to go inside to visit, but Frankie refuses for they have their connecting flight to Hawaii to catch, but he decides to go with the family in the club anyway. In the club, a young surf bum named Troy (John Calvin) flirts with Annette, who refuses his advances. Just as Frankie drags Annette away, they have a run-in with Connie (Connie Stevens) the owner of the club and one of Frankie's old love interests. Connie shows Frankie and Annette a shrine she had put up in honor of Frankie as The Big Kahuna compositing of his old nine-foot-long surfboard and several records and memorabilia. Annette is hardly able to hide her jealousy when Connie insists that Frankie get up on stage with Dick Dale to sing a song. Frankie, wanting to relive his musical days, does so and sings a duet with Connie and Dick Dale and his band his version of "California Sun".After the musical number is over, an angry and jealous Annette tells Frankie that they just missed their plane to Hawaii and wants to leave, but Frankie wants to stay and get into a big row where Annette walks out on him.Back at Sandi's apartment, Michael shows up wanting to spend more romantic time with her, but she tells him about her parents argument and that her mother will be staying with her for a few days which begins an argument of their own leading Michael to walk out on Sandi.As Annette tries to comfort Sandi over her problems with Michael, she throws a "pajama party" for Sandi and all of her girlfriends who show up. The pajama party is briefly interrupted when several punk surfers crash the party, but Annette along with the other girls team up to drive the punks away. Meanwhile, a distraught Frankie is back at Daddy O's getting drunk and rambling on to Connie as well as the familiar looking bartender (Bob Denver of Gilligan's Island fame) about his failed life and crumbling marriage.The next morning, Frankie wakes up on the floor of a loft surrounded by several young men whom are surfers whom live together with Mountain (David Bowe) the leader of another surf gang of clean-cut friendly youths who surf at the beach every day. After the surfers get up and disburse with their surfboard to "catch the waves", Michael stays behind with a hung-over Frankie and serves him a "pick-me-up" drink to sober him up and then reveals his identity about being Sandi's boyfriend. Frankie is appalled, but comes to accept Michael when he sees that he is a nice guy.Later that day on the beach, Annette talks with Sandi about her husband's row and jealousy and shows her how Frankie would respond to anything. Annette approaches Troy, the same guy who tried to pick her up the previous night, and flirts with him, unaware that Frankie is standing nearby watching the whole thing. Annette then walks back to Sandi and her friends to prove her point. The distraught Frankie goes back to Daddy O's bar to confide in Connie about his marriage problems only to discover that Michael is in fact Connie's son. Frankie then leaves to check himself into a local hotel.The next day on the beach, Bobby is seen becoming more chummy to Zed and his gang of surf punks when Bobby shows them how to make cherry bombs to blow up toilets. Nearby, Frankie is with Michael, Mountain, Webby, and other surf bums talking about having fun, while further down the beach, a distraught Annette decides to show off her own singing skills to Sandi, Robin, Briggette and other "surf chicks" by singing her own version of "Jamaica Ska". Annette's singing takes command of the presence of the other beachgoers and all of them join the singing and dancing, and head off down the beach, leaving Frankie all by himself.The following day, a rainstorm hits which leads to the beaches being closed. Frankie spends his time somehow aquiring an ice cream cart and selling ice cream. He arrives at the end of the day at Michael's workshop where he sees the potential that Michael has in making surfboards. However, Michael tells Frankie that he makes surfboards only for principle not for purchase. Being a smooth-talking car salesman, Frankie encourages Michael to find his potential by selling surfboards to make an honest living. That evening at Daddy O's, while watching singing guest star Stevie Ray Vaughan (playing himself) performing alongside Dick Dale, Frankie suggests to Michael that they throw a luau-themed beach party in the hopes to lure their women back to them. Michael tells Frankie that the harbor master will not give them a permit to have any party on the beach after dark, so Frankie decides they try their sales-skills on the harbor master.The next morning, Frankie and Michael visit the trailer beach home of the eccentric Harbor Master (Don Adams) where, after failing to persuade him to lend them a permit for a beach party, convince him that the party is a cerimony to honor him for being "harbor master of the year". The Harbor Master agrees to give them the permit. That evening, the Hawaii-themed beach party is well under away. Annette and Sandi arrive, where Michael approaches them to introduce himself to Annette as well as make up with Sandi who tells him about him starting his own surfboard selling business. While, Annette looks for Frankie, she spots him talking with Connie by the grill and, consumed by jealousy once again, seeks out and begins flirting with Troy.When the Harbor Master arrives and realizes that Frankie and Michael tricked him into throwing the party for themselves, he threatens to shut the party down until Michael persuades Bridgette to flirt with him to make him change his mind.When Frankie sees Annette going on a evening surf excursion with Troy, he becomes jealous himself and confronts and punches Troy when whey they return from the water. However, this act only makes Annette even more angry and she walks away over Frankie acting so immature. Annette then confronts Connie where she convinces Annette that she has no interest in her husband but that Frankie loves only her. Annette then goes back to Frankie where they both apologize to each other over everything that happened and finally make up. Just then Pee-Wee Herman (Paul Reubens) appears from out of nowhere and sings a flashy version of "Surfin' Bird" leading to the Frankie, Annette and the whole party dancing with him until he literally takes off on a surfboard and vanishes as when he appeared.As the beach party winds down, Frankie finally tells the attendees about his "surf accident" and why he never goes back in the water. Frankie explains that 20 years ago when he went surfing he encountered a huge wave which knocked him off his surfboard and landed him in the hospital, which is why he moved away from California and never surfs again. Just they, the surf punks crash the beach party by showing up on four-wheel beach rovers. Bobby is now with him sporting a multi-colored Mohawk hairstyle having joined their gang (by purchasing the rovers with Frankie's stolen credit card). A full-out gang fight between Zed and the punks and Mountain and the beach bums is avoided when Frankie steps in an argues an old fashion way to settle it: a surfing competition for full rights for the beach. Each gang will pick their best surfer to compete against the other. The punk's gang leader Zed picks himself, while Michael volunteers to represent the surf bums only for Frankie to accidentally drop a bongo drum on Michael's left foot, breaking it.The next day on the big climatic surf competition, with Michael unable to surf due to his broken foot, Frankie volunteers to surf in his place using his old surfboard. With two judges (Tony Dow and Jerry Mathers) judging the surfing, Zed goes first out and does an impressive surfing of one large wave. When Frankie's turn comes, history begins to repeat itself when the "humongous wave" appears once again, leading even Zed to flee from the water. However, Frankie finally overcomes his fear and becomes "the Big Kahuna" once again and surfs the wave, winning the contest and proving that he still is king of the surf.In the final scene, Frankie and Annette, along with Sandi and Michael are back at Daddy O's to celebrate their victory where Sandi and Michael announce their engagement and plan to have their wedding on Christmas. Bobby, with new found respect for his father, sheds his black leather fatigues and adopts his father's "hair helmet" hairstyle and clothing in a total makeover for himself. The whole cast then gets up on the stage to sing the final song "We'll Go on Forever".

Tags: storytelling, flashback

Review:
For those of us who grew up on Beach Party movies, this is a fun revisiting of the genre.
Done as a combination homage/spoof to these early/mid 60's drive-in specials, the movie reunites some of the principle players and revisits the myth of California as Shangri-La.Annette, Frankie, Connie and dozens of guests in cameo roles gently rib the genre and themselves.
Take the icon duo of Frankie and Annette put them in a parody of their own genre add a half dozen cameos from some of the most memorable characters 60's T.V. had to offer add some great casting especially the role of Bobby (Demian Slade) and you have Back to the Beach.
Frankie is an over worked car dealer Annette is an overly optimistic housewife- they opt to take a trip to Hawaii stopping along the way in L.A. to visit their eldest daughter who happens to live on the very beach they once romped as teens.
There on the beach Frankie finds his daughter dating a surfer and an old flame "losing" Annette in the process while ticking off the local "beach roughians".
The plot is great as a parody with the perfect couple playing the leads while the story plays out in old beach film fashion.It's risqué enough to keep your eyes open but innocent enough in dialogue to show a six year old.
the songs are fun the story is a little silly but its fun to go back and realize how silly things were when we we younger,But I must say that I tottaly enjoyed frankie and annette as well as all the other stars of the flic, I heard a rumor that there was suppose to be a sequal however thats when unfortunatly annette was stricken with M.S. and so that was that ...so follow former mouseketeers and all others get this fun movie when it finnally arives on DVD this summer and enjoy it as I will.
The Big Kahuna (Frankie Avalon) is a family man now who's wife (Annette) is a preppy housewife who has a kitchen cabinet full of Skippy's peanut butter (creamy) with a 50's housewife aura.
That's until the family heads back to the beach and the kids discover their parents lively background!You can't go wrong with this movie if you're a big fan of the 60's films that starred Annette and Frankie.
Loads of inside jokes for those who love the old beach movies.
Appearances by Dick Dale, Connie Stevens, OJ Simpson, and Pee Wee Herman are all top notch.This was the first PG movie I ever saw.
Look for the jokes, the spoofing of the genre and of Frankie & Annette and the cameos.
I mean look at the list...Connie Stevens (more than a cameo, she again plays the "bad girl" that tries to lure Frankie away from Annette), Stevie Ray Vaughan (In a great duet with the King Of The Surf Guitar, Dick Dale...
a rare appearance on movie screens by Stevie Ray..), Pee Wee Herman (typically goofy..), Don Adams.
Edd "Kookie" Byrnes, Barbara Billingsly, Jerry Mathers and Tony Dow (see a theme here?), Bob Denver and Alan Hale, Jr. Great cameos, worked in in insane ways.
particularly if you have seen some of the "Beach Blanket" movies...
Of course this movie won't mean much to you if you don't know who Frankie and Annette and Connie Stevens are, but that makes you ignorant, that doesn't make the movie bad.
It has a great cast with many funny lines and a wonderful light touch that doesn't take itself too seriously and throws in bizarre touches like Pee Wee Herman appearing out of nowhere to sing "Surfin' Bird."  It was quite a feat for them to make funny characters out of Frankie Avalon and Annette Funicello as a middle-aged couple; they weren't exactly known for their great acting or comedy talent.
It doesn't try to BE a beach movie of the 1960's...it tries to be a silly remake.The costumes and sets are delightful - every known form of beachie cabana style is represented.
Annette looks adorable in her cartoonish costumes, and is an inspiration to get out to the beach for all us "old folks."The cuts with real surfing footage are enough to keep real surfers mesmerized, and the bathing suit styles are updated and sexy.What more could you want on in the background on a Saturday afternoon?.
:) Seeing Annette & Frankie together is like all those 50s beach movies returned - and ya gotta love PeeWee Herman because 'the bird IS the word'!
What makes Back to The Beach so enjoyable is the great cast and cameos that pepper this film.
We get a followup to those old cheesy beach movies, with a Chevy Chase Vacation kinda feel.
While obviously not a classic love story like Dr. Zhivago or even Sleepless in Seattle, it's just a fun kitsch filled family musical picture.
How can you resist Pee Wee Herman flying above the beach doing Surfin' Bird with Fishbone, or Dick Dale rocking with Stevie Ray Vaughan?
I wasn't old enough to remember the beach movies, although throughout the years I came to know and love them.
This movie follows Frankie and Annette after they've gotten married and have a couple of kids.
This film, much like the original beach movie, is extremely camp.
If you haven't seen it - BUY IT I could watch this movie over and over again LOVE LOVE LOVE IT :) Annette keeps you laughing The cheesy songs are catchy haha The beach is GORGEOUS and you gotta love the Big Kahuna :) last song from the movie is the best one yet haha the guy even gives Becky from full house an engagement ring with a little surfboard on it haha - so classic...(she should've said no haha but thats besides the point) haah Watch it :) Best movie ever!!!
If you haven't seen it - BUY IT I could watch this movie over and over again LOVE LOVE LOVE IT :) Annette keeps you laughing The cheesy songs are catchy haha The beach is GORGEOUS and you gotta love the Big Kahuna :) last song from the movie is the best one yet haha the guy even gives Becky from full house an engagement ring with a little surfboard on it haha - so classic...(she should've said no haha but thats besides the point) haah Watch it :) Best movie ever!!!
If you haven't seen it - BUY IT I could watch this movie over and over again LOVE LOVE LOVE IT :) Annette keeps you laughing The cheesy songs are catchy haha The beach is GORGEOUS and you gotta love the Big Kahuna :) last song from the movie is the best one yet haha the guy even gives Becky from full house an engagement ring with a little surfboard on it haha - so classic...(she should've said no haha but thats besides the point) haah Watch it :).
In the early to mid 60's Annette and Frankie were in what I used to think as dumb beach movies.
The music was good and boy Annette and Frankie could sure sing.
Their really wasn't much of a plot to these movies just hanging out at the beach with the girls in bikinis of course Annette was in her one piece, and the guys and their surfboards.
But this is a good last tribute to the queen of the 60's beach movies.
It's not the best movie it's silly it does have a plot though, and it is watchable but I still give it only a six because the kid that plays Annette and Frankie's son in this movie is so annoying that I wanted to strangle him.
With cameos from O.J. Simpson and Gilligans Island cast members, and even the voice of inspector gadget, this film is chock full of fun songs, an interesting (if cheesy plot) and of course, lots of surfing..
I have seen the 60's beach movies a couple of times and actually prefer the 80's version.
Anyway, this movie remains a favorite escape for me(its not supposed to be reality people, come on!)lots of nice people and even the bad guys are good deep down inside.
Frankie and Annette are married now with children, and return to the beach while going through a life crisis.
For those of us who grew up as kids watching the beach blanket movies, this one is a special treat.
They're visiting their daughter in L.A. While there, there are all sorts of hilarious situations, jokes, and even cameos (Don Adams, Bob Denver, Alan Hale Jr.)Fun from first reel to last.
With Cameo appearances from Pee-Wee Herman,  Don Adams,  Jerry Mathers,  Tony Dow, Barbara Billingsly, Bob Denver, Alan Hale Jr.,  Fishbone, Stevie Ray Vaughn, and many others how could you go wrong.
If You Like Old Beach Movies .
Then, I suddenly realized they were making FUN of their old beach movies .
It's not the best movie ever made, but if you like the old beach movies, give this one a try.
Back to the Beach is one of my favorite movies of all time.
You have to love Bobby, Frankie and Annette's son!
Back to the Beach was a fun movie.
Frankie Avalon and Annette Funicello co-produced this nostalgic romp about two swingin' teen sweethearts from the '60s now married and middle-aged, coping with the passing of time (not good material for a comedy) and the problems of their own punk kids.
Although I wasn't born yet, I am a big fan of the 60's beach movie series.
I saw this long ago in the 80's when I had not yet seen any of the previous beach movies.
To say I appreciated it more now upon a rewatch, would be an understatement, dude!It looks like it would not be such a good idea on the surface, but the movie is both a loving tribute to the original movies and 60's surf culture and a more modern comedy with some fun jabs at both time periods and some great music..
A Hilarious Spoof of the Early 60's Beach Movies.
Although "the Big Kahuna" (Frankie Avalon) and "Annette" (Annette Funicello) were the king and queen of the California beach scene twenty years earlier, the two of them now live ordinary lives in Ohio with their rebellious adolescent son named "Bobby" (Demien Slade) giving them more drama than the two can handle.
Now rather than reveal any more I will just say that I found this film to be a hilarious spoof of the old beach movies produced in the early 60's.
I just watched "Back To The Beach" last night after not having seen it for at least 10 years and I still think it's great.
It's gloriously silly and does a wonderful job of skewering the old beach party pictures (which I thought were brainless fun too).
Even though Annette and Frankie are all grown up, they still act like teenagers (and look like they're having great fun doing it).
If you've never watched any Frankie & Annette beach party movies, see at least a couple before seeing this; you'll appreciate it more..
Funny rehash of the old beach party movies.
In this movie Annette Funicello and Frankie Avalon played the characters they played in all those beach party movies.
The kids at the beach STILL act like a bunch of idiots (just with better bodies this time), sex and drugs are NEVER brought up, nobody would dare swear and (sigh) there's a rival beach gang (all dressed in black) whose overacting would make Jim Carrey blush!This starts off great with son Bobby always insulting his father and seeing how everybody reacts to Funicello and Avalon's naivety and sweetness.
Also the cameos by Bob Denver, Connie Stevens, Don Adams etc etc are fun and Annette sings a really fun song ("Jamaica Ska").
But the jokes quickly get repetitious and the movie completely goes flying out the window when Pee Wee Herman (!!!) shows up to sing "The Bird".
Just ALL the kids on the beach acting like a bunch of morons got on my nerves (I was never a big fan of the original "Beach Party" movies anyways).
I recommend it, but only if you've seen the beach party movies.
I have a friend (to keep his name confidential, let's just call him Nor) who swears up and down on the merits of 1987's beach blanket bimbo film Back to the Beach staring Frankie Avalon and Annette Funicello.
Playing on Saturday afternoon television every so often, you may not require a detailed review of the films storyline, but here goesFrankie and Annette have grown from their beach personas and are now living in Ohio.
All comes to a head when a group of thugs teams up with Frankie and Annette's rebellious son and challenge the father (known only to us in the film as the Big Kahuna), to a surfing contest.
Interweaved through all the 80's fashion crazes are old television stars and even a 60's type musical number on the beach that if you don't watch out, will have you tapping your feet to the Jamaica SKA.
Blink and you might miss Bob Denver and the late Alan Hale (Gilligan and the Skipper for you younger folk), Pee Wee Herman, Don Adams (Get Smart), Barbara Billingsly, Tony Dow and Jerry Mathers (Leave it to Beaver).
Now, I will be the first to admit that throwing a bunch of stars into a movie doesn't necessarily make for a good time, but the fact that none of these accredited actors take themselves seriously, means that the audience too can sit back and enjoy the performance.
When Bob Denver continues to play up his Gilligan character he made famous, it takes us back even further to childhood memories of sitting in front of the 13 inch black and white television rooting for the castaways to eventually find their way off the island.Back to the Beach is not for all tastes and that was evident even back in '87 when the movie only grossed $13 million (granted, it was released on the same date as Dirty Dancing so it sort of slipped into the background).
Most younger viewers won't get the inside jokes either like when Annette goes to the cupboard and pulls out a jar of SKIPPY peanut butter (she was their commercial spokesperson back in the early 80's) and that might take away from some of the films appeal.However, for a fun time in the vein of Saturday Night Live where each scene sets itself up as a skit  some work, some don't  it's not a bad way to say hello' to the summer.
Great only if you have seen the old beach movies.
I don't think Pee Wee adds anything to the movie; his cover of Surfin Bird is awful.
Frankie Avalon and Annette Funicello, whose series of "Beach Party" films were huge hits for teenage crowds back in the 1960's resurrect the series with this lame 1987 Paramount release.
I'm old enough to be able to identify exactly what they were parodying, I enjoyed the cameos by such 1960's luminaries as Don Adams and Alan Hale Jr., and I liked the music of the period, so it followed that I would enjoy the movie.However, it doesn't hold up well.
i thought that this movie was not that well done, but i loved pee-wee herman's cameo in this film, when he sings a few songs, inluding 'the bird is the word." other than that, i didn't very much care for the movie that much..
Cameos by Don Adams, Pee Wee Herman and Bob Denver couldn't even begin to save this poor attempt..
Pee Wee's little number is more in tune with the 50s-in-the-80s funkiness of the script.It's an innocent romp, but will appeal only to those who are hardcore fans of the original 60s Beach flicks.
Back to the Beach is a comedy film from the 1980's that spoofs surfer pictures from the 60's.
I guessed the ending ten minutes into the film, however I would never have imagined Pee Wee Herman to come out of nowhere to sing surfing bird then literally fly away, but that mind fart certainly happened.EisensteinThis whole film had a lot of set ups for cameos but I guess we're too young to recognize any of them.
BACK TO THE BEACH and back to the Old-Fashioned custom of giving a Film a fair viewing before ruling on its worth.
The preeminence of a formerly strictly Black type of Music had been with us for well over a decade when the "New" Song & Dance form, now known as "Rock 'n' Roll" was forever fused with the Movies.The Southern California Surfing Scene, the New Mores of permitting the Exhibition and viewing of highly Semi-Nude Human form on the screen and the Economic$ and Realitie$ that possibly for the first time in our history, the Adolescent or "Teen Ager" was beginning to show that it was to show that it was His/Her expendable Ca$h Dollar$ that were a, if not THE, number factor in the Movie Business.The resulting type of Film Genre, the Teen-Age Beach Movie.
Hence, this Parody-Send Up-Tribute to the whole bunch of films.BACK TO THE BEACH (Paramount, 1987) provides us with a gentle and truly funny film that answers a lot of the heretofore unanswered questions, like: What happens to old Surfers?
They were probably responsible for more Pictures that we DIDN'T WATCH at the Drive-Ins than the other Companies Films we DID SEE!NOTE: ** There was even an "A" Film Beach Movie with DON'T MAKE WAVES (Filmways/MGM, 1967).
Now, I loved the Beach movies....they are in that "so bad that they are good" genre by now.
As it was, we got a made-for-TV feel to it.I propose they remake the beach movies with Rose McGowan as Annette's character and anybody they want as Frankie