This month and next, the Roxie Theater is presenting A Keanu Summer featuring five of our dude’s most excellent films. To celebrate this series — and the man at its center — we’re each taking a moment to honor Keanu and his many, many facets.
They don’t make movies like they did in the ‘90s anymore.
They don’t do suspension of reality, bitchin’ soundtracks, adrenaline-pumping action, and schlocky dialogue — all wrapped up in reasonable runtimes.
There may be no better example of peak ‘90s movie supremacy than Point Break (1991), Kathryn Bigelow’s story of a gang of Venice Beach surf bro bank robbers pursued by an undercover FBI agent who catches a glimpse of life on the wild side… and likes it.
There are so many good performances in this film. Who can forget Gary Busey as high energy Agent Angelo Pappas (“Utah, get me two!” ) or Patrick Swayze as zen outlaw gang leader Bodhi?
But I’m here to write about Keanu as All-American football golden boy turned FBI agent Johnny Utah, who embeds with the surf gang to try to catch them.
There’s a special moment in the film, in which Utah and Pappas get chewed out at the FBI office by their boss Paul McGinley who, like all bosses in ‘90s movies, is not happy with them.
In response to a query from their dissatisfied manager as to whether they have anything even remotely interesting to tell him, Keanu replies, “I caught my first tube this morning… sir.”
He’s holding a bright magenta surfboard and wearing a tank top.
Is it plausible? Not one bit. Is it awesome? Yes. And Keanu looks fucking sweet while delivering this line, in his LA surfer boy brogue.
