Having grown up and put aside their beach-partying lifestyle, Frankie and Annette visit their daughter in Southern California and discover there are still some wild times left in them.
“Back to the Beach” is a movie that never takes itself too seriously for a moment. It can perhaps best be described as a self-deprecating romp – almost certainly the only way to approach the silly storyline.
Frankie Avalon and Annette Funicello are married now, living in Ohio with their teenage son Bobby (Demian Slade), who narrates the proceedings. Given that Bobby likely constitutes the intellectual core of the film, the mere fact alone should give audiences an idea of what to expect.
On a layover in LA, the family decides to pay a surprise visit to their daughter Sandi, played by a young Lori Loughlin. When the group drops in one of the old haunts from the early ’60s, a thatched-roof bar, it’s clear that Frankie remains a legend – both as a teen idol singer and master surfer named The Big Kahuna – though everyone mispronounces it.
Among the first of many throwbacks is an appearance by Connie Stevens as – who else? – Connie. She has set up a shrine to The Big Kahuna, and Frankie can’t help but be flattered. Annette, on the other hand, is less than impressed.
The roster of cameos feels like a reprise of “Beach Blanket Bingo” and a dozen other pictures from the era. Bob Denver reprises his role as Gilligan – of the Island fame – who remarks wryly that he’s been gone a long time. Alan Hale as the skipper from “Gilligan’s Island,” shows up long enough to enlist his little buddy on yet another three-hour tour that’s never three hours.
The plot of the film is all too familiar. This time, however, instead of boy meets girl, Frankie and Annette are already married. Nonetheless, from there, the boy loses the girl, schemes to get her back, and after some frolicking nonsense, he eventually does.
Sandi’s finance, Michael (Tommy Hinkley), paints surfboard designs but gives them away for free. The narrative oozes a bit of dime-store philosophy about doing what you love and eschewing the material world. Still, because he wants to marry Sandi and needs Frankie’s approval, he relents soon enough. So much for lofty sentiments.
The film’s climax centers around a surf-off for control of the beach. After Michael is injured, Frankie is forced to represent the comparatively square beach crowd against the punk rockers. Needless to say, he surfs away with things in flying colors, yet again managing to have a little fun in the process.
The usual comic diversions abound, combined with some catchy musical numbers. Stevie Ray Vaughan shows up on stage in one of them. His tragic death occurred only three years after “Back to the Beach” was released.
An all-star cast full of parodies will certainly please older audiences. Paul Reubens as Pee-Wee Herman hams it shamelessly. Barbara Billingsley of “Leave It To Beaver” fame does a turn as the announcer for the surf contest, as do Tony Dow and Jerry Mathers, who serve as judges. Early at the airport, O.J. Simpson parodies his days running through airports to catch his rental car. Don Adams weighs in as the harbormaster, riffing on his “Get Smart” character.
“Back to the Beach” ultimately clocks in as a suitable homage to low-budget B-movies designed entirely as escapist fare. It makes as good an excuse as any for a nostalgic tour back to the 1950s and ’60s.
Now available on Paramount Presents Blu-ray™
