Big Wednesday

Name: Big Wednesday
Genre: Drama, Comedy
Released: 1978-05-26
Duration: 2 h
Rating: 6.9
Cast: Jan-Michael Vincent, William Katt, Gary Busey, Patti D'Arbanville, Lee Purcell

1978·Movie·PG·120 min·★ 6.9(194)

Drama Comedy More English titles

“A day will come that is like no other... and nothing that happens after will ever be the same.”

Three 1960s California surfers fool around, drift apart and reunite years later to ride epic waves.

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Where to watch Big Wednesday in United States

Stream

TCM

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Click a service to open Big Wednesday there. Availability last verified on July 11, 2026.

Where is Big Wednesday streaming around the world?

Country	Streaming on	Rent / Buy
United States	TCM, YouTube Free	Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies
India	—	Amazon Video
United Kingdom	—	Apple TV Store, Amazon Video, Google Play Movies
Canada	—	Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube
Australia	—	Apple TV Store, Amazon Video, Google Play Movies
Germany	—	Apple TV Store, Amazon Video, Google Play Movies
France	—	Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube
Spain	—	Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, Amazon Video
Japan	U-NEXT, HBO Max on U-Next	Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies

About Big Wednesday

Big Wednesday is a 1978 English-language drama and comedy film directed by John Milius. The cast is led by Jan-Michael Vincent, William Katt, Gary Busey. It has a runtime of 2h 0m. Viewers rate it 6.9/10 across 200 ratings. In United States, it is currently streaming on TCM, YouTube Free.

Big Wednesday was produced by Warner Bros. Pictures and A-Team Productions and made in United States of America. It was released on May 26, 1978, and carries a PG certification.

Director: John Milius
Writers: Dennis Aaberg, John Milius
Release date: May 26, 1978
Original language: English
Age rating: PG
Status: Released
Country: United States of America
Budget: $11 million
Production: Warner Bros. Pictures, A-Team Productions

#friendship#surfing#california#vietnam#sports#coming of age#flash forward#1960s

Big Wednesday cast & crew

Big Wednesday was directed by John Milius and written by Dennis Aaberg and John Milius.

The cast features Jan-Michael Vincent as Matt Johnson, William Katt as Jack Barlow, Gary Busey as Leroy "The Masochist" Smith, Patti D'Arbanville as Sally, Lee Purcell as Peggy Gordon, and Sam Melville as "Bear".

Behind the camera, the score was composed by Basil Poledouris, cinematography is by Bruce Surtees, and it was produced by Buzz Feitshans and Tamara Asseyev.

Is Big Wednesday worth watching?

Big Wednesday holds an audience score of 6.9/10 from 194 ratings, a solidly received drama films.

At 2h 0m, it's a standard feature-length watch.

If you enjoy drama and comedy, Big Wednesday is worth a place on your watchlist.

How and where to watch Big Wednesday

In United States, you can stream Big Wednesday on TCM and YouTube Free, or rent and buy it on Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, and YouTube. Click any service above to open it directly.

Streaming rights change country by country and month by month, so the options above reflect United States today — switch your country at the top of the where-to-watch section to see availability elsewhere.