Cowabunga! The surfing '60s ride into the new wave as Frankie and Annette star in this hip update of their old-time, good-time beach movies. With special appearances by Bob Denver, Tony Dow, Pee-Wee Herman, Jerry Mathers and other familiar faces. Frankie and Annette grow up and have kids in the midwest. They return to LA to visit their daughter who is shacked up with her boyfriend and tries to hide the fact. They begin to have marriage problems when Frankie runs into Connie, who has erected a shrine to him in her night club. Their punk son has joined up with the local surf toughs, and things all come to a head when the toughs challenge the good guys to a surfing duel
Acting
Annette's eternal sunshine vs. Frankie's cringe dad swagger
Costume
Punk son's hair defying both gravity and parental approval
Director
Lyndall Hobbs
Trivia, insights & behind the scenes
This was Annette Funicello's final theatrical film; she was already showing early symptoms of multiple sclerosis during production.
The film parodies the very beach party genre that made its stars famous, with Frankie Avalon essentially playing a washed-up version of himself—a meta-commentary that was either genius or deeply uncomfortable depending on your tolerance for self-aware camp.
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