Wayne's World (Spheeris, 1992)
Last weekend two young people of our acquaintance let it be known that they were considering going to a Halloween party as Wayne and Garth from Wayne’s World.
These two are both 20-year-olds, so not totally unworldly, but all they knew about the film were the clips they’d seen on YouTube and the general meme‑y vibe that it still holds on the culture.
I felt that it was important for them to experience the full context before making such an important decision so on Saturday night we settled in to see if Wayne’s World still … holds … up.
And, friends, it sure does.
The story itself presages our 21st century world of online pro-am content creators, YouTubers, TikTokkers, influencers and digital disrupters as Wayne (Michael Myers) and Garth (Dana Carvey) broadcast a weekly show on local access TV from Wayne’s parents’ basement. Rob Lowe’s ambitious and sleazy media executive twigs that these two are far more tuned in to the Youth than anyone in traditional media and makes them an offer that they can’t refuse.
So, it’s surprisingly modern but at the same time it’s a complete time capsule of the culture in 1992. A time when young people could still dream of making a fortune in the world of popular music … or the media for that matter.
Wayne’s World is still often very funny and that’s not just down to nostalgia.
Myers and Carvey are sweet, and the film – apart from the occasional lapse into the sexist attitudes of the time and the regular use of the word “mental” which you shouldn’t be doing these days – successfully punches up not down.
Don’t miss out on showing it to the young folk in your life. It’s
Where to find Wayne’s World
The content below was originally paywalled.
In Aotearoa, the big streamers like Netflix are just leaving money on the table by not having Wayne’s World in their portfolio. You can rent it from AroVision and the multinationals.
Australia: Streaming on Stan (in 4K no less)
UK: Streaming on Paramount+, Sky Go and NowTV
USA: Streaming on Max or DirectTV
