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Back to the Beach

Back to the Beach

Comedy · Music · 1987

A former beach boy and his wife go to California to visit their daughter and become part of the new beach scene.

Movie details

Back to the Beach

“All killer...no filler!!”

1987 Comedy · Music 1h 32m

Critical arithmetic

One number, for now.

TMDB

5.9 / 10

Community rating

A former beach boy and his wife go to California to visit their daughter and become part of the new beach scene.

CriticWise case file

What this film says about your taste.

Not a recommendation score. A measure of how closely the film’s taste signals resemble yours.

The archetype split

Who fights over Back to the Beach?

The split comes from the same five-axis model used by the test, not audience ratings or review sentiment.

Taste neighbourhood

Nearby on the taste map.

TMDB supplies the candidates. CriticWise reorders them by craft, strangeness, prestige, emotion, and pace.

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Where it lives

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Names above the title

The people responsible.

Directed by

Lyndall Hobbs

Written by

Steve Meerson · James Komack · Peter Krikes · Chris Thompson

Frankie Avalon

Frankie Avalon

Annette's Husband

Annette Funicello

Annette Funicello

Annette

Lori Loughlin

Lori Loughlin

Sandi

Tommy Hinkley

Tommy Hinkley

Michael

Demian Slade

Demian Slade

Bobby

J

Joe Holland

Zed

John Calvin

John Calvin

Troy

Court is in session

Put Back to the Beach on trial.

Two incompatible taste archetypes. One film. Read the arguments, then issue a completely binding cultural ruling.

The defence The Popcorn Loyalist

“Sincerity is not manipulation.”

The film risks embarrassment to make emotion communal, and that openness is harder than fashionable detachment.

The prosecution The Cool Ironist

“The strings are showing.”

Every cue tells you exactly what to feel and when, leaving sentiment to do the work character should have done.