Most people, I assume, watch Wayne’s World (1992) because it was a frequent and popular skit on Saturday Night Live(1975-present).  If you were in the Vogt household, you saw Wayne’s World because it is set in Aurora, Illinois.  My mother grew up in this Chicago suburb, and it is a place in which I, too, have briefly lived.  Seeing movies for their connection to our geographical roots was not uncommon for my family, particularly after we moved to Florida.  Another popular movie that takes place in our native land is The Blues Brothers (1980).  I have a personal connection to that one as my grandmother drove star John Belushi, and his brother Jim, along her bus route in DuPage County.  It is also the more spiritually significant film, with the titular pair often remarking (albeit in comedic fashion) that they are on a mission from God.  This is something God calls each of us to whether we admit it.  Wayne’s World, albeit relating a town near and dear to my heart, does not speak to me as much on either of those levels.  To use an example from the film, sadly, there is no Stan Mikita’s Donuts in Aurora, as awesome as that would be, and neither was it shot in the area (with one or two exceptions).  I will leave the research to you to understand why that is apropos.  Finally, while funny, it does not have the direct connection to Catholicism as its Saturday Night Live cousin.

Wayne’s World is a local cable access television show broadcast from the basement of Wayne Campbell’s (Mike Myers) parent’s home in Aurora, Illinois.  The airing is seen by Chicago-based producer Benjamin Kane (Rob Lowe).  While he cannot see the appeal of Wayne and his best friend and partner’s, Garth Algar (Dana Carvey), rock inspired antics, the woman he is in bed with is mesmerized.  As he begins to make calls to put a bigger spotlight on this small-time production, we are introduced more fully to the host duo.  We watch them as they go out to sample the night life, such as it is in Aurora.  This includes a visit to the aforementioned donut shop where Wayne attempts to avoid Stacy (Lara Flynn Boyle), his ex-girlfriend who does not want to accept the reality that their relationship is over.  Not only has Wayne moved on, but he is about to meet Cassandra Wong (Tia Carrere), the base player and lead singer at a concert venue which is their next stop.  Their initial interaction is superficial but it is enough to have him vowing that they will be together.  As for Benjamin, he has convinced Noah Vanderhoff (Brian Doyle-Murray), owner of several video game arcades in Chicagoland, to sponsor a larger audience for Garth and Wayne’s creation.  With contracts in hand, that will be inevitably ignored, Benjamin approaches Garth and Wayne with documents to sign and checks to deliver.  Wayne is eager to cash in with his signature.  Garth is more cautious, but willing to go along with his friend’s decision.  Things are looking up for Wayne because not only does his show look to be on the road to the kind of success about which he had always dreamed, but because he starts dating Cassandra.  So rosy is his outlook that he ignores the clear advances that Benjamin makes towards Cassandra.  For the moment, to Wayne it looks like Benjamin is helping Cassandra’s career as much as Wayne’s.  He also skirts Benjamin’s obvious ploy to spend more time with Cassandra when Garth and Wayne are sent to Milwaukee to an Alice Cooper (as himself) concert, with backstage passes.  What begins to shatter the cozy façade is the first official taping of the television show with Benjamin’s production company.  After repeatedly dodging Benjamin’s request that Noah be allowed to be interviewed by Garth and Wayne whenever he likes, Wayne finally relents after being given the question cards before filming.  Using a permanent marker, Wayne writes jokes on each the pieces of cardboard that has everyone in the control booth laughing except for Benjamin.  Benjamin confronts Wayne over the latter’s antics.  Wayne leaves in a huff, making it so that a confused Garth is alone for the rest of the recording.  Garth can understand the resentment towards Benjamin.  What he does not like is being abandoned, for which Wayne must eventually apologize.  He also must do the same with Cassandra, who he develops jealousy of when she tells him about the music video Benjamin wants to make for her band.  With her, the solution is to have Garth, who also happens to be a computer genius (because, of course he is), to hack into the limousine of Frankie “Mr. Big” Sharp (Frank DiLeo).  He is a music producer that Garth and Wayne encountered at the Alice Cooper concert.  With one last appeal to Cassandra by Wayne, he convinces her to make a special appearance once more on his reincarnated show.  Everything works according to plan until Mr. Big gets to Wayne’s residence.  Mr. Big is impressed, but says that Cassandra is not ready to be signed.  She slaps Wayne and runs away with Benjamin.  As his relationship finally falls apart, Wayne’s house begins to burn down.  A dirtied Wayne carries an unconscious Garth through the rubble asking God why while Benjamin and Cassandra sip drinks on a beach somewhere.  At this point, Garth and Wayne appear to ask how their movie would have such a sad ending.  After doing another, more Scooby-Doo-esque conclusion, they finally do the one that satisfies everyone, all of them also learning an important lesson.

Those lessons in the final minutes of Wayne’s World are a fleeting moment.  The best of these is when Benjamin admits that he has been too materialistic as an adult.  This is clearly evident throughout, but they say that confession is good for the soul.  That saying has Biblical roots, though this is seldom acknowledged in our blandly spiritual culture.  What should also be recognized is the value of Garth as a character.  Most of the time he is portrayed as the quirky and weird one, although neither of the two can really be considered “normal,” whatever that means anyway.  What endeared Garth to me is when he and Wayne are looking up at a starry sky, and Garth is whistling the theme music to the original Star Trek series (1966-1969).  It is not the tune he is humming, but when he says that he sometimes wishes he could “boldly go where no man has gone before,” roughly quoting the famous words for the show.  He concludes by adding that as nice as that would be, he will probably just stay in Aurora.  To be clear, there is nothing wrong with Christians aspiring to something greater than themselves.  At the same time, there is the old saying about making plans and God laughing.  What that old saying means is that God does not always grant our wishes.  He is not some kind of genie, but He does listen to the convictions of our hearts and our prayers.  When God does not give us what we want, especially if it is earnestly prayer for, many sadly tend to get mad at God and turn away from Him.  In order to overcome these difficulties, one needs an attitude more like Garth’s.  I did not mean to portray him as a pushover, although that does happen to him easily, physically speaking.  At the same time, it takes a boldness to stand up to your friends, and that is what he does to Garth.  The result of him speaking up is a spurring to action on Wayne’s part.  It is not cast in Christian terms, but what Garth is essentially doing is evangelizing.  This does not have to be done with words, or leaving Aurora, but it should be at least attempted because God wants it of us.  As Catholics, we are commanded to do this every day of the week no matter where we happen to be.

It was fun to have this day during the week to revisit Wayne’s World, a film I had not seen in some time.  When re-watching such a film, you also have to be careful of outdated references.  There are a few, though nothing that overwhelms the proceedings.  The only other things to avoid are references to sex.  Otherwise, it is a more clever motion picture than you might realize.