The script for "Bill and Ted" was sold as a cross between "Back to the Future," with its time travel theme, and a Laurel & Hardy movie, with its sweet heroes and wholesome comedy. It was promoted by the studio as "equal parts Mark Twain, Monty Python, and Rock'n'Roll." Brian Robb, a Keanu biographer (among other celebrities) got it right this time by saying that Bill and Ted "captured the precise caricature of American youth at a specific time." I think that's called "zeitgeist," or as Hollywood called it, a teen cult hit. It went on to spawn a movie sequel, a short-lived Saturday morning cartoon series (with Keanu doing voice-over in early episodes), a Marvel Comics series, a line of toy figures, and a game.

"Bill and Ted" grew out of the fertile imaginations of two friends, Ed Solomon (who wrote for "Laverne and Shirley") and Chris Matheson (whose father wrote for "Twilight Zone") while they attended UCLA in 1983. The concept evolved out of a skit for an improvisational comedy group on campus, developed further over burgers at a Westwood restaurant, and refined through a series of correspondences between the two writers after college. You can see both men in the movie- they're the waiters who serve Napoleon ice cream. In 1984 the two men met again and wrote a script over a period of seven days, selling it to Warner Brothers. It was dropped by Warners in 1986 and sold to Dino DeLaurentis' film production company, DEG. Stephen Herek, the director (known at the time for his first movie "Critters"), and the writers changed the original idea of time travel in a 1969 Chevy van (too much like "Back to the Future") to a phone booth, completely unaware of the Dr. Who reference. Herek saw the movie as a comedy so he downplayed the fantasy elements; hence, the audience is treated to references to Napoleon as the "short dead dude" and Joan of Arc as "Noah's wife." Hundreds of actors were auditioned in pairs for the two main leads. Keanu auditioned seven times before he and Alex Winter were chosen out of 16 finalists.

Production began in March, 1987 for ten weeks. It was filmed in and around Phoenix, Az, and a recently closed high school in L.A. The last two weeks of production took place in castles and coliseums in Italy. It was the second time Keanu was in Europe to film (the first time was "Babes in Toyland".) Keanu planned to stay on in Italy for a little vacation after production wrapped but he was called back to L.A. for reshoots for "The Night Before." The movie cost $10 million to produce and was due for release in the autumn of 1987. Then the inconceivable happened: DEG went bankrupt. Its lasting contribution to the film is the footage of the Battle of Waterloo, borrowed from another DEG film, King Vidor's 1956 "War and Peace."

It took the director two years to broker a deal between Orion (for the theater rights) and Nelson Entertainment (for the video rights ) to get "Bill and Ted" to opening night on February 22, 1989. It was released with little notice, barely reviewed, and through word of mouth, made $45 million in the U.S. alone. Those who did review the movie didn't like it. Village Voice said it was a "pale copy of Back to the Future." New York Times said it was "singularly awful." People magazine called it a "tribute to ignorance and a monument to dweebs everywhere." Bill and Ted were called a "dimwitted duo", "airheads", and "incorrigible slackers." What the reviewers failed to notice was that the movie never treated Bill and Ted as failures. In fact, they would be worshipped as god-like in the 27th century for their uncomplicated "be excellent to each other" philosophy and as a Keanu suggested, "friendship, honesty, and purity." The film's underlying message that good things happen to good people made the movie a joyful experience. Its rejection of materialism with its "party on" catch-phrase resonated with youthful audiences.
Enough analysis! I'll just stick with Keanu's conclusion that Bill and Ted were "two dudes in a pod" and this symbiotic relationship was well received by all.

Keanu became a teen sensation and pin-up in all the teen magazines almost overnight. He was offered roles which reminded audiences of Ted (think Tod in "Parenthood" and Marlon in "I Love You to Death.") Today he admits that "Ted hung a label on me and I hung it on myself, to some extent." Keanu was often inarticulate at press interviews and his quest for privacy often left him responding to questions with "Bill and Ted" syntax and idioms. The teens of the 1980's identified with Keanu's attempts to redefine himself as an actor, at times unsuccessfully, just as they went on to redefine themselves as "Generation X" of the 1990's. They somehow mirrored one another and bonded.

Keanu studied cartoons to play Ted, whose portrayal he called "clown work." He saw Ted as "a child of the woods, a real dreamer, and a bit naive." Hmmm. Sounds a bit like the actor playing him! Herek remembers the set as a place with the "spirit of fun and adventure." Keanu remembers that he and Alex "worked with each other all day and occasionally went out with the crew, but we basically only had each other to hang out with." That special bond can be seen in several interviews. Keanu noted that playing Ted was difficult because of the huge amount of energy expended, and that too can be seen on the tapes.

My favorite story related to "Bill and Ted" was one shared by the director. He told Alex and Keanu that he wanted Bill and Ted to be "like puppies." Alex thought that meant "more energy" so he gave the part more energy. Keanu went to his trailer and reread Stanislavsky's "An Actor Prepares" to figure out what it felt like to be a puppy. I think he got it- just right. The balcony is now open.