Point Break

This article is about the 1991 film. For the 2015 remake, see Point Break (2015 film). For other uses, see Point Break (disambiguation).

Point Break
Theatrical release poster
Directed byKathryn Bigelow
Screenplay byW. Peter Iliff
Story by
Produced by
Starring
CinematographyDonald Peterman
Edited byHoward Smith
Music byMark Isham
Production
companies
Distributed by20th Century Fox[1]
Release dates
  • July 10, 1991 (1991-07-10) (Westwood)
  • July 12, 1991 (1991-07-12) (United States)
Running time
122 minutes[2]
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish
Budget$24 million
Box office$83.5 million[3]

Point Break is a 1991 American action film directed by Kathryn Bigelow and written by W. Peter Iliff. It stars Patrick Swayze, Keanu Reeves, Lori Petty and Gary Busey. The film's title refers to the surfing term "point break", where a wave breaks as it hits a point of land jutting out from the coastline. The film features Reeves as an undercover FBI agent who is tasked with investigating the identities of a group of bank robbers while he develops a complex relationship with the group's leader (Swayze).

Development of Point Break began in 1986, when Iliff wrote an initial treatment for the film. Bigelow soon developed the script with husband James Cameron, and filming took place four years later. It was shot across the western coast of the continental United States and was officially budgeted at $24 million, before being released on July 12, 1991.

Point Break opened to generally positive reviews, with critics praising the chemistry between Reeves and Swayze. During its theatrical run, the film grossed over $83.5 million, and has since gained a cult following.[4][5] Following the film's success, it spawned a remake that was released in 2015.

  1. ^ a b c "Point Break (1991)". AFI Catalog of Feature Films. Retrieved May 31, 2019.
  2. ^ "POINT BREAK (15) (CUT)". British Board of Film Classification. August 7, 1991. Retrieved December 25, 2015.
  3. ^ Cite error: The named reference boxofficemojo was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  4. ^ "With the Point Break remake, I've reached a breaking point". The Globe and Mail. December 23, 2015 – via www.theglobeandmail.com.
  5. ^ Zeitchik, Steven (October 29, 2015). "'Point Break' remake looks to make a cult classic new, and serious". Los Angeles Times.