About Bill & Ted's Excellent Adventure

The 1989 American science fiction comedy, Bill & Ted's Excellent Adventure, revolves around two endearing, dimwitted metalhead friends, Bill (Alex Winter) and Ted (Keanu Reeves), who are on the verge of flunking out of high school. They are given a time machine, in the form of a phone booth, to assist them in passing their history report. Their exciting journey through time, meeting various historical figures along the way, forms the gist of the story.

Making / Production

Directed by Stephen Herek and written by Chris Matheson and Ed Solomon, the film had a modest budget of about $10 million. Despite several production challenges like budget constraints and casting difficulties, the creators managed to produce a movie that would go on to become a cult classic.

Actors

• Keanu Reeves as Ted "Theodore" Logan - Played an airheaded, loveable rocker with a knack for getting into mischief. Brought a unique charm and endearing personality to the character.
• Alex Winter as Bill S. Preston, Esq - Matched his co-star's performance with an equally delightful, ditzy portrayal. Was instrumental in creating an adorable on-screen chemistry with Keanu Reeves.
• George Carlin as Rufus - Played the role of a time-traveling guide, delivering his lines with a charismatic wit that contrasted with the leads' goofiness.

Trivia / Interesting Facts

• The phone booth used in the film was given away to a fan in a contest held by the studio.
• The film's original script actually had a van instead of a phone booth as the time machine.

Awards

The movie was nominated for several awards, including the Saturn Awards for Best Music, Best Writing and Best Science Fiction Film.

Quotes

• "Be excellent to each other." - Bill
• "Party on, dudes!" - Ted

• Performed by bands such as Extreme, Big Pig and Tora Tora, the film's soundtrack is a mix of hard rock, heavy metal and synth pop.
• The film's ending song "In Time" by Robbie Robb has become iconic among fans.