Daily Dialogue — August 22, 2016
CODY: Uh, I don’t know. I guess I’d like —
BIG Z: What you…what you want is something in between. Trust me, I’m the expert here, okay?
CODY: Okay.
BIG Z: So, uh, here are your shaping tools. Now, remember, the board’s already inside there, see, somewhere, and what you’re doing is you’re trying to find it, you know, reveal it.
CODY: Okay. Okay.
BIG Z: All right. Every carve counts. Why are you smiling? Don’t smile.
CODY: I’m not…I’m not smiling. I’m just, you know, I’m excited.
BIG Z: This isn’t like hacking a piece of ice. You know, it takes patience and finesse.
CODY: All right, already. I’m trying to — will you just give me the tools, please? Sheesh!
BIG Z: All right, here, take it, take it. Go ahead.
CODY: Thank you. Here we go.
BIG Z: What are you doing? Look, if you’re going to do it, you do it right. All right, look, first of all, with the grain. With the grain. You see what I’m doing here? You let the tool do the work, you see? Just like you’re riding the wave, you let the wave do the work. You don’t fight the wave. You can’t fight these big waves, Co. Long strokes. Loads of finesse. Find the board within the tree. Nice and easy.
CODY: Yeah, I got it.
BIG Z: See, then you just…just…
CODY: Maybe I could do it now?
BIG Z: …move with…with the…
CODY: Can I do it now?
BIG Z: Shhh.
CODY: (Whispers) Can I do it now?
BIG Z: Yeah. My bad. Got carried away, sorry about that. It’s your board.
CODY: My board. K, with the grain. I got it.
BIG Z: Don’t forget to eyeball it.
CODY: I got it.
BIG Z: Once in a while.
CODY: Okay, long strokes with the grain.
BIG Z: Not too long.
CODY: (Sighs) Here we go.
BIG Z: You’re doing it wrong —
CODY: Will you just, will you just, will you just let me — I can’t, I — no finesse when you’re in my face, okay? Just let me make the board!
BIG Z: Do you want my help?
CODY: Do I — no, I don’t want your help. I don’t want your help.
BIG Z: Oh, you don’t want my help?
CODY: I don’t want your help.
BIG Z: Oh, all right.
CODY: Okay?
BIG Z: Fine. Fine.
CODY: I just want to make my board.
BIG Z: Build the board yourself, man, all right. Fine.
CODY: Thank you. Thank you.
BIG Z: I don’t care what the board looks like. You’re the one who’s got to ride it.
CODY: Fine, I’ll — thank you.
BIG Z: It’s in there somewhere. Go find it.
CODY: Do you — walk over there, please! Please!
BIG Z: Don’t cut yourself.
— Surf’s Up (2007), screenplay by Don Rhymer, Ash Brannon, Chris Buck and Christopher Jenkins; story by Christopher Jenkins and Christian Darren
The Daily Dialogue theme for the week: Mentor, suggested by Michael Waters. Today’s suggestion by Will King.
Trivia: When Cody washes up on the beach while Z is training him, Z laughs and says “Wipeout.” This is an homage to the beginning of the song “Wipeout” by The Surfaris, where a similar laugh and the word “wipeout” begins the song.
Dialogue On Dialogue: Commentary by Will: “Surf’s Up is a story about the failure of the mentor character. Young Cody Maverick idolized Big Z, a world-class surfer. When Big Z died during a surfing competition, Cody vowed to become like his hero. He travels to Pen Gu Island to participate in the Big Z Memorial surfing competition and discovers that Big Z is still alive but living in isolation under an assumed name. Z lost his interest in competition and tries to convince Cody there’s more to life than winning a surfing trophy, but Cody is so wrapped up in the idea of winning he can’t give up the dream. When Cody learns that his hero faked his death to avoid losing to up-and-coming competitor Tank Evans, Cody’s entire world comes crashing down.
In this scene, Big Z tries to teach Cody the secret of making the perfect surfboard, and their values clash becomes apparent. Z is very zen (“find the board”) while Cody just wants to make the board so he can get on with learning from Z how to win the upcoming competition.”