Great Character: Garth Algar (“Wayne’s World”)
This month’s theme: Sidekick. Today: Guest poster Jason Cuthbert looks at Garth Algar from the 1992 movie Wayne’s World, written by Mike Myers and Bonnie Turner & Terry Turner.
What do George W. Bush, James Stewart, John Travolta, Robin Williams and Arnold Schwarzenegger have in common? Dana Carvey performed memorable impersonations of all of them during his crafty career as a stand-up comedian and an all-star alumni member of the famed sketch comedy television institution, Saturday Night Live.
During Dana Carvey’s seven-year stint on SNL, the show garnered Carvey an Emmy Award, four of his five Emmy nominations and classic characters for the proverbial Saturday Night Live Hall of Fall that include: “The Church Lady”, muscle bound Hans from “Hans and Franz” and the lovable metal head sidekick Garth Algar to Mike Myer’s Wayne Campbell in “Wayne’s World.”
First appearing on Saturday Night Live in 1988, this cable access show from Wayne’s parent’s basement upgraded to being SNL creator Lorne Michael’s biggest box office hit with the 1992 motion picture Wayne’s World; big enough for a sequel the very next year.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AKm7p5McExs
“Wayne’s World” Reunion at the Academy with: Mike Myers, Dana Carvey, Lorne Michaels, Rob Lowe, Penelope Spheeris
Wayne’s World from IMDB:
Two slacker friends try to promote their public-access cable show.
Dana Carvey’s sidekick slacker may not have the more extroverted assertiveness and prankster gusto of his Bro Mate Wayne. But what Garth may lack in social confidence skills he makes up for in sweet sincerity and generous allegiance.
He echoes a humorous pattern of expressing himself to a fault, then often baring the brunt of momentary humiliation when outsiders of Garth and Wayne’s “Bill and Ted” meets “Beavis and Butthead” two man inner circle are observing.
GARTH ALGAR: (describing his feelings of the new set) It’s like a new pair of underwear: At first, it’s constrictive, but after awhile it becomes a part of you.
Garth embodies that ideal sidekick quality; that cherished best friend who knows your weirdest fears and your guiltiest pleasures, treating them both with the same complete lack of judgment. Garth gives and receives from Wayne that precious opportunity to not have to pretend to be too cool to be you, even when self-depreciation is the accidental result.
GARTH ALGAR: That is a babe. She makes me feel kinda funny, like when we used to climb the rope in gym class.
That private Wayne and Garth Comfort Zone is entertaining to hang out in, especially with Wayne and Garth balancing each other out by being “blunt and subtle” respectively. Carvey keeps finding funny new ways to push Garth’s boundaries of full disclosure, inflating the element of embarrassment to the level of: umm…never mind…maybe I was just joking?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4m2WutlqBk0
But even with all of the over the top antics and pop culture catch phrases that Garth helps Wayne mint throughout this 1990s broad comedy staple, (“Not,” “Shwing,” “We’re Not Worthy”) it is that trustworthy “My Brother’s Keeper” stance that Garth defends Wayne with that is infused into his passive aggressive naïve grin of innocence.
GARTH ALGAR: Benjamin is nobody’s friend. If Benjamin were an ice cream flavor, he’d be pralines and dick.
Even the gothic shocker rocker Alice Cooper can’t take a dump on Garth’s star-struck humble and shy motif.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o5FT3IGXtAk
For his “friend you can grow old with” loyalty, his overly earnest bouts with TMI (too much information) and his perky perpetual good will — Garth Algar is one “Party Time, Excellent” GREAT CHARACTER.
Indeed, Garth Algar is one of the most memorable comic sidekick characters in the last two decades or so.
Thank you, Jason, for this post. Please join us in comments to discuss Wayne’s World.
You may follow Jason on Twitter: @A2Jason.
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