I went to High School in the Sutherland Shire during the 1970's, the time and place that this film is set in. The coolest kids at my school were Cronulla surfies and surfie-chicks, and guess what? They were EXACTLY as depicted in this film. And although the dialogue sounds camp-trash today, that was how we spoke back then. "Dead set", "far out", "what a moll" - these are phrases from my youth. They could have added a few more to the script, actually. "Bush pig" (an easy root) and "fang it" (drive very fast) would have added further authenticity to the script.
So, when you're watching this movie, keep in mind its like a time capsule, and a look into a lost period in time. (The Caringbah drive-in, where the famous "root in the panel van" scene was set and shot, is now a huge hardware and homeware complex. I got a little misty-eyed when I saw the Drive-in gates appear on the screen.) Its like southern Sydney's version of American Graffiti.
By the way, 22 years after this movie was made, North Cronulla hasn't changed very much at all.
So, when you're watching this movie, keep in mind its like a time capsule, and a look into a lost period in time. (The Caringbah drive-in, where the famous "root in the panel van" scene was set and shot, is now a huge hardware and homeware complex. I got a little misty-eyed when I saw the Drive-in gates appear on the screen.) Its like southern Sydney's version of American Graffiti.
By the way, 22 years after this movie was made, North Cronulla hasn't changed very much at all.