Just over a decade after losing the star, Keanu Reeves has paid an emotional tribute to Point Break‘s Patrick Swayze. The duo starred in the 1991 action movie as Johnny Utah and Bodhi, an undercover FBI agent and the leader of a crew of surfers and bank robbers who find themselves in a tense game of cat-and-mouse while also building bonds with one another. Helmed by Kathryn Bigelow, Point Break was a solid box office success and garnered generally favorable reviews, now being hailed as a cult classic.
Lionsgate and Keanu Reeves recently hosted an “Ask Me Anything” on Reddit in order to promote the upcoming release of John Wick: Chapter 4. When asked by one fan about his favorite memory of working on Point Break, Reeves highlighted his time working with Patrick Swayze, paying an emotional tribute to the late star. See what Reeves said below:
Working with Patrick Swayze. He was a gentleman and a total pro, a movie star, an inspiration.
Why Point Break’s Bodhi Remains Swayze’s Best Character
Across the course of his 30-plus-year career, Swayze had brought to life a number of memorable characters, including Dirty Dancing‘s Johnny, Ghost‘s Sam and To Wong Foo, Thanks for Everything, Julie Newmar‘s Vida, all of which earned him Golden Globe nominations. For many, however, his turn as Bodhi in Point Break remains his most standout character for a number of reasons, the main being his sheer charisma as the bank robbers’ leader.
The reveal that Bodhi and his crew were behind Point Break‘s robberies was set up as a major plot twist, as Reeves’ protagonist forged a close bond with the seemingly good-hearted local surfing legend. Even after the truth is finally unveiled and the two know each others’ real identities, Swayze finds a way to keep Bodhi a likable character, not intending any general malice for those around him, unless they cross his paths, as was the case with the security guard and off-duty police officer killed in the final bank robbery.
While it had been spoofed and joked about since its release, Point Break remains a pretty influential movie in the action genre, as evidenced by the Fast & Furious franchise’s success, with the original film only swapping out street racing for sufing and banks for cargo trucks. Whether Vin Diesel’s Dominic Toretto will ever live up to the same charismatic heights as Swayze’s Bodhi is down to one’s own preferences, though the former’s transition from antihero to hero definitely shares DNA with the latter. Audiences can look back on Swayze’s iconic turn as Bodhi with Point Break streaming on HBO Max.
Source: Lionsgate/Reddit