johnwpenn

Gidget (1959)

"Gidget" is as pleasant as a day at the beach.

As someone who lived the dream of being a California surf bum, I was pleasantly reminiscing about those years while watching this movie. The Big Kahuna, played by Cliff Robertson, was easy to identify with. I've heard it said that "surfing makes you feel like a kid again." So there are therapeutic qualities surfing gives to someone who has experienced tragedy as Robertson's character has in the Korean War.

The Gidget character, played by Sandra Dee, is a delightful dichotomy as she seems at once a woman and a girl. This is a dilemma I'm sure many 16 and 17-year-old girls have dealt with. Gidget's friendships with the male characters make her "one of the guys" to them. In this regard, she is similar to the Mary character, played by Carmen Diaz, in "Something About Mary." While every man wants a romantic love partner, they are often happier with a woman who can be a friend. This revelation seems to be guiding Moondoggie as he pursues Gidget in the end.