Surfing Film Vs. Coming Of Age Story (Spoiler)

The surfing scenes in this movie are outstanding and if you are coming to it for the wave ridin' footage you're in for an absolute treat...I was more interested in the dramatic themes of friendship, change and character. Big Wednesday is a decent film but I felt there were some choppy transitions in this respect and not enough character development. Jan Michael Vincent's instant personality change from hard boozer after a 5 minute chat with the surf guru was just to quick. Also, the Gary Busey character just disappears..."up North" and there is no character thread at all with him after the draft dodging scene. I came to Big Wednesday late in the game and while I enjoyed watching it, I may have been expecting a little too much. On a final note, I have seen loads of stills..some even on the back of the DVD box!, which didn't appear at all in the version I watched????