What makes Bustin' Down the Door so appealing is that it's not about sports but rather about the passion and dedication of some bronzed, mop-haired kids on a mission to become legitimate against all odds
Bustin' Down the Door (2008)
Tomatometer
How does the Tomatometer work ![]()
Reviews Counted: 17
Fresh: 11
Rotten:6
Average Rating: 6.4/10
Runtime: 1 hr 35 mins
Genre: Sports/Recreation
Theatrical Release:Jun 27, 2008 Limited
Synopsis: BUSTIN’ DOWN THE DOOR chronicles a tumultuous two-year period of competitive and cultural clashes in the mid-Seventies in surfing's Mecca - Hawaii's North Shore of Oahu - as a small crew of... BUSTIN’ DOWN THE DOOR chronicles a tumultuous two-year period of competitive and cultural clashes in the mid-Seventies in surfing's Mecca - Hawaii's North Shore of Oahu - as a small crew of Australians and South Africans set out with attitude and determination to change the world of surfing. Framed around the emerging careers of World Champions-to-be Wayne “Rabbit” Bartholomew, Shaun Tomson and Mark Richards, Bustin’ documents how these young men risked everything to become the best surfers in the world, and how their courage and vision began a cultural revolution that led to the birth of professional surfing and ultimately what has become today's billion-dollar surf industry. [More]
Starring: Wayne "Rabbit" Bartholomew, Ian Cairns, Mark Richards, Shaun Tomson
Starring: Wayne "Rabbit" Bartholomew, Ian Cairns, Mark Richards, Shaun Tomson, Michael Tomson, Peter Townend
Director: Jeremy Gosch
Director: Jeremy Gosch
Screenwriter: Jeremy Gosch, Robert Traill, Monika Gosch, Shaun Tomson
Producer: Monika Gosch, Robert Traill
Composer: Stuart Michael Thomas
Studio: Screen Media
Get This Movie
Reviews for Bustin' Down the Door
Perfectly captures the bittersweet moment when the once-free sport of surfing became the big money phenomenon that it is today.
The birth of professional surfing emerges from a squall of repetitive-looking clips and technical jargon, plus a reflection on outsiders' insensitivity to native Hawaiians.
The film tries to tell us that money hasn't spoiled the fun, but I was much more curious about the black shorts than the Quicksilver brand board shorts.
[An] insightful account of the rise of a, pardon the pun, new wave of surfers that transformed the sport in the mid-1970s.
Hawaii's role in the transformation of surfing from what many considered to be a pastime for drug-crazed counter-culture rebels to a multi-billion dollar sport is examined in debut director Jeremy Gosch's documentary about the group of Australian and Sout
Jeremy Gosch's documentary about the origins of professional surfing shines a light on four wave riders -- three Australians and a South African -- who helped transform a counter-culture life style into a billion-dollar industry.
Some of the talk gets a little bombastic, but it's hard to deny the thrill involved.
Bustin' Down the Door entertainingly captures surfing's last great hoorah of no-holds-barred radicalism.
Forget the questions, bro', and just watch vintage footage of these Aussies and South Africans riding giants off Hawaii's North Shore and showing those big kahunas what's what.
Happily, the filmmaker, Jeremy Gosch, puts his wide-eyed narrative together with an easy touch. With its amazing wall-to-wall footage of oceanic derring-do Bustin' Down the Door plays like visual air-conditioning.
[Bustin’ Down the Door] will leave surf junkies and novices alike longing to get their feet wet.
While it’s pleasurable to watch surf legends wax nostalgic about fissures in the precorporate surf lifestyle, Bustin’ would be better served by delving a bit deeper into the erosion of a native culture.
With verve, style and a fine sense of the human side of surf culture, Jeremy Gosch makes a terrific splash with his debut doc.
Includes of some of the most extraordinary surf footage seen since Bruce Brown’s early Endless Summer films.
Latest News for Bustin' Down the Door
July 24, 2008:
Critics Consensus: File The X-Files Under "Disappointing"
This week at the movies, we learn that the truth is out there (The X-Files: I Want to Believe, starring David Duchovny and Gillian Anderson) and that step-sibling rivalry can be... More...
Related Forums for Bustin' Down the Door
| Tomatometer Percentage | Movie |
|---|---|
|
The Code |
23% 23% |
Confessions of a Shopa… |
39% 39% |
Inkheart |
80% 80% |
Gran Torino |
28% 28% |
Tyler Perry's Madea Go… |
| Tomatometer Percentage | Movie |
|---|---|
22% 22% |
Push |
12% 12% |
The Unborn |
RT On Current TV
What’s Hot On RT
Other News
Sponsored Links
Around The Network
- Bustin' Down the Door at Rotten Tomatoes
Fresh Links
Featured

TIME music critic Josh Tyrangiel remembers - and appreciates - the high peak of Michael Jackson's career in the early '80s.

With the Best Picture Oscar noms now 10 deep, BuzzSugar looks at 10 films that should have made the cut.

Sequels never used to be as good as the original, but now they can be even better. Can Transformers 2 follow suit?

The AV Club's Zack Handlen explores why Snowbeast has been dismissed and forgotten.



Top Critic

