Bill and Ted's Excellent Adventure is a classic film that the whole family can enjoy. Of course,
there are plenty of jokes and concepts that fly over the heads of younger viewers. From
historical implications to weird family dynamics, these are the things only adults notice in
Bill and Ted's Excellent Adventure.
Over the course of this awesome film, Bill and Ted meet and befriend a number of major
historical figures and bring them back to participate in their history report at San
Dimas High School. Since the film is a comedy, it doesn't spend a lot of time digging into
the implications of this, but any adult who has even studied a little bit of history knows
that there are many worth unpacking and some of them are pretty heavy.
"Whoa."
For example, Bill and Ted bring back several icons who died suddenly and violently. Abraham
Lincoln was assassinated in the spring of 1865, Socrates was executed by forced poisoning
in 399 BC, and Joan of Arc was burned at the stake in 1431 before she reached her 20th
birthday.
Again, Bill and Ted's Excellent Adventure is a comedy, and it's also a movie that's
meant to portray history as a fun journey full of interesting stories. So, it makes
sense that the film doesn't dig too deep into what happens to these doomed individuals after
they leave San Dimas. Although, the adults in the room know that Joan's plan to institute
an aerobics program for French soldiers probably isn't going to work out.
Bill and Ted spend a lot of their excellent adventure traveling through thousands of years
of history, making a few key stops along the way and bringing historical figures back to
their hometown. What the film doesn't tell us, though, is exactly what impact, if any,
their travels had on various civilizations after the adventure was over. We know that
Rufus, Bill and Ted's time-travelling helper, eventually brought the English princesses
from the past to the present. But other than that, it's all left up to the imagination.
Still, some of the history-makers have bigger plans than others.
Of all these people, Napoleon is the one who spends the most time in the modern era. He
hangs out for almost a full day in San Dimas and spends a lot of time at the local water
park, Waterloo, where he has a blast. By the time of the big history report, Napoleon has
become so infatuated with water slides that he's planning a new strategy for invading
Russia based on them, as he reveals with a map and toy soldiers. When Ted says he doesn't
think the strategy will work, Napoleon immediately becomes angry. The film ends before we can
learn if Napoleon stuck to his guns and his water slides.
So, did Bill and Ted improve Napoleon's military mind by bringing him to the present, or did
they destroy it? Did he lose his empire more quickly or did he learn important strategic
lessons about defending his territory?
Though most of the film focuses on Bill and Ted as they travel through time, it does include
some peeks into their home lives. We learn that Bill has a stepmother named Missy, who's
so young that she was a senior in high school when he was a freshman. Though the film doesn't
spend a lot of time on Missy's place in the story, it does nod in the direction of a few
things that make Bill's relationship with Missy well, complicated.
"Hi, Bill. Want a ride?"
"Sure, Missy. I mean, mom."
Since she's married to his dad, Bill would rather forget that Missy used to just be a
girl he knew in high school. However, he can't help but see her as more of a contemporary
than a parent.
Then, of course, there's Missy's apparent attraction to older, academic men. We see
it in Bill's father. But we also notice it in response to Bill and Ted's history teacher,
Mr. Ryan, who Missy seems very happy to bump into at the end of the film. These are all
just brief moments, but they certainly paint a picture of an unconventional stepson-stepmother
relationship that most young viewers wouldn't catch. Still, it might be something that Bill
should talk to someone about.
"Nah, just got a minor Oedipal Complex."
When Rufus explains how the time-machine works, he's careful to point out that no matter where
in time they go, they're still facing a ticking clock. Time will continue to flow normally
for them. We're reminded of this when Ted tells his past self that he should remember
to wind his watch, so they don't forget how much time they have left.
This detail is useful because it puts restrictions on Bill and Ted's travel and gives the story
higher stakes. It also raises another question: Since Bill and Ted are moving in real time
as they journey through history, should we assume that valuable days are also passing
in the original timelines of their historical friends? This opens up all kinds of possible
outcomes. What if Lincoln missed the Gettysburg Address because he was hanging out at the mall?
"Bogus."
On the other hand, what if Joan of Arc was never captured and burned at the stake because
she was busy helping Bill and Ted with their history assignment?
"Excellent!"
At its core, this film is a journey of friendship as the two title characters travel through
time. Not only do they learn some basic facts about the past, they also learn how to appreciate
history as a world of exciting and nuanced stories. Most of the film is devoted to that
journey, but Bill and Ted aren't the only ones taking a big, life-changing trip. Each
of the historical figures who travel with Bill and Ted, beginning with Billy the Kid
and Socrates, go on their own journey in which they also learn and grow. We first see this
in a small way when Billy the Kid picks up on some of Bill and Ted's slang.
"Not bad, eh, So-Crates? Where are we, dude?"
However, that's far from the end of everyone's learning experiences. Rewatching this film
as an adult, we can't help but imagine what types of ideas these travelers brought back
to their own times. Beethoven was introduced to 20th century rhythms and synthesizer sounds
that could have influenced his remaining compositions. Freud witnessed a number of modern behaviors
that might have informed his theories on psychoanalysis. And Genghis Khan discovered several new tricks
when it comes to weaponry and warfare. We know we're just philosophizing here but, above
everything else, it would be awesome if everyone could have learned and spread the film's two
central themes: to be excellent to each other. And, of course…
"Party on dudes!"
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