Virtual graduations aren’t as fun as the real thing. Unless, of course, your online celebration involves Keanu Reeves and Alex Winter urging you to be excellent to each other.
That’s what happened for the graduates of Sam Dimas High School on Tuesday night. As you might recall, especially if you’re a fan of goofy comedies from the late 1980s and early ’90s, SDHS is the school attended by Bill S. Preston Esq. (Winter) and Ted Theodore Logan III (Reeves) in “Bill and Ted’s Excellent Adventure.”
In a surprise message at Tuesday’s graduation ceremony, Winter and Reeves – or the “Wyld Stallyns,” as they introduced themselves — congratulated the grads and, naturally, told them to “be excellent to each other.”
The kids “loved it,” Lowary said. “Well, the parents loved it more.”
The high school is having its 50th anniversary this year, secretary Kim Lowary told HuffPost Canada. “We were trying to come up with ideas to celebrate our 50th, and it just so happened Bill and Ted was making number three.”
The third installation of the franchise, “Bill and Ted Face the Music,” is set to come out this summer.
“When we had to go on lockdown and all the virtual stuff started happening, I thought, ‘I’m gonna reach out and see if they’ll do something.’”
She sent a message to Winter over Twitter in April. He quickly got on board, and before she knew it she was in touch with the movie’s publicity team.
San Dimas High has enjoyed a good relationship with the movie’s cast for a while, as their school plays a pretty memorable role in the franchise. Will Robbins, who plays the football player whose history presentation devolves into him yelling “San Dimas High School football rules,” was once a guest at the school’s homecoming.
Lowary never got to speak with Reeves directly — “I really wish” — but she’s thankful that the two actors were wiling to help out. “I’m just grateful that they were able to put something together so quickly, and make it special for our kids.”
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