'Point Break' Writer Reveals Whether Keanu Reeves/Lori Petty Characters End up Together

Movies

In 'Point Break,' Lori Petty plays Tyler, the girl who teaches Johnny Utah (Keanu Reeves) to surf. Over 30 years later, screenwriter W. Peter Iliff reveals the future for Tyler and Johnny.

Published on June 20, 2022

Point Break is one of the pivotal movies in Keanu Reeves’ career. It was his first action movie. It inspired a stage show and features memorable scenes between Reeves and Patrick Swayze. Lori Petty played Reeves’ love interest, Tyler, who taught him how to surf. Point Break fans still have some questions today, and the screenwriter, W. Peter Iliff answered them. 

Iliff was a guest on the Script Apart podcast on Nov. 16, 2021. Iliff had definitive thoughts on the future for Johnny Utah (Reeves) and Tyler. 

Yes, Keanu Reeves and Lori Petty’s characters end up together after ‘Point Break’

The last time we see Tyler in Point Break, Utah has rescued her from being kidnapped by Bodhi (Swayze)’s men. As Reeves would later say in Speed, relationships based on intense experiences never work.” Iliff would prove him wrong with his idea for Johnny and Tyler.

“In my heart, in my mind, in the Point Break universe, he does marry Tyler and they do have a daughter,” Iliff said on Script Apart. “So that is where I think it went. I think that was real enough that it became serious.”

W. Peter Iliff based Tyler on his wife 

Iliff had just gotten married when Point Break went into production. He explained how the love of a woman shook some of his immature habits. He saw Johnny come to his senses with Tyler in a similar way. 

There had to be some lack of maturity emotionally, early on. Not intellect, not shrewdness, not ability to dissect a play and be clever and win, not anything to be a smart FBI agent but emotional maturity. I think that does come to a handsome man later as a woman kicks our ass emotionally. I know that was my journey with my amazing wife [with whom] I celebrate my 32nd wedding anniversary. The love of my life, I adore that woman. It was her that taught me emotional maturity. If you have a good woman, they don’t let you get away with that punk ass sh*t that guys like to do. I kind of think a lot that’s what was happening with Utah. 

‘Point Break’ was a love story for Keanu Reeves, not only with Lori Petty

Point Break was an early bromance, as Johnny was torn between his love for Bodhi and bringing him to justice. Iliff said Johnny’s love story with Tyler was real, too. 

“And in my 20s, I was going through that process as well,” Iliff said. “The 20s, it’s a very turbulent time before you’re married. You’re dating, you’re breaking up, you get your heart broken. You’re having your way with some women and other women are tossing you aside. It’s a lot of emotion going on until you find the relationship you’re going to stay in. I look at my son who’s going through it, my daughter. It’s a wild age and I have the same kind of memories of it. We all learn a lot in our 20s. So Johnny was doing his learning and I think he realized he really does love her.” 

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