The opening theme begins (Break Away) and we see an interesting, blue geometric pattern.  We soon realize this is a the ceiling of a huge dome.  The center of the patterns opens to reveal a bright light. A spinning gold, geometrical obelisk-style starts to descend from the hole to the floor, which is a circle of patterns lights.  The shape lands gently in the center of the floor and the ceiling above closes.

We see a man standing against a black background.  He welcomes us to the future, San Dimas, California, 2688.  He proceeds to tell us how great the future is.  "The air is clean, the water?s clean, even the dirt . . . is clean!  Bowling averages are way up, mini-golf scores are way down, and we have more excellent waterslides than any other planet we communicate with."  He repeats that it?s great but that it almost wasn?t; how 700 years ago the Two Great Ones ran into a few problems, so now he has to travel back in time to help them out.  During this last part of the explanation, a logo reading Wyld Stallyns and two boys doing slow, rhythmic air guitar appears next to the man.  This image expands to fill the screen and we cut to a black and white television screen where these same two boys are playing guitar (quite badly).  The man explains that if he fails to keep these two on the correct path the basis of the future society will be in danger.  "Don?t worry," he assures us, "It?ll all make sense.  I?m a professional."

The taller, dark-haired boy walks around the table where the video camera is sitting, taping them, and picks it up.  The shorter, blond-haired boy strums his guitar and says, "I?m am Bill S. Preston, Esquire!"  The taller boy starts to say, "And I am Te . . . "  then realizes he can?t film himself and asks Bill to take it.  They quickly switch places and Ted strums his guitar and announces, "And I am Ted ?Theodore? Logan!"  Bill sets the camera back into the table and they both strum their guitars and say, "And we?re . . . Wyld Stallyns!"  They start to play horribly, wailing away on their guitars until their amplifier begins to smoke.  We cut to the outside of a garage as the door opens and Bill & Ted bail from the smoky interior.  We can now see they have been rehearsing in the garage of a nice suburban home.  A caption comes up telling us this is "San Dimas, California, 1988."

Bill and Ted walk back into the smoky garage.  Bill notes that they blew it and probably used too much power.  Ted confesses he liked it.  "Ted, while I agree that in time our band will be most triumphant, the truth is Wyld Stallyns will never be a superband until we have Eddie Van Halen on guitar."  "Yes, Bill, but . . . I do not believe we will get Eddie Van Halen until we have a triumphant video."  "Ted, it?s pointless to have a triumphant video before we even have decent instruments."  "Well, how can we have decent instruments when we don?t really even know how to play?" Ted asks.  "That is why we need Eddie Van Halen!" Bill argues.  "And that is why we need a triumphant video," Ted counters.  They stand confused for a moment then both smile and say "Excellent!" and perform an exuberant air guitar (which is accompanied by a guitar riff on the soundtrack).  A cuckoo clock on the wall starts cuckooing eight o?clock.  Bill points out that they?re late.  "For what?" Ted asks.  "School, dude!" Bill reminds him.  "Oh yah," Ted says worriedly and they start gathering their books.

We see the exterior of San Dimas High School as a school bus approaches.  The scene cuts to the interior of a classroom as a male teacher (Mr. Ryan) steps into frame.  "Bill?  I?m waiting," he states.  We see Bill sitting at his desk, looking as if he is thinking very hard.  "He?s dead?" Bill finally offers.  "So, Bill, what you?re telling me, essentially, is that Napoleon . . . is a short, dead dude," Mr. Ryan summarizes.  The kids in the class laugh.  Bill confirms this as Ted leans over from the desk behind and teases, "You totally blew it, dude!"  Mr. Ryan asks Ted to stand up.  "Stand up?" Ted asks, horrified.  "Yes, son, stand up," Mr. Ryan urges.  Ted stands up, looking nervous.  "Now . . . who was Joan of Arc?" Mr. Ryan asks.  Ted thinks a moment then happily answers, "Noah?s wife?"  Their classmates laugh again.  The bell rings and as the class gets ready to leave he reminds them that their final reports will be from 1:30 to 3:30 the next day.

Bill and Ted are the last to leave and Mr. Ryan motions for them to stay behind.  Sensing trouble, Bill offers, "Mr. Ryan . . . before you say anything, my distinguished colleague Ted and I wish to express to you our thanks for all the things we have learned in your class."  "And what have you learned?" Mr. Ryan asks, playing along.  Bill and Ted don?t have an immediate answer, but Bill comes up with, "We have, uh . . . we?ve learned that the world has a great history."  "Yes!" Ted agrees, trying to be helpful, "And that thanks to great leaders such as . . . " he reads off the black board, " . . . Genghis Khan, Joan of Arc and Socratic Method, the world is full of history!"  Mr. Ryan looks down at one of their papers and says, "It seems to me the only thing you?ve learned is that Caesar is a salad dressing dude."  Mr. Ryans tells them with concern that they have flunked every section of the class and that if they don?t get an A+ on their final oral report he will have to flunk the both of them.  He says they know their topics and suggests they cover them in the report if they wish to pass the course.  "Understand?" he asks.  "Yes, sir," they nod.  They start to leave when Mr. Ryan adds, "Guys . . . your report had better be something very special."

Bill and Ted exit the school and Ted is carrying a huge stack of books.  Ted asks what they?re supposed to know for their report.  Bill admits he?s not sure but he knows Joan of Arc is not Noah?s Wife.  "Well then, who is Noah?s wife?" Ted asks.  "I dunno, Ted," Bill says, "But I do know we?re in serious trouble.  Listen to this."  Bill reads from his assignment sheet, "Express to the class how an important historical figure from each of your time periods would view the world of San Dimas, 1988."  Bill stops, looking worried, and realizes, "We are in danger of flunking most heinously tomorrow, Ted."  There is the sound of a car pulling up nearby and a horn honks.  Bill and Ted see a beautiful young woman (not much older than them) sitting in a red convertible.  "Hi, Bill," she says, "Wanna ride?"  "Sure, Missy!" Bill smiles.  The girl gives him a scolding look.  "I mean Mom," Bill says reluctantly.  Missy smiles and puts on her sunglasses.  Bill and Ted go to get in the car, Ted commenting, "Your stepmom?s cute!"  "Shut up, Ted," Bill snarls.  "Remember when she was a senior and we were freshmen?" Ted asks.  "Shut up, Ted!" Bill says more sternly.

Missy?s car pulls up to a nice suburban house which has a police car parked in the driveway.  It is smaller than Bill?s house.  Ted climbs out of the back seat and says he?ll be back as soon as he gets his books.  Bill snatches a bag of chips from the bag of groceries in the passenger seat and starts to open it.  Inside the house, a man is searching for something.  Ted enters and sees him, hesitates, then tries to get through the room without being seen.  "Ted!" the man calls, stopping him.  "What are you doin? home, Dad?" Ted asks with a smile.  His dad explains he?s looking for his keys and asks if Ted has done anything with them.  Ted says no and starts for his room again.  "I spoke to your principal today, Ted," Captain Logan says, "He said your failing history."  Ted tries to explain that he and Bill are going to study but his dad cuts him off.  "He also said that if you fail history you flunk out of school!  You know what that would mean, don?t you, Ted?"  His dad walks over to him and Ted keeps his eyes ahead in military fashion.  "That I would have to go to Oates Military Academy . . . Sir!" Ted answers.  "Uh huh," his dad confirms, "I spoke to Colonel Oates this morning."  His dad stops close to Ted?s side, saying in a gleeful manner, "He?s anxious to meet you, Ted."  Ted only gives his dad a nervous, sideways glance.  Ted walks out of his house with his books, looking worried.  Missy starts the car as Ted gets in. Bill is eating the chips.  Ted tells him, "Dude, we gotta pass.  Otherwise there?s no more band."  "Why?" Bill asks.  "My dad?s sending me to military school."  "Where?" Bill asks.  "Alaska," Ted answers.  Bill now shares Ted?s worry as Missy peels away from the curb.

In the future, the geometric shape is still sitting in the middle of the dome.  Three people, a woman and two men, are sitting on the side of the dome, or rather they are sitting in mid-air.  We can tell they are most important people.  "It is time!" the middle one announces, "Their separation is imminent."  We see now he is addressing the man who welcomed us to the future.  The important person floating in the middle holds his hand out and a ball of energy forms there.  It flies from his hand, circles the geometric shape, and then hits it, transforming it.  It becomes a rectangular shape and slowly it takes on the characteristics of a phone booth.  The man steps to the door of the booth and turns to the three important people, saying, "Be excellent to each other."  "Party on, dude," the three reply.  The man steps into the phone booth and lifts the receiver, dialing a number and then hitting two glowing symbols on the bottom row (a star and an infinity sign).  An antenna pops up out of the top and sends sparks down and all around the booth.  What look like hands made of electricity reach up out of the floor and pull the booth downward until it disappears, leaving only orange sparks shooting in its wake.  The three important people look at the wall where there are two huge holograms, one of Bill and one of Ted, both doing air guitar.

Bill and Ted are in Bill?s bedroom.  Bill is sitting on his bed, Ted is jumping on a nearby bed.  Bill prompts Ted with, "Okay, Ted, George Washington.  One: the Father of our Country."  "Two: born on President?s Day," Ted adds.  "Three: the dollar bill guy," Bill concludes.  Ted starts talking about how you can make a mushroom out of his head but Bill firmly reminds Ted of Alaska.  Ted thinks seriously, finally coming up with, "Had wooden teeth.  Chased Moby Dick."  "That?s Captain Ahab, dude," Bill corrects.  "Oh wait!" Ted suddenly thinks, "Remember at Disney World?  Hall of Presidents?"  "Yah, good! What did he say?" Bill asks.  "Welcome to the Hall of Presidents!" Ted recites.  There is a knock at the door and Missy enters, carrying a plate of half-burned grilled cheese sandwiches and saying she brought them food.  Ted sits on the bed with Bill as Missy walks over and sets the tray down, her low blouse not leaving much to the imagination.  Ted realizes Bill is gawking at her and reminds him, "It?s your Mom, dude!"

Bill?s dad enters, asking them how it?s going.  "Bad," Bill admits, "We are destined to flunk most egregiously tomorrow."  "And I am destined to end up at Oates Military Academy," Ted adds.  "And then we?ll never start a band," Bill says sadly.  Bill?s dad isn?t paying any attention, focused instead on looking at Missy.  Missy asks what they are studying.  Bill tells her history and she asks, "With Mr. Ryan?"  Ted confirms this.  "Tell him hi," she smiles.  Bill?s dad stands up and takes some bills out of his pocket, handing them to Bill and suggesting they take a dinner break.  Bill and Ted start to leave the room when Bill stops and turns around.  Bill?s dad looks back at Missy, then to Bill and closes the door to Bill?s room, ignoring Bill?s look of shock.  "Now your dad?s goin? for it in your own room!" Ted laughs.  "Shut up, Ted," Bill says angrily.  "Your stepmom is cute, though," Ted adds.  "Shut up, Ted!" Bill warns again.  "Remember when I asked her to the prom?"  "Shut up, Ted!" Bill turns and yells at his friend.  Ted just smiles at Bill.

Continue to part two . . .