Customer Reviews

And Then Came Summer

5 star:		(5)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(6)
2 star:		(4)
1 star:		(9)

 

 

And there are more than a few, along with several completely unnecessary and uninteresting scenes of random characters talking about nothing. This is symptomatic of editing and screenplay weaknesses that bring into question the caliber of movie this is.

Stay in your chair, and be patient, and appreciate the effort that went into the making of this movie. The payoff near the end is significant, and goes a long way to make up for some earlier problems.

Very few movies choke me up, but this one sure hit me hard. It's worth seeing, and is probably even more powerful for folks that are a little younger than me, just really starting to come to terms with being different and what that means to them and their future.

There is also very little in this film that would be inappropriate for young people, except for alcohol use, which is foreign to probably very few.

Recommended for coming-out and family issues and gentle handling of friends and relationships, despite significant editing and screenplay imperfections. Certainly an independent movie, in any case, and one worth seeing.

And Then Came Summer is a padded out film which was, at times, humorous, when it had no intention of being so. I do not hold a prejudice against low budget films but this one's script let it down. The scene where old aunty is pie-making with the two giggling hetero-women (neither of whom are seen again) hopefully implied that they were added to the pies for yet further filling to a puffed-up plot. The two older males stunted the flow with their cliched dialogue and stiff acting while the crux of the film - the institutionalising of Seth - is kept for the final 10 minutes. However, of all the performances, I think Seth's stands out. He is the only one with a clue about subtlety. The cameo from the nosy neighbour typified the cliched context.
The DVD contains interminable & repetitive interviews where even the actors seem to be asking 'is that enough?'And the ultimate question - why the long shot in the father-son climax scene where the two become mere spots on the horizon?
For a film about electro-shock therapy - it needs a dose of high voltage to bring it to life!

This film is based on a promising storyline arising from true events. However, it has lost its way. I believe the story has been told from the wrong perspective and, although the actors are all good looking, their delivery is wooden and the script is stilted. As a result, it comes out like a B series, day-time soap. Sorry, guys, I tried to like it, but...

Jeff London wrote, directed, and produced this little Indie film, and had he assumed only one of the duties, the result would probably have been a much better movie. The running time is 115 minutes and could have easily been edited down to about 85 minutes by excluding the corniest 'homey scenes' with Aunt Lillian sharing pie recipes and girl talk that add nothing to the plot and only tire the viewer.

David (Jesse Petrick) and his little brother Ricky (Anthony J. Domingues) have traveled with their divorced father Brian (Jeff Davis) from their big city home to Brian's beach hometown to visit Aunt Lillian (Phyllis Rodenberger) for the summer. As this seemingly happy family (though broken by divorce) settles in, and Brian reunites with his old buddy Tommy (Jeremy Douglas) who has taken in his younger brother Seth (Mathieu Smith) as a favor to his family, the reason for the change of home will be revealed later. As Brian and Tommy re-bond, both having losses in their lives since their boyhood, David and Seth get to know each other and gradually discover an attraction that goes beyond friendship. After a tender and quiet kiss at night on the beach, they acknowledge their attraction, only to be betrayed by the threat young Ricky poses as he declares he will inform David's father of his brother's perversion! The boys confront their feelings with the David's father and Seth's brother and find acceptance and unconditional love from families mature enough to accept them. Seth reveals his several month's history of 'rehabilitation clinic for gays' experience which led to his moving in with his brother Tommy and the bigotry and tragedy of that event solidly bonds all of the families during the summer referenced in the title.

Much has been said about the amateur acting in this film, but for this viewer the acting on the part of the four main characters is not at all weak: the direction is flaccid and begs for focus and tightening of scenes that would have made the edited down version of this film a very moving story. An additional annoyance is the insipid music score (piano only) that breaks into 'Simple Gifts' at the most inappropriate time. But the message of acceptance of gay boys coming out is handled well and has enough original thought and subtlety to merit watching. Grady Harp, June 07

Wow. I thought we'd gotten beyond this point: flocking to movies with gay themes only BECAUSE they have gay themes (or going to gay restaurants with bad food and bad service, or... well, you get the idea).

I don't wish to be cruel, because I know dozens of people put their hearts and souls into the project, but this quite frankly never should have been made. There is nothing new: no insights, no twists, no heart. It feels like a 20 minute short that was padded into a feature film by adding dialogue that not only has nothing to do with the story, but doesn't tell us anything about the character either. As my partner said every time the aunt came on the screen: "Oh, good, let's hear some more gossip about the neighbors that doesn't mean a thing." To be honest we eventually started fast-forwarding through scenes that had this "small talk" dialogue (a LOT of scenes). We could always tell they weren't saying anything important because the only time anyone said anything related to the story they become serious and angst-ridden.

There are many "if onlys" for this movie. If only there had been a script to match the absolutely INCREDIBLE look (whoever the cinematographer was, he/she has a brilliant career ahead). If only even ONE of the actors wasn't stiff and totally unbelievable (though to be fair, the dialogue was still and unbelievable, so they didn't have much to work with). If only there had been SOME twist (like Dad or dad's friend being gay?). If only I had read some of the reviews before I bought this film.

I guess I'm a masochist. I keep buying and renting bad gay films and going to bad gay plays. But when you find a gem, it makes it all worth it. This, unfortunately, isn't even made of paste.

With all due respect I give the director and cast credit for producing a gay film but this is like a bad ABC Aftenoon School Special. The acting is pretty bad and the story drags. I would recommend renting this first if you can, it's not worth the money to buy.

This is another film that has its heart in the right place... the filmmakers, cast and crew wanted to make a pretty film about the tribulations of coming out and being gay. But, sadly, they don't back it up with anything to put some meat on the film's bones. The script just wanders, the acting is terribly amateurish, and the camerawork just clunks. Worst of all, the film's treatment of women is unintentionally hysterical and borderline offensive. The funniest moment on the DVD? Watch the interview with the lead actor... he thinks he's Tom Cruise.

May be one of the most listless films ever made. Deadly dull dialogue, wooden acting, stilted camera work and an unimaginative story. The author should have read a beginners' guide to screenwriting before starting this project; his plot meanders without pace, meaningful character development or direction. Sadly, the writer has something to say about tolerance toward gay and lesbian people, but there are many films out there that say the same things - and do it with creativity and/or artistry. A real waste of time.

This is a great independent film that explores the effect of a young man coming to terms with his sexuality in spite of the trauma he has suffered because of his family.

May be one of the most listless films ever made. Deadly dull dialogue, wooden acting, stilted camera work and an unimaginative story. The plot meanders without pace, direction or meaningful character development. The writer has something to say about tolerance toward gays and lesbians, but his film is so bland that it's hard to care. This film is stuck on the notion that small town life and values are superior the city's, so that I half expected a religious theme to develop, and sure enough as the credits rolled by, a quavering voice sang a peculiar song about "there's room for everyone at Jesus' table." The message is fine - just awkwardly introduced. That's a good word for the whole film, awkward.