Customer Reviews

Summer Rental

5 star:		(34)
4 star:		(21)
3 star:		(5)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(4)

 

 

This is one of my boyfriend's favorite movies and I have grown fond of it as well. It isn't the kind of movie that has you busting out laughing, but it puts a smile on your face and leaves you happy. The music is uplifting and the whole movie has a mellow tone, but I never considered it "slow" as some have.

I do have one issue with this movie, for which the lack of information is driving me crazy:

Am I the only person in the world to notice that there are scenes deleted from the pay channel, VHS and DVD versions? If you watch it on basic cable there are several scenes NOT found in the "uncut" (no commercials) versions:

1) On the drive down to Florida, they have fast food in the car, and feed the dog Archie the onion rings, who then has terrible gas
2) When they are in the wrong rental house the dog is continually shown chewing on the legs of the couch instead of the bones he is being offered by John Candy
3) Right after they leave the wrong house and the rightful owners sigh with relief, the couch falls over as a result of the dog chewing on the legs (they break)

Does Columbia Pictures have something against this dog? I thought those scenes added to the enjoyment of the film! I have purchased and returned the VHS and DVD versions, each time excited to be able to see the entire movie uncut.

If you're reading this, powers that can, please release a special edition with ALL the scenes!!!

John Candy does an outstanding job in this movie, playing the part of Jack Chester, a burned out traffic controller who desperately needs a relaxing vacation. Too bad he doesn't get one!
Taking his family to Florida, he does not know the cabin he has rented is right next door to a public walk leading to the beach.
Living in Florida, I certainly know how busy those walks can be, and that only heightened the laughter for me, as Jack had to deal with 'walkers' everyday, who wanted a glass of water or to use the bathroom. Good Lord!
Add to that a budding teenage daughter, a neighbor who wants to show off her new 'breasts' and rich jerks who think they own the Florida beaches (oh yes,I have seen them as well).
This all adds up to a great movie, one that you will watch time and time again. Outstanding!

I really enjoy John Candy's movies and have copies of most of them. However, since I had seen "Summer Rental" at least twice, I was disappointed when upon viewing this copy, I became aware it had been edited. I know at least one scene was cut (The one involving their pet dog chewing the leg off the chair in the first beach cabin they moved into). I wish someone would develop a method of indicating whether a copy of a movie has been edited from the original release version.

Jack Chester (John Candy) takes his family to the beach on a summer vacation resort in Florida. While on this vacation, Mr. Chester and his family will encounter tough times, make new friends, and much more. All of these events have something in common: They're hilarious!

While I was watching "Summer Rental," I could tell that it just had an average script and that in all ways it should've just been an average movie, but John Candy's hilarious antics make this one a keeper for comedy fans. There are many different parts of "Summer Rental" that you'll always remember once you see them such as when an attractive woman asks John Candy for an honest opinion, and when Candy goes on the beach for the first time and tries to avoid many obstacles.

Not only is "Summer Rental" hilarious, it also has other redeeming qualities such as the adventure that Mr. Chester (John Candy) and his family go on close to the end of the film. To make it short, if you like hilarious comedy movies, I definitely recommend getting "Summer Rental." You'll want to keep this movie for more than just a rental.

At 86 minutes and half a dozen subplots not being wrapped up or developed in any way at all. For example the subplot involving John Larroquette is never given the chance to become anything. His whole presence in the movie is totally pointless and I suspect there was a whole "Candy's wife may be cheating on him" plot that was cut out because it just too similar Chase/D'Angelo in Vacation.

We never know what happens to Richard Crenna or Rip Torn after the Regatta and we never know how the rest of the Summer Rental went. It's like the writers knew there was no plot, chucked in this Regatta crap and thought that would be a good place to end the film when it's over. And what was wrong with the popcorn Candy and Crenna eat? I found that pretty weird.

Although I have already made comparisons to Vacation I still feel like this film is good enough without being a copycat movie. It's seems more realistic and doesn't have any slapstick humor. Candy feels more like a real guy who needs a real vacation. We want him to relax but still can't help laughing when everything goes wrong. My fave scene is when he returns home to find it transformed into some kind of free-for-all Funhouse.

But for a film set in Florida there is a huge lack of nice scenery and the photography isn't so cool. I wonder why Kerri Green (who starred in The Goonies the same year) never made another mainstream movie tho. Joey Laurence did so why not her?

If you like comedies, but hate the scatological humor that most present day comedies have, then this is a good enough escape. I miss John Candy and wish he made more movies before he died.

The DVD has no features other than a trailer, is in utterly terrible Mono and is undermatted at 1.78:1 instead of the theatrical 1.85:1.

When John Candy had his moments, they were usually very good moments. Such is the case with "Summer Rental," where John Candy plays air traffic controller Jack Chester. As everyone knows, air traffic controllers lead a stressful life, and all Jack is looking forward to is getting away from it all.

We can tell from the outset that getting away is going to be difficult. Children Jennifer (Kerri Green, who starred the same year in "Goonies" and the following year in "Lucas") and Bobby (Joey or Joseph Lawrence) are fighting in the car during the trip to the beach. Once at the beach things get difficult. Their stuckup landlord does not like either Jack or his family, and tries to boot them out. Jack thinks he is going to get killed when pretty neighbor Vicki Sanders (Lois Hamilton) asks him to feel how real her augmentation is and husband Ed (Carmine Caridi) walks in. Fortunately Vicki has been doing that a lot and Ed takes it in stride. However, clutzy Jack also ends up breaking a leg. With all this action it seems that things are unable to get worse, which means they do.

Al Pellet (Richard Crenna) has agreed to race them, in a regatta. If they win the race they can stay in the rental. If they lose, they must leave. At long last the Chester family pulls together, with help from Scully (Rip Torn) and a bizarre crew. The group turns a restaurant into a real ship, barely making the race in time.

The joy of this movie is the last half hour. There are short moments where the movie slows a bit, but in general the pace in the last half hour is quick. In light comedies of this type, it is the ending where all the issues are resolved and everyone, except for the jerks, come out ahead.

John Candy generally ends up as the straight man in this movie. The funny parts are what happens to John more than what John says. John performs well in this movie, which was his first as the star.

Other than the brief scene with the breast augmentation, where the exposed portions stay out of camera view, this movie is somewhat family friendly. I would feel comfortable with children in elementary school watching this.

This film is a winner and well worth having in a collection of comedy or family films.

Not quite five stars. I really like John Candy. Too bad he is gone forever. He had so much going for him. His characters in all of his films were so believable and likable.

This film is just another good example of his skills. I can't imagine if there was another actor that could have brought this movie off like he did.

I'm not going to give the plot of this one away. I just want to say this is a good film. Very funny to watch Candy in a family environment as a regular guy going to the beach on vacation.

A great John Candy vehicle. While "Planes, Trains and Automobiles" satirised everything that can go wrong while travelling, "Summer Rental" satirises everything that can go wrong while on vacation - going to the wrong beachhouse, sunburn, crowded restaurants, hostile neighbours etc. The film is a pleasant, lightweight concoction which uses Candy's acting style to good advantage. Candy would later show more depth of character in better scripted films (Only The Lonely etc) but he's in fine form here also.

There were too many edited scenes that made this purchase a non value.
1. When driving to the beach, an edited car scene.
2. When arriving at the first beach house, an edited upstairs foyer scene.
3. When in the first beach house, the dog chewing on the sofa leg and the collapse of the sofa.
4. The fabulous boobs scene.
All these scenes were cut out, and when combined, they only add a minute or so longer to the movie.

John Candy at his best! A story that anyone can relate to. While trying to give his family a fun, relaxing summer vacation in Florida, Candy has no end of troubles. From a wicked sunburn to a run-down beach house, this stressed out air traffic controller can't catch a break. This movie has a great cast, including the scene-stealing Rip Torn as the crusty old "pirate" Scully. If you call yourself a John Candy fan and have never seen this film...SHAME ON YOU!!!