First off, let me start out by saying that this movie is highly underrated. Sure, it's been on TCM time and time again and some people have seen it, but it's not world renowned like other coming-of-age classics like Stand by Me.
For starters, the characters are great. They're all relatable and I'm sure you can think back to a time in your life when you had a group of friends like these. I was a mix between Hermie and Oscy, both well-maintained and sarcastic at times. The actors who portray them put on great performances, too. It was also a great move to have relatively unknown actors play the parts, though I don't know if this was intentional.
Second, it has a very relatable plot. Everybody has had a Summer of '42 in their life, the summer that really changes them, the one that makes them go from childhood to adulthood thanks to a certain event or person, one that really shapes them to the person they are today.
Third, it's quite funny. I mean, the Oscy character really pumps out some funny sarcastic lines, and the rubbers scene alone is worth the price of admission.
Lastly, the main theme is excellent. It sounds so ambient, yet beautiful at the same time. I love how mysterious it is, too; how it plays only when we see Jennifer O'Neill's character, who throughout most of the movie, we know little about. And the fact that Jennifer herself isn't that well-known adds to the mystery.
If there's one thing I could complain about, it's the home media for this. The DVD itself is lacking in special features. Personally, I think this movie needs to be on Criterion. Yeah, get Herman Raucher in there with the guys who played the three boys and anyone else who's still alive from the movie and have a commentary and maybe some interviews. That'd be cool.
All in all, Summer of '42 is in my opinion, one of the best coming of age movies ever. It has great characters, great performances, a great script, and a great score. It's an overall great movie. Check it out.
For starters, the characters are great. They're all relatable and I'm sure you can think back to a time in your life when you had a group of friends like these. I was a mix between Hermie and Oscy, both well-maintained and sarcastic at times. The actors who portray them put on great performances, too. It was also a great move to have relatively unknown actors play the parts, though I don't know if this was intentional.
Second, it has a very relatable plot. Everybody has had a Summer of '42 in their life, the summer that really changes them, the one that makes them go from childhood to adulthood thanks to a certain event or person, one that really shapes them to the person they are today.
Third, it's quite funny. I mean, the Oscy character really pumps out some funny sarcastic lines, and the rubbers scene alone is worth the price of admission.
Lastly, the main theme is excellent. It sounds so ambient, yet beautiful at the same time. I love how mysterious it is, too; how it plays only when we see Jennifer O'Neill's character, who throughout most of the movie, we know little about. And the fact that Jennifer herself isn't that well-known adds to the mystery.
If there's one thing I could complain about, it's the home media for this. The DVD itself is lacking in special features. Personally, I think this movie needs to be on Criterion. Yeah, get Herman Raucher in there with the guys who played the three boys and anyone else who's still alive from the movie and have a commentary and maybe some interviews. That'd be cool.
All in all, Summer of '42 is in my opinion, one of the best coming of age movies ever. It has great characters, great performances, a great script, and a great score. It's an overall great movie. Check it out.