Summer of '42 (1971)

mystically beautiful

Occasionally some person or some event lifts our spirits high above the normal plane of existence and we experience a beauty and a joy that we never knew existed and yet, once experienced, leaves us somehow changed forever. The Summer of '42 had that effect upon me.

I wonder if all of our various experiences of love, beauty, truth etc. are but pale emanations from our Creator who sometimes allures us, not with greatness, but with an overwhelming humility, painful gentleness and sheer beauty?

While the subject matter of Summer of '42 could hardly be described as being of high moral character, it nevertheless sounded a note in me whose very existence I was previously unaware.

Perhaps it was the beauty of Jennifer O'Neill; perhaps it was the stirring words of the narrator ..... for no person I've ever known etc;........ maybe it was the introspective music of Michel Legrand, but whenever I watch certain scenes from this romantic classic I simply cannot remain within myself. I am transported to a more beautiful place and a more beautiful time. Every time! August 13, 2008

summer of 42

Really great movie, we always see movies of girls coming of age or having positive life changing moments, This really is a great one for and about boys. July 3, 2008

An Eloquent Film of Style, Beauty & Timeless Grace

Based on the biographical novel by Herman Raucher, the film is able to capture the time and feelings of a teenage boy dealing with new feelings as he discovers that he has a powerful attraction toward a young woman who is seven years his senior. Perhaps one of the things that makes this such a compelling story is the writer's brutal honesty about his thoughts and feelings. The author himself captures this very idea with his words that are used in the opening part of the film:

"Nothing from that first day I saw her, and no one that has happened to me since, has ever been as frightening and as confusing. For no person I've ever known has ever done more to make me feel more sure, more insecure, more important, and less significant."

I think many people have had the new, fresh experience of a young teenager who has developed feelings for someone that doesn't seem to make sense, and yet you can't just ignore those feelings either.

Hermie is a young boy spending his summer on the island of Nantucket. He spends his days with best friends Oscy and Benjie. As fifteen-year-old boys, they discover and powerful curiosity into the world of sex. They even talk Benjie into swiping his parents' medical book so they can "see and learn how it's done." Hermie is just as curious as his friends, but then something happens. He finds himself infatuated by the young 22-year-old woman living in a house on the beach with her husband who is shipping off to Europe during WWII. Somehow, because we don't see much of her husband, we already figure this a prelude of events to come.

Hermie is teased by his friends when they learn of his infatuation, and he doesn't take it well. It's almost as if he views their snide comments as an attack on her as well as him. Perhaps this is because, like many first-time loves, it is special to him; perhaps even sacred.

He starts by watching her from afar and perhaps dreaming of what it would be like to be with her. At first, she's just an image, until he finally meets her by helping to carry her groceries home. We quickly find that she is a very sweet, down-to-earth girl who genuinely likes Hermie, even if it isn't the same type of "like." She welcomes his companionship, as it appears that she doesn't have any other friends on the island. She sunbathes alone and goes to the movies alone. And she treats Hermie very nicely even when he finds himself stumbling over his comments to her. She never laughs or makes fun of him.

Their relationship is handled much like a dream. We don't even find out the girl's name until the last part of the film. It's as if the experience has come and gone, and the writer almost has to wonder if it really happened at all. And yet, this type of experience that is captured so powerfully in this film, works because most viewers can relate to some degree.

Something tragic occurs that allows for Hermie and the girl to come together at last. However, it isn't in any way that perhaps we expect, which reflects Hermie's experience as well. He's at her house, and his intention is simply to be there for her. And although he doesn't realize it at such a young age, his act is healing kind of love that she desperately needs which makes the scene all the more poignant and beautiful. It's almost as if that was his whole purpose for being in her life for the short span of time of one summer.

The performances in this film are very good. Jerry Houser plays Oscy in such a way that we like him even if he's annoying at times. He's simply a friend who doesn't yet get it because he hasn't matured yet.

Hermie is played very well by Gary Grimes who is able to use subtle facial expressions to capture the confusion as well as the genuine feelings of a 15-year-old boy in love for the first time.

Of course, we can't mention performances without Jennifer O'Neill. She plays the girl with a graceful, sweet style that captured the hearts of many young boys at the time this film came out and obviously makes the film work.

The Oscar winning music from this film must also be mentioned. It also seems to sing of sweetness and innocence as two souls come together to give each other what the other needed at that time. We find that love, tenderness, and sweetness of experience is in the moment that comes without planning or expectations. In short, it is a true moment of love. February 24, 2008

Summer of '42

Excellent 'coming of age' movie. Very emotional The 'older' woman is on a different plain from the boy, yet fate brings them together for just a single moment in time, satisfying both their needs. February 10, 2008

ordinary yet beautiful

To borrow a line from the movie itself: In everyone's life, there is a "Summer of '42". The movies captures the feelings and emotions of the young man and the lady and presents them with a touch of details. The conversations are natural yet precise. The music is beautiful.

Today's Hollywood could borrow a chapter from the fine movies from the 70s and 60s, like this one. There is no big budget, tons of special effects, violence needed here. It is simple, yet it is powerful and captivating. February 5, 2008

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