Summer of '42 (DVD, 2002)

I loved this movie. It's an old setting on a beach where families summer. It's about being young and impressionable. A teenage boy falling in love with an older woman. And the humor of 3 teenage boys forging toward manhood. Lots of scenes will bring back nostalgic feelings of years gone bye. The movie left me remembering and smiling.

Looking backwards at a 36 year old movie, and seeing it for the first time, is a little tricky. I am old enough to remember when it first came out but Mom wouldn't let me see it. I saw it for the first time a few days ago.

I have to say, the nostalgia was beautiful, and there were a lot of things from my own adolescence that came rushing back, both painful and very sentimental. This is the part of the movie that most will enjoy.

What I didn't like about the movie has more to do with the editing than anything else...there are too many "grinning idiot" moments that didn't need to be in there. What I mean by that are close-up cut to shots of Hermie's grinning face while he is making it to second base with a date. And his side kicks should have been toned down, I have known these anoying kids in my real life and they went over the top with it.

This could have been a flawless movie with a little more direction and better editing.

That said, I have wanted to see this movie since 1973, and in a sense, it was worth the wait...I am not sure I would have appreciated it when I was younger.

I would love to see a remake of this movie, shot at Edgartown and the Vineyard, but keep the nostalgia...develope the characters a little more.

I think Spielberg would be a good pick to direct since he is so great at viewing things from a youthfull mind.

Another twist would be to get David Lynch to direct it, but actually, he would be better at directing a remake of Frank Perry's "Last Summer".

I saw this movie first around 1975 on TV and fell in love with it. I watch it every time I can. While it was more relevant to me when i was in my teens I still love the coming of age of a young boy into manhood. Not only sexually but lovingly. We see him go from acting 16 to acting 30 due to the love of a stranger. Its sweet, bittersweet, happy, sad all rolled into one.

One thing I must mention is that today this probably wouldnt be released. You have a 25 or 30 year old woman having relations with a 16 year old boy. Today its called rape.

Summer of 42 has always been my all time favorite, but finding it in DVD was never easy. Looking on E-bay I found so many of them, I bid on it & in no time it was in my house ready to be watched. I don't know why i even go any place else, when I know I'll always find it here.

Great classic. The music score was one of the best at that time. we played the main summer of 42 song in my Orchestra class. I played cello. a great classic. I saw this new at the theater.