Summer Magic (DVD, 2005)

I was 8 years old and allowed to see Disney movies at the theater. The film was "Summer Magic" and I was entranced by it. I only saw it once (I come from the generation that had no VCR's or DVD's...movies could only be seen in theaters). Then in my 40's I found that I could buy a copy of "Summer Magic" to play on our VCR. It did not disappoint me...it was still every bit as magical as when I was 8 years old.
A family at "rag time" who have lost their home in Boston, move to a house they once saw on a family trip in the country. Hayley Mills, Dorothy Maguire and Burl Ives have a charm that is delightful as we follow the family through the move and settling into their new home and life. It is especially noteworthy for its depiction of the struggle and joys of young girls growing into young women. The charm of Disney songwriters, the Sherman brothers, weaves its pattern throughout the film.
We bought this most recent copy for our 12 year old granddaughter and her 8 year old sister. We had taken our copy for them to watch and our oldest granddaughter quickly fell under the magical spell of this movie, wanting a copy of her own, so she could watch it weekends and share it with her friends.
Generation to generation this film is one moms will want their daughters to have in their collection. "Summer Magic" is feminine and family education in the most delightful of ways.

I purchased this DVD because I enjoyed it when I was a young adult. It is just a nice story that has a happy ending. Hayley Mills, sweet young child star. Comical, musical, for the light hearted.

Hayley Mills has been a part of many excellent movie productions. Among those are Tiger Bay, Pollyanna, Parent Trap, Chalk Garden, and Whistle Down the Wind. This movie is on the ligher side and ranks among her best. There are quite a few songs sung by most members of the cast including Burl Ives. The music is good and memorable. How could you ever forget The Ugly Bug Ball. There are no real villians in this movie as it is about a family that loves one another and sticks together. When they fall on hard times, a kindly retailer/postmaster/handyman/p​eace officer provides them a chance to live in the house of their dreams. This is a movie of small-town life with interesting people. We bought the widescreen version and it is beautiful. When you want a break from all the heavy drama, crime, special effects, high-tech movies, this is a good choice, especially if you are a Hayley Mills fan.

Definitely one of Hayley Mills best films. Her fans definitely love it. Burl Ives, Dorothy McGuire, and Michael Pollard are wonderful in their roles as well as Hayley. The sets and music are delightful in this movie about an earlier time when life was simpler and although challenging, much kinder. Hayley does a fine job playing a young lady that is always full of optimism.

This color movie doesn't seem to age, since if you didn't know when it was made, you would think it could have been recently. This movie has a few brief moments that may tinge on unsuitability for younger audiences, but parents should be able to explain those situations.

However Disney's movies that has been released recently in US are missing a more variety of languages and subtitles. There's missing subtitles at least in portuguese, italian, norwegian, spanish, french, swedish, chinese and more.

Otherwise, I consider this movie suitable for families including even the youngest children. Amazingly families today still find this an enjoyable movie, but then it is an amazing movie. Full of warmth and values of the heart, this movie is a winner that any family will find to be an excellent addition to their video collection.

Our family loves this and many other upbeat Disney Live Action Films. A great story Set in the 1940's about a precotious young girl who truley makes lemons into lemonade when their family loses their father and has to make a living. She takes their newly adoopted town and several others with them as they create a great new life. The film has been beautifully restored and features some wonderful music. I hope you enjoy it as much as we do and will make it a permanent edition to your library.