Now that we’ve made it through a seeming long endless winter and a hit and Miss spring, it’s time to start thinking summer. Here are five movies to put you in the summer mood.
1. Speed
For most people The Matrix is Keanu Reeves’ best performance. For me it’s Speed. It’s the kind of action-packed thrill right that just hits different when the temperature starts to rise. The premise is simple: a bus is armed with a bomb when the speedometer reaches 50. If it goes below 50, the bus explodes. Out of that simplicity comes some first rate stunt work and inventive action scenes. All of this works because of the wonderful performances of Reeves, Sandra Bullock, Jeff Daniels and Dennis Hopper. No one does crazy villains quite like Hopper.
2. Jaws
Thinking about going to the beach? Think again! A pool might be a better option, especially after seeing Jaws. The original summer blockbuster, Jaws still holds up. This isn’t just a gory horror movie. Part of its genius is how it manages to deliver so much tension by the suggestion of the shark. So maybe in retrospect the mechanical shark constantly malfunctioning was a blessing. Instead of cheap jump scares we get excruciating suspense which has even more weight because we’re so invested in the lead characters. Jaws has top notch performances from Roy Scheider, Richard Dreyfuss, Robert Shaw, Lorraine Gary…Not a bad bit of casting to be found.
3. The Parent Trap
One of the staples of summer is kids going to summer camp. And no movie captures that experience better than The Parent Trap. While I did enjoy the remake with Lindsay Lohan, the original with Hayley Mills is special. There’s a charm and innocence to the story that makes it timeless. Mills is brilliant playing both of the twin sisters scheming to reunite their divorced parents. Mills gives each a distinct personality and sells the whole thing. My other favorite performance is Maureen O’ Hara as the divorced mom. The whole vibe of the movie is delightful.
4. Mama Mia!
I know I’m going to lose some people with this choice. But here me out. It’s actually an underrated movie. The locations will make you want to book a trip to Greece immediately. The ABBA songs are fun as is the choreography of the numbers. Even if the actors aren’t first rate singers (save for Meryl Streep, especially when she slays The Winner Takes It All), you can see the effort being made. Mama Mia! has a quirky charm to me that’s irresistible.
5. The Endless Summer
To round out your summer viewing, I suggest the surfing documentary The Endless Summer. It’s both a fun travelogue and fascinating look at surfer culture. The photography, locations and capturing of the whole surfer world is absolutely fascinating. It’s no surprise that audiences lined up to see it in droves in 1965. The Endless Summer works as a documentary and a great piece of cultural nostalgia.
Film Perspective 