A Summer Place

Overlong and overwrought, A Summer Place, which has inexplicably become a minor classic in the years since its 1959 release, follows the exploits of several characters over one particularly tumultuous summer (including Richard Egan’s Ken, Constance Ford’s Helen, and Dorothy McGuire’s Sylvia). Aside from a fantastic sequence in which Ken brutally outlines Helen’s every fault and prejudice, A Summer Place is almost entirely devoid of elements designed to capture and sustain the viewer’s interest; filmmaker Delmer Daves’ laughably melodramatic screenplay holds few surprises, and the movie consequently possesses a vibe of predictability that’s impossible to overlook. That both Ken and Sylvia are married to unreasonably awful people certainly doesn’t help matters, and there’s little doubt that Helen’s relentlessly contemptible demeanor eventually hinders one’s ability to enjoy the film. The end result is a film that’s just egregiously silly; were it not for Max Steiner’s justifiably legendary score, it’s highly unlikely that A Summer Place would be remembered quite so fondly.

*1/2 out of ****