Almost Summer

I caught this movie one weekend afternoon years ago when the clothes and hairstyles were still fashionable. What intrigued me I have no idea, maybe it was the woman in the bikini caressing her body and the music was very Beach Boys. I had the unmistakeable impression I had seen Didi Conn and Bruno Kirby in something else, but no idea what it could have been, especially Kirby. They were perfectly cast as brother and sister. John Friedrich, as the new kid Darryl Fitzgerald, rounded out the group for me. Kirby sought to get back at Lee Purcell by pushing Friedrich to run against her as class president. With his slogan 'you don't know me, but. . .' and his weak, adolescent behaviour, Friedrich was very convincing for me as an insecure teen. When he learns of underhanded dealings perpetrated by Kirby, he drops out of the race. This was my intro to the teen vehicle of everything wrapping up in the end. I always wondered why the film never became more recognizeable or launched more successful careers for the actors and actresses.

great movie for any ages, especially if you liked high school. Kirby and Conn have unique voices and Conn has awesome legs. Friedrich plays a likable character and seeing a pre-Animal House Tim Matheson is cool.

This movie is a little known film about a high school election. It's got some comedy, a little drama and a little romance, with Beach Boys-esque music (most of it was composed by Mike Love) It has Bruno Kirby, as Bobby DeVito, who will stop at nothing to see that Christine Alexander (Lee Purcell) doesn't win. They once dated, and now he wants to help an unknown candidate named Darryl Fitzgerald run against Christine. Meanwhile, Christine is having problems with her boyfriend and Darryl and Bobby's sister, Donna start to fall in love, too! Great hijinx and cool music make this one cool movie, which is worth seeking out, as it has never been released on video.

"Almost Summer" was worked on by four screenwriters (Judith and Sandra Berg, Martin Davidson--who also directed--and Marc Reid Rubel), yet it opens with the oldest visual cliché in the teen-movie manual: anonymous girl in a red bikini lying on a beach towel next to her suntan oil and radio. Who is she? It doesn't matter. For a film that wants to examine cutthroat high school politics with a somewhat serious face, this opening shot--more than any other--tips the writers' hand: what they really wanted to make was a girl-ogling flick on the level of "Beach Blanket Bingo". When his candidate for student body president is suspended, wheeler-dealer Bruno Kirby has to come up with a last minute replacement to challenge Lee Purcell, the class brain. Most of the actors look old enough to be in college (one of the reasons, I think, the movie didn't catch on with its target audience), although Didi Conn does her oddball outsider thing to good effect (even if the sight gag with her braces is overdone). One tires quickly of wise guy Kirby, who swears like a seasoned sailor and gambles on the side like a streetwise hustler. "Grease" beat this into theaters by three months and, while that film also featured kids too old for class, it had a real feel for classrooms and teachers and puppy love. "Almost Summer" wants to be hard-shelled and yet sentimental--the underdog as teen idol--but the dialogue is too smart and worldly and cynical. Where's the fun of being a teenager? ** from ****

i saw this teen comedy at a drive-in double feature along with 'thank god its Friday',which had some of the same cast. lee Purcell as a snotty b**ch type,is devilishly sexy,as she was still a hot little fox,in the Nancy Allen vein. Didi conn plays the ugly duckling type,who becomes a swan,ala 'shes all that',she shows surprisingly,an incredible set of bazookies in a tight red gown during the prom scene,who would of thought that frenchie was such a sexpot?. john Friedrich,Tim matheson and Bruno Kirby,round out the cast of guy characters and 'the beach boys' mike love adds music. this movie also had the lovely actress 'sunny Johnson',who sadly in the early 80's would pass away quite young,she would go on to appear in 'national lampoon's animal house','the night the lights went out in Georgia' and 'flashdance'. i thought this movie was pretty good at the time and it obviously had a reliable cast,this movie should definitely be repackaged in a double DVD set along with 'shes all that',as they both have a lot in common.