Les derniers beaux jours

A couple of female senior citizens Bette Davis and Beah Richards make As Summers Die one outstanding made for TV drama. Someone should have considered this for theatrical release.

Richards' family comes to see Scott Glenn about some bayou swamp land that she owns and they really want her to sell out. She's insisting that she'll not leave her home and she wants Glenn who's a lawyer and the only one around not on permanent retainer by the delta plantation owners.

Richards and several other black tenants around her have oil on the property and the family that deeded the land over to her now want it back. They hire John Randolph one smooth talking mush mouth shyster togo to court.

The only member of the family that hires Randolph with any integrity is Bette Davis aged widow of the family patriarch. Bette wants to see justice done and she really has no interest in any double dealing this close to the pearly gates. Her competency of course is challenged.

This drama is set in the mid 50s at the beginning of the civil rights era. Glenn himself is taking a long chance career wise representing these black tenant farmers.

Both Davis and Richards have some great courtroom scenes as witnesses. As Summers die is a must for Bette Davis fans. One of the best of her late career roles.

Elvira Backus' family goes to see lawyer Willie Croft (Scott Glenn) because the town's richest family claims her land. Elvira finds an unlikely ally in the dead patriarch's sister Hannah Loftin (Bette Davis) that is challenged by the Holt clan. As for Willie, the involvement in the case intensifies when he falls for Hannah's niece Whitsey (Jamie Lee Curtis).

It's one of those typical made for TV movies where there is an old woman that has problems in keeping her propriety safe from the bloodsucking families. Bette Davis was very good as usual, and Scott Glenn and Jamie Lee Curtis made a nice couple, and honestly I think that if there was more of the relationship the film would have been better. Still, as it is, it's good but nothing exceptional.

I saw this movie on TV years ago, and I've never stopped looking for it again. I'd love it if it was on DVD, so I could rent or buy it. I think Scott Glenn is one of the best actors, and one of the most underrated ones, that are in movies today. And Jamie Lee Curtis is always charming, cute, and does her usual great acting performance. I'm not a Bette Davis fan, so I don't care whether she was good or not in this movie. All the other members of the cast more than make up for my opinion of her. I was especially impressed with the concept of a white lawyer defending a black woman in a lawsuit. All the cast was excellent. I hope I get to see the movie again one of these days. I looked for it on Netflix, but unfortunately, they don't have a copy of it yet.

This Is One Of The BEST & Earliest HBO Original Films! An excellent story carried off superbly by an excellent cast! The legendary Bette Davis SHINES in this classic tale of Greed & Skullduggery in the Deep South. Scott Glenn is wonderful in his role as the small town southern underdog attorney trying to save a black family from losing their home after oil has been discovered under the ground. Jamie Lee Curtis plays the Updated Southern Belle with a KICK. One of her first scenes where she arrives at the family mansion is INCREDIBLE! And Davis as the matronly matriarch of the rich Southern clan who KNOWS what is what is a sight to behold. What will Scott Glenn walk away with? The case or the girl? If you can track down this gem and find out for yourself you will NOT be disappointed!

"Lawyer Willie Croft (Scott Glenn) is indifferently letting his practice run itself when the town's richest family begins a determined effort to obtain the farm of an old black woman, Elvira Backus (Beau Richards). Elvira claims she was given her land by the dead family patriarch, Jonathan Holt, and finds an unlikely ally in Holt's aging sister Hannah (Bette Davis), whose mental competence is being challenged by the Holt clan. As for Willie, his growing involvement in the case intensifies when he begins to fall in love with Hannah's high-spirited niece (Jamie Lee Curtis)."

This "HBO Premiere" TV film is, like the VHS sleeve proclaims, "Wonderfully acted with intelligence and sensitivity." The setting is given as 1959 Georgia, while the VHS says Louisiana (a more story-centric locale, but you get the idea). Ms. Richards' portrayal, for which she won a "Cable Ace" award, is especially outstanding. And, Ms. Davis proves she is still a capable actress (still smoking and drinking), following an obviously debilitating stroke. The film suffers, though, from staid direction and a lugubrious pace. Just try to imagine watching it without Richards and Davis.

***** As Summers Die (5/17/86) Jean-Claude Tramont ~ Scott Glenn, Jamie Lee Curtis, Beah Richards, Bette Davis