Summertree

I was about 10 years old when I started to watch Summertree. I liked Michael Douglas. I thought he was handsome! Just that alone was enough for me to stop changing channels and watch! I was mesmerized by the great acting! Michael Douglas played his role with such conviction and depth I was drawn to keep watching the movie. The roles of his parents were for me heart wrenching to watch. The conflict between father and son probably was played out (in real life!) in homes all across the country during the Vietnam war. The mother was played my one of my all time favorite actresses. She was torn in half physically & emotionally for she deeply loved her son and yet honored her husband. A tough no-win situation to be in! This is the other reason I am posting comments about Summertree. The Music! I heard the most beautiful guitar song!(no words) I couldn't believe how BEAUTIFUL IT WAS! I ran to my piano to pluck it out! I play it to this very day!(30 years later)I have craved to hear it again, I have done hours of research to find the music, the title, & score. The tempo makes me think of Waltz Dancing music. Maybe Strauss? It's Hauntingly Beautiful! I wish that this movie would come out on DVD!

Michael Douglas plays a college student who's trying to figure out what to do with his life, as most 19-21 year old kids are wont to do. As long as he stays in college, he can get a deferment from the draft to Vietnam. Following his Christmas break, he decides to apply to a music conservancy after he gets good initial reviews from his audition (guitar playing). A man waiting off-stage offers him a job to play in between band sets at a coffee house he owns, and Douglas jumps at the chance. Things are going swell. He has a job offer, a chance to study and make music, a love life that is sweet and hot with Brenda Vaccaro (a nurse who's separated, but not yet divorced from her husband), good rapport with his 'little brother', played by Kirk Callaway, and a somewhat tepid, but improving relationship with his parents (Jack Warden and Bel Geddes).

Then he makes the fateful decision to drop out of college to pursue his music education. Since the conservancy is tied to the university he's attending, things should be fine as far as his draft status is concerned. Things in his life begin to unravel as the first big 'Whoops' occurs. He doesn't get a scholarship to the conservancy. His father shows up to give him his draft notice. His girlfriend's husband shows up from 'Nam. His 'little brother's' real life brother is killed in 'Nam. Talk about when it rains, it pours!! So Jerry (Douglas' character) tries to figure out how to get out of the draft. He settles on his last, best idea, which is to high-tail it off to Canada.

He buys a beat up Ford Falcon and stops at his home to bid his parents adieu. His mom doesn't like the idea of him leaving, but she's supportive of his decision. Dad is against the idea. Is it because he's concerned about his son being labeled a fugitive or a coward? We aren't sure, but he gives in and takes his son to an auto repair shop to check out the car and get a new set of tires for the trip north. While at the garage, Douglas overhears Jack Warden speaking with the owner of the body shop imploring him to do something, anything to disable the vehicle for a few days (presumably to try and reason with his son). Douglas freaks out, jumps in the car, burns rubber, and tries to speed off, but instead T-bones a car being hauled by a tow truck to the body shop. Warden gets in on the passenger side of the car and has a stare down with his boy.

I'm not going to give away the ending here, but it does have a stunning twist to it. Well, stunning as far as I was concerned. I'd give it about 6.5 out of 10.

Even though its plot was basically an anti-war movie, it gives good argument on both sides. Summertree shows that the Vietnam War was also a battle between generations; Michael Douglas as the misdirected young man and Jack Warden the "give em hell" dad. Douglas plays a college student who keeps the draft board off his back until he mistakenly decides to change majors, suddenly he's drafted and faced with a difficult choice with very few options.

Luckily my parents had a VCR during the late 70's and Summertree just happened to be playing late one night. My mother was a huge Michael Douglas fan so she recorded anything he starred in and thanks to her I was able to see this gifted talent as it blossomed into super stardom. Although that old tape is still in good condition I'd love to own this great movie on DVD.

A great, thought-provoking movie. Of particular note is the performance of William "Bill" Smith, who played the Draft Lawyer!

I have nothing good to say about this movie. The story's been done numerous time: a young man who can't make up his mind what he wants to do with himself tries to become a draft dodger.

But it's worse than that. None of the characters are likable. Michael Douglas as the son is in serious need of growing up. Jack Warden as his father is an Archie Bunker type (fitting, considering that Rob "Meathead" Reiner has a small role).

Brenda Vaccaro's character is redundant to the plot, adding little to the story. Even so, she's far from admirable as she's not completely honest with the son.

I found the movie boring and pretentious and I wasn't entirely surprised at how it ended.

Avoid this one like the plague.