A storm in summer - Temporale d'estate

I've not seen the original 1970 version but I found this one very enjoyable particularly Peter Falk showing he has great versatility as an actor beyond his role as Columbo.The young boy was very good.PS Does the young boy remind you of another black actor who starred in a 80's series called different strokes. 8/10.

gabyroads

Rod Serling is best remembered for his venture into the imagination and fourth dimension of The Twilight Zone, but so many of his other writings become forgotten, such as "Requium for a Heavyweight." This story, "A Storm in Summer," written in 1970, five years before his death, Rod Serling has been able to successfully recapture the fine writing he did with "Requium." And this story is timeless as it speaks today as it did 37 years ago. Rod Serling is among my favorite writers, and I enjoy his social commentaries and dramatic twists in his stories and "Storm" is no different. The cast is excellent with Peter Falk in the lead, and the chemistry between him and his young co-star is magic! However, there are a few points in the movie that are too slow, and I didn't much care for the Grandmother (and those are the reasons for the 9 rating), but other than that, this is a wonderful movie, the kind you can see with the whole family. And a movie not to be missed!!

Despite uneven acting at times, this film still had its heart in the right place. Peter Falk (Jewish in real life) gives the best performance of the entire cast. Aaron Meeks (Herman D. Washington) had natural acting promise, but still needed a few more acting lessons. The scene where he cries was simply not convincing at all. If his adult IMDb credit list is any indication to the above, he never applied whatever talent he may have had, as his adult credits were all relegated to bit roles. Natassja Kinski was terribly miscast. Hokey acting throughout. Nice to see Andrew McCarthy with somewhat long, hippie hair. Overall, a nice tightknit film that focused on storyline rather than most of the unoriginal CGI-laded shlock of today.

Seldom do you see such a good drama dealing with such heartbreak and emotion without it being filled to the brink with sap. Possibly even more rare, this is a TV-movie that elicits more emotion and has far better direction than many theatrical films, even some of the better ones. Peter Falk once again proves his immense talent with a character far from his portrayal of Columbo. The plot is very good, and as far as I know, quite original(keeping in mind that this is a remake). The pacing is unusually good for a made-for-TV film. The cast is excellent, as is the acting. Peter Falk... what is there really to say? With his talent and charisma, he makes even this character interesting, even though, in the beginning, is almost a modern-day Scrooge, with his hatred for just about everyone and everything. He makes us care about this old man and see through the facade, something very few actors can do, and look at the man underneath, the reason behind the hate. Aaron Meeks, I am impressed. Very few child actors do so well on their first try. The dialog has some truly memorable lines. The film deals with racism and hate in a very good way. It also shows that a big wallet does not mean a big heart. The script is good, and has some new ideas, though the very basis of it is pretty much the typical 'two people from two different worlds' plot. This is one everyone should at least consider watching. I recommend this to fans of dramas and particularly fans of Peter Falk. 8/10

This is well worth the investment just to see Falk doing what he does best, creating a character who has a history far beyond the spoken words. Robert Wise directs with an eye toward showing us people behaving in natural and very human ways. (Just watch Ruby Dee's short scene in the bus station with her grandson.) The Rod Serling teleplay shows its age with Serling's penchant for inserting a moral in each moment. And yet, it all goes down smoothly. No surprises, no major revelations. Just a reaffirmation of what we all know to be true.