Amours de vacances

Okay, okay. It's a thin plot with a lot of Chamber of Commerce scenery. But it took me back to Greece as I had seen it. Santorini is unmatched anywhere. (Mykonos is also very beuatiful.) The beaches have more than their share of full-tan bathers. It's real. It's their culture. So what? It's not a reason to dish the movie. The movie brings in top musical productions of the era and three budding stars. In the "Isn't it Interesting Category" it's notable that Daryl Hannah (Cathy) states that her fantasy "is to be a mermaid." Voila! The mermaid she became vaulted her career forward. The biggest disappontment that I got from the movie is finding out that the beautiful Valerie Quennessen died in an auto accident in 1989. She played the European free-spirit role well. She had stunning eyes - mindful of Princess Di. God bless her!

This sex comedy/travelogue focuses on the beauty of Greece with its aerial photography of the island of Santorini (a.k.a. Thera). It is a picture-postcard fantasy of Greece. The production values are high and the scenes are colorful and crisp. A lot of its comedy comes from the fact that it's so embarrassing to watch, in a good way. There are a lot of cheesy moments that I wouldn't want to miss. It's 70's/early 80's alternative lifestyle style, which includes a group disco romp where everyone holds hands at the same time! Then there is that scene with the nude body builders... The film is well worth seeing if you've ever dreamed of going to Greece.

How can you NOT love a movie that actually has a clip from a 3 Stooges short?

But seriously, this movie has a way of getting under the skin of many who view it. Like "Bagdad Cafe", and "Summer of '42" this movie has a certain 'magic' to it that stays with you for a very long time afterward. It's not due to any one element, but rather, the synergy created between the beautiful cinematography of the lush Greek scenery, the chemistry between the drop-dead gorgeous cast (all at their absolute peak of sexual/physical ripeness), a dynamic, inspiring soundtrack, and a subtle, well-crafted plot (if you can actually call it that...it is more of a skeletal framework...a backdrop against which to explore the issues at hand) It is a more mature examination, a graduate course, if you will, of the sexual revolution. It is a victory celebration of polyamorous relationships. It's the other side of the coin of 'Bob & Carol & Ted & Alice'. It is "The Harrod Experiment" coming-of-age. (To those of you who were 15 when you saw "Summer Lovers", I doubt you've heard of The Harrod Experiment. The casualness with which nudity is handled in this flick only contributes to the overall beauty of it. (I doubt the movie would have had nearly the same effect if the principals were Roseanne & Oprah, with Pauley Shore playing the male lead...) Funny thing, when it came out, prurient minds dismissed it as the quintessential sleazy male fantasy. There was just one problem with this knee-jerk review...Females liked it as much (if not more) than male viewers!!! This movie has confounded the critics since its debut...and still does so as it continues to win fans 22 years after its release. It is one of the few truly realistic depictions of an 'alternate lifestyle', handled with exquisitely good taste with just the right amount of restraint. Even the editing is exemplary. Truly a classic bit of film-making.

Warning: View it at your own risk. As I stated, the 'message' of this movie is insidious, and can cause one to re-examine some long-held social conventions. Subsequent viewings only enhance this effect. 5 years before "Dirty Dancing", there was Summer Lovers.

The sole tragic note to this movie is that Valerie Quennessen died only 7 years after its release.

I first saw this in 1982 on the big screen in Medicine Hat, Alberta. Twenty-seven years later I was still thinking about it (nothing in particular, just the general sense that it was among the most memorable two hours I spent with my own summer lover), so rented it in 1999. My husband (summer lover long gone) humoured me by sitting through it, but I was again fascinated by the cinematography and the sense of freedom the movie managed to evoke. There's some bad hair and laughable writing, but it still makes me want to visit Greece.

This is a great movie for those willing to throw caution to the wind and go for a ride. At first I was into it for the funky love-triangle. I wanted to see how it would turn out. As it progressed I found that I was paying less attention to the sexual aspects of the film and ended up lost in the eyes of Valérie Quennessen. Without a doubt she has the most beautiful soul I've ever seen in a woman's eyes.

The instant it ended I came to IMDb to see what else she's done. Then I learned the worst. Valérie died 10 years ago. I genuinely feel a loss in my heart.

I must be crazy...I must be in love.