Les Chester en Floride

John Candy stands alone as one of our true comic geniuses. I was so saddened when he passed away so young. He left the world a truly sadder place. We were all robbed of a priceless national treasure. This man was a true comic giant, but he was also a fine actor. He made you CARE about the characters that he played. John reminded me of Charlie Chaplain in so many ways. Chaplain could make an audience laugh and cry without using one single word. John Candy did that in Planes Trains And Automobiles and it was one of the finest acting jobs that I have ever seen in a movie. Lee Strassburg would have been so proud. Its in the scene where Steve Martin bawls him out in a motel room, he tells him basically what a pain in the ass he is. There is a hurt look on John's face that I will never forget as long as I live. He made you FEEL the hurt and the pain in his heart. John Candy lost his father at an early age and was haunted by that death all of his life. I guess it is true that some of our greatest comics have tears in their hearts. In Summer Rental John gives what I would consider one of his "typical" performances. He is a loving family man who just decides to get away from it all. Richard Crenna and Rip Torn are both wonderful character actors and both give Candy able support. I can tell that everyone who made this film had a ball doing it. It sure comes through in the finished product. Carl Reiner is a true giant of comedy and I am so glad that he directed this film. He and Candy worked so well that it is a shame that they never made another film together. This is one of those films that doesn't carry an important social message, the idea is that you should just leave your brain and social conscience at the door of the cinema and just relax and have a good time watching a true comic giant at work. I truly believe in my heart that John was one of God's gifts who was put here to make us laugh. Considering the current state of our world and the current state of "comedy", almost 10 years after his untimely death, I think we need John Candy now more then ever before.

At 86 minutes and half a dozen subplots not being wrapped up or developed in any way at all. For example the subplot involving John Laroquette is never given the chance to become anything. His whole presence in the movie is totally pointless and I suspect there was a whole 'Candy's wife may be cheating on him' plot that was cut out because it just too similar Chase/D'Angelo in Vacation.

We never know what happens to Richard Crenna or Rip Torn after the Regatta and we never know how the rest of the Summer Rental went. It's like the writers knew there was no plot, chucked in this Regatta crap and thought that would be a good place to end the film when it's over. And what was wrong with the popcorn Candy and Crenna eat? I found that pretty weird.

Although I have already made comparisons to Vacation I still feel like this film is good enough without being a copycat movie. It's seems more realistic and doesn't have any slapstick humor. Candy feels more like a real guy who needs a real vacation. We want him to relax but still can't help laughing when everything goes wrong. My fave scene is when he returns home to find it transformed into some kind of free-for-all Funhouse.

But for a film set in Florida there is a huge lack of nice scenery and the photography isn't so cool. I wonder why Kerri Green (who starred in The Goonies the same year) never made another mainstream movie tho. Joey Laurence did so why not her?

If you like comedies, but hate the scatological humor that most present day comedies have, then this is a good enough escape. I miss John Candy and wish he made more movies before he died.

The type of movie you can watch once a year and never get tired of. Typical John Candy film. Why did he always get mediocre scripts, save the John Hughes films? Was Hughes the only director who saw his talent? Either way, Candy rises above the material and makes the film fun to watch, but not necessarily a great film by any means. Great line regarding "The Smurfs."

3/5 stars -

John Ulmer

For most of his career, John Candy played a bunch of rather silly roles that - while they were completely goofy - were great nevertheless. "Summer Rental" is one such role. Candy plays overworked air traffic controller Jack Chester, who takes his family on vacation in Florida. Naturally, it ends up being not as much of a vacation as they hoped. Finally, Jack and his family decide to take one last chance to restore their dignity.

I will admit that "Summer Rental" is pretty much a big excuse to be silly, but you gotta love it. This is John Candy doing what he does best. It's really too bad that he died; he really had a good track record.

This is one movie that shows how your summer vacation all goes wrong. John Candy plays Jack Chester, an over-worked man who decides to bring his family on vacation...and fails miserably. Instead of bringing them on vacation, he leads them strait to the gates of hell. Through several acts of trying to do good, Jack only makes things worse for himself. This movie was one of the best movies of John Candy's career. There was no over-acting and no artsy stuff. Just a good old fashioned comedy. Just how they should be. This is an old fashioned romp of a good belly laughing comedy. See it, if you are a Candy fan. See it anyway, even if you aren't. SUMMER RENTAL is one of the best comedies that John Candy ever did. 5/5.