This is the sort of movie that plays with more impact in a theater than on TV or DVD. On the small screen, not only do you miss interacting with a sympathetic audience, but the timing and the editing seem not quite right. Oddly, the movie's screenplay construction which relies heavily on one-off episodes would seem ideal for television, but this is not the case. The climactic yacht race does not come across with the impact a live audience would give it. Instead, the editing often seems mistimed and fails to build as effectively as it should to the anticipated climax. In fact, it cuts out just at the point where it should start to get really exciting. Instead of building to a climax, the race almost fades away. It seems as if director Carl Reiner was telling us: "Well, you all know what's going to happen so it's no use making a big thing of it. We've got one joke to pull, and that should do it!" John Candy gets the director's rapt attention at all times. So does Rip Torn. But Richard Crenna's role is not built up sufficiently (although he has his moments). In fact, aside from Rip Torn (and briefly, Miss "Are they real?"), director Reiner always seems to be aiming his camera squarely at Candy at the expense of almost everyone else in the vast cast,
Review of Summer Rental
