I was 54 years late, but I finally got around to watching this well-known soap opera. Released in 1959, the story has to do with a couple (Arthur Kennedy and Dorothy McGuire) who own a vacation inn off the coast of Maine. It's a beautiful old mansion but they're barely above poverty and Kennedy's a sad alcoholic. That's when an affluent couple visits for the summer (Richard Egan and Constance Ford). Egan was a lifeguard on the island when he was a teen and knows the couple from his youth. He and McGuire dated back then and Egan wants to reignite the flame, likely because his wife is utterly frigid. On top of this, both couples have teens (Troy Donahue and Sandra Dee) and they strike up a secret romance as well. There are drastic consequences to these liaisons.
What separates this film from a television soap opera is the location shooting. I should point out, however, that it was shot on the coast of California, not Maine (Pacific Grove and Carmel-by-the-Sea).
"A Summer Place" is a worthwhile film because, watching it, is like going back in time where mores were more reserved and much less hedonistic. A girl wasn't expected to have sex until she married and, if she did, it was scandalous. It was the same thing with adultery, which still is scandalous, but even more so back then. It's also interesting to see how people dressed while lounging around the house, all dressed-up. Despite the differing mores, people are still human and face the same human needs and temptations that people do in any time period.
The social dynamics are also interesting: It's wrong for Richard and Dorothy to commit adultery, but who can blame them in the face of Constance' cold legalism and Arthur's pathetic alcoholism? Constance seethingly condemns Dorothy as a monstrous adulterous, but she's oblivious to her own loveless arrogance. Which is the greater transgression? Would Richard have strayed in the first place if Constance wasn't such an impassive ice queen? And without Richard's advances Dorothy would've never been tempted to cheat on Arthur. O what a tangled web we weave.
The first half is great for the reasons cited above, including the gorgeous locations, but the second half moves away from the island and focuses on the relationship of Donahue and Dee, which simply isn't as interesting as the adult entanglements. Thankfully, the story picks up in the final act and the core message rings loud and clear: love conquers all (and I'm not talking' bout mere physical lust).
FINAL WORD: The film runs 130 minutes and is overlong by about 10-20 minutes, but it's an interesting period piece with some fascinating gems to extract, not to mention the beautiful coastal locations.
GRADE: B
What separates this film from a television soap opera is the location shooting. I should point out, however, that it was shot on the coast of California, not Maine (Pacific Grove and Carmel-by-the-Sea).
"A Summer Place" is a worthwhile film because, watching it, is like going back in time where mores were more reserved and much less hedonistic. A girl wasn't expected to have sex until she married and, if she did, it was scandalous. It was the same thing with adultery, which still is scandalous, but even more so back then. It's also interesting to see how people dressed while lounging around the house, all dressed-up. Despite the differing mores, people are still human and face the same human needs and temptations that people do in any time period.
The social dynamics are also interesting: It's wrong for Richard and Dorothy to commit adultery, but who can blame them in the face of Constance' cold legalism and Arthur's pathetic alcoholism? Constance seethingly condemns Dorothy as a monstrous adulterous, but she's oblivious to her own loveless arrogance. Which is the greater transgression? Would Richard have strayed in the first place if Constance wasn't such an impassive ice queen? And without Richard's advances Dorothy would've never been tempted to cheat on Arthur. O what a tangled web we weave.
The first half is great for the reasons cited above, including the gorgeous locations, but the second half moves away from the island and focuses on the relationship of Donahue and Dee, which simply isn't as interesting as the adult entanglements. Thankfully, the story picks up in the final act and the core message rings loud and clear: love conquers all (and I'm not talking' bout mere physical lust).
FINAL WORD: The film runs 130 minutes and is overlong by about 10-20 minutes, but it's an interesting period piece with some fascinating gems to extract, not to mention the beautiful coastal locations.
GRADE: B