Don’t let the name fool you. Summer of 69 is firmly set in the present day and strikes a distinctly modern yet sweet tone as it barrels its way into the Sєx comedy movie canon. It stars Sam Morelos and Saturday Night Live‘s Chloe Fineman as the young loner Abby and the adult dancer she hires, Santa Monica, to help Abby gain confidence and seduce her prince-charming-esque crush. Directed by Jillian Bell, a veteran comedic writer and actor, in her feature debut, Summer of 69 has an endearing message, but forgoes genuine development for the sake of keeping its characters comfortable.
For a Sєx comedy, Summer of 69 is decidedly Sєxless, though this is probably a step forward when it comes to these types of adolescent tales. Unfortunately, the film isn’t willing to risk alienating its audience, never making a statement in any direction, and ending up in a strange middle ground where nothing much happens. Summer of 69 doesn’t concern itself with crafting a coherent plot, opting instead for a series of vignettes that recall better coming-of-age movies. Parts of the film made me smile, but these didn’t make up for the story I was never made to care about.
Morelos & Fineman’s Chemistry Didn’t Convince Me In Summer Of 69
I Wanted To Believe That Abby & Santa Monica Were Friends, But The Actors Weren’t Having Enough Fun
Though neither Morelos nor Fineman is unfunny on their own, there’s a pervasive sense of discomfort, and not the exciting time Santa Monica tells us to search for. The central pair we’re supposed to be rooting for lacks any kind of chemistry. Fineman is giving off such a potent energy that she doesn’t want to be there; it’s almost shocking. Of course, her character is a little beaten down and searching for purpose, but Fineman even plays the moments that are supposed to be sweet with a sour atтιтude. She isn’t the type of mentor I would call.
For Morelos’ part, Abby is a tough character to bring to life. She’s supposed to emulate the classic “high school loser” archetype, but Summer of 69 doesn’t ever put her in any truly awkward or embarrᴀssing situations. For all its supposed raunchiness and explicit content, Summer of 69 doesn’t go there. I wasn’t waiting for it to be upsetting or offensive; I’ll gladly leave those parts of the teen comedy genre behind. However, I was hoping for the characters to be pushed further in their journeys and for the stakes to feel high for one moment of the film.
The best thing about Summer of 69 is the respect it gives to its characters.
A wasted ensemble makes brief appearances throughout the story, with Bell herself making a small cameo in the Sєx shop that spikes Abby’s anxiety. Like most of the story choices, the supporting characters are simply tools used to progress the plot, appearing at the perfect moment when a character needs an uplifting speech or a few thousand dollars. While the purpose of a movie like this is hardly the plot, there isn’t enough character development to make up for the easy solutions that are supplied every time an obstacle arises.
There were moments when I almost cared about the characters and their futures, but you learn nothing about them outside their occupations and singular motivations that propel them through the film. Abby wants to have her first Sєxual experience and likes video games. Santa Monica wants to save the club and is afraid of her high school reunion. There’s little more to say about them than that. A few zany experiences and one blowout fight don’t make a friendship, and it feels lazy of Summer of 69 to think that it does.
The best thing about Summer of 69 is the respect it gives to its characters. It should be common practice that Sєx workers are treated as fully fleshed-out characters who have lives, friends, and fears like everyone else. Summer of 69 is a great example of a film that takes the modern sensibilities that are too often lambasted as “PC culture” and seamlessly blends them into the story. Though Sєxless, Summer of 69 is Sєx-positive in the best way, encouraging young viewers who might relate to Abby to look at something fun and safe to experience whenever they’re ready.
Summer Of 69 Never Lets Loose Or Has Fun With Its Solid Premise
The Bones Of The Story Are Strong, But Summer Of 69 Doesn’t Capitalize On Them
I love Risky Business as much as the next fan of Tom Cruise. However, the constant homages to classic comedies let the audience know that Summer of 69 doesn’t have the confidence to stand on its own. References can be fun and help root a film in the history of its genre, but it’s easy to overplay this hand and start using these allusions as a crutch, much like the voice-over. Beginning a film with a long-winded voice-over will never be the way to win my heart, and it didn’t even give me enough exposition to care about Abby.
Though some of these complaints address the genre rather than the movie, I saw glimmers throughout Summer of 69 that proved the film was too smart to rely on tired tropes, even as a joke. It’s disappointing to be hard on the movie, as the bones are good, and there are ways the filmmaker and writer could’ve played with the tropes it touches upon without sacrificing interest and tension. The best we can hope for is that Summer of 69 will open the door for more contemporary conversations in coming-of-age movies that aren’t afraid to have more fun.
Summer of 69 will be available to stream on Hulu on May 9.
