Stolen Summer (2002)

User Rating:

6.4/10   

Director:

Pete Jones

Writer:

Pete Jones (written by)

Release Date:

25 July 2003 (Italy)

Genre:

Drama

Tagline:

You saw the back-stabbing. Now see the final cut.

Plot:

Pete, an eight-year-old Catholic boy growing up in the suburbs of Chicago in the mid-1970s, attends Catholic school...

Plot Keywords:

Chicago Illinois | Irish American | Catholicism | Catholic | Childhood

Cast

Aidan Quinn	...	Joe O'Malley
Bonnie Hunt	...	Margaret O'Malley
Kevin Pollak	...	Rabbi Jacobsen
Eddie Kaye Thomas	...	Patrick O'Malley
Lisa Dodson	...	Mrs. Jacobsen
Mike Weinberg	...	Danny Jacobsen
Adiel Stein	...	Pete O'Malley (as Adi Stein)
Brian Dennehy	...	Father Kelly
Peggy Roeder	...	Sister Leonora Mary
Martin Hughes	...	Jimmy
Ryan Kelley	...	Seamus O'Malley
Lindsay Light	...	Katie O'Malley
Will Malnati	...	Eddie O'Malley
Kristie Kelley	...	Marie O'Malley
Etel Billig	...	Esther

MPAA:

Rated PG for thematic elements and language.

Runtime:

91 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Sound Mix:

Stereo

Certification:

Australia:PG | Iceland:L | UK:PG | USA:TV-PG (cable rating) | Germany:6 | Hong Kong:I | Malaysia:(Banned) | New Zealand:PG | Philippines:PG-13 | Singapore:PG | USA:PG

Filming Locations:

Chicago, Illinois, USA

Company:

All Nighter Inc.

Trivia:

This film was the result of "Project Greenlight," the first-time-director competition launched by Ben Affleck, Matt Damon, and Miramax, and was the subject of the HBO documentary of the same name, which aired in Winter 2002. The documentary revealed many behind-the-scenes snafus, which led to the mid-production firing of co-producer Jeff Balis.

Goofs:

Anachronisms: The film is set in 1976, but during one of the beach scenes, we see several buildings on the Chicago skyline that were not built until several years later (e.g., the new Prudential Building "Pru-2").

Quotes:

Rabbi Jacobsen: If you ask people to think, that's when they start complaining.

Movie Connections:

Spin off from "Project Greenlight" (2001)

Soundtrack:

FRIEND

Surprise: Miracles Really CAN Happen!

We saw this film last night @ a MIRAMAX-sponsored showing for members of IFC/MW & I have to say that, being Jewish, I went into this film with great skepticism (knowing only the outlines of the plot). What a surprise to find myself both crying & clapping as the credits rolled!!!

There were a million ways in which this film could have gone wrong, but the miracle is that it stays on track. I credit the 4 adult actors for this: each one of them (Dennehy, Hunt, Pollack & Quinn) is simply superb, earnestly staying in character, level-headed, grounded & thoroughly professional. I didn't see PROJECT GREENLIGHT (yet?), but I have to commend each one of them for committing to & cooperating with this novel process. They are all winners!!!

Pete Jones is to be commended for finding the way to tell a "small story" with such huge implications. He's right: the '70s were a period of enormous change (as the revolutionary fevers of the '60s permeated the national consciousness). If anyone ever tells you that the '60s didn't change anything, that's phooey. We are a better country since the '60s, & this important little movie makes the case most eloquently.

Kudos to everyone connected with PROJECT GREENLIGHT. In a land where dreams really can come true, it becomes possible to believe in miracles.

Jan @ Films for Two