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Summer of '42

Play trailer Poster for Summer of '42 PG 1971 1h 42m Romance Play Trailer Watchlist
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78% Tomatometer 23 Reviews 72% Popcornmeter 2,500+ Ratings
Teenage Herman Raucher (Gary Grimes), summering on Nantucket Island with his sex-obsessed pals Oscy (Jerry Houser) and Benji (Oliver Conant) during World War II, meets Dorothy (Jennifer O'Neill), a newlywed in her 20s whose husband is off at war. As his friends awkwardly attempt to woo girls their own age, Herman slowly befriends the older woman and finds himself becoming increasingly in love with her, until a sudden tragedy changes their lives forever.
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Summer of '42

Critics Reviews

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Derek Malcolm Guardian 06/02/2020
Summer of '42 is one of those rare films yon can't help liking simply for its aspirations which are so honest and open-minded. Go to Full Review
Margaret Hinxman Daily Telegraph (UK) 06/02/2020
Thanks to director Robert Mulligan and a largely unfamiliar cast it turns cut to be a delightful film. Go to Full Review
Variety Staff Variety 03/26/2009
Summer of '42 has a large amount of charm and tenderness; it also has little dramatic economy and much eye-exhausting photography which translates to forced and artificial emphasis on a strungout story. Go to Full Review
TV Guide 06/09/2011
3/4
People who actually recall 1942 will more greatly appreciate the waves of nostalgia that bathe this affectionate coming-of-age drama, set on a tiny island off New England. Go to Full Review
Michael E. Grost Classic Film and Television 01/04/2011
Visually lyrical film romance also has problems with dubious views on teen sexuality. Go to Full Review
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Audience Reviews

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ma v Sep 4 Acting was ok but this is a totally inappropriate romanticizing of an older woman taking advantage of a young teen. Atrocious! See more Christie N Feb 17 It's really dated and quite a silly film I thought. I was annoyed with the characters who were very childish for 15 year old boys. I didn't buy into a beautiful woman having an affair with such a childish young boy either. Memorable movie score the best part about the film. Forgettable film. See more Iron Boy W 04/25/2023 love it i hope they make one day a true sequel to it where dorothy return See more dave s 02/03/2022 In Robert Mulligan's Summer of '42, Gary Grimes plays Hermie, a 15-year-old who is spending his summer on Nantucket Island with a couple of friends, wasting their days dreaming about girls and the mysteries they have to offer. Over time, Hermie develops a relationship with the beautiful but lonely Dorothy (Jennifer O'Neill), a young woman whose husband was been sent to war. Yes, the film feels dated at times (the catchy but repetitive Michel Legrand music score, the outdated use of quick zooms, etc…) and much of the acting feels awkward, but the movie is effective in making one nostalgic for a place and time that most have never experienced, thanks primarily to its meticulous attention to detail, and the universal theme of the need to be wanted is something most can relate to. Despite its flaws, the final twenty minutes are a masterclass in subtlety and restraint and will tug at the emotions of even the most hardened viewer. See more delysid d 01/22/2022 i hate romance and child actors but this movie really grooved me See more 09/04/2021 Not a bad movie that is dated now about some kids coming of age on an island off of Maine at the start of WWII. It deals with one's infatuation of a very young wife whose husband just left to go off to war. (People got married at 18-19 back then even college kids, my great uncle lived in a married dorm). See more Read all reviews
Summer of '42

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Movie Info

Synopsis Teenage Herman Raucher (Gary Grimes), summering on Nantucket Island with his sex-obsessed pals Oscy (Jerry Houser) and Benji (Oliver Conant) during World War II, meets Dorothy (Jennifer O'Neill), a newlywed in her 20s whose husband is off at war. As his friends awkwardly attempt to woo girls their own age, Herman slowly befriends the older woman and finds himself becoming increasingly in love with her, until a sudden tragedy changes their lives forever.
Director
Robert Mulligan
Producer
Richard A. Roth
Screenwriter
Herman Raucher
Distributor
Warner Bros. Pictures
Production Co
Warner Brothers/Seven Arts
Rating
PG
Genre
Romance
Original Language
English
Release Date (Theaters)
Apr 9, 1971, Original
Release Date (Streaming)
Nov 21, 2016
Runtime
1h 42m
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