Summertime

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Summertime

Released Jun 8, 1955

1h 39m

Romance

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Popcornmeter

92%

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24 Reviews

79%

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2,500+ Ratings

Middle-aged Ohio secretary Jane Hudson (Katharine Hepburn) has never found love and has nearly resigned herself to spending the rest of her life alone. But before she does, she uses her savings to finance a summer in romantic Venice, where she finally meets the man of her dreams, the elegant Renato Di Rossi (Rossano Brazzi). But when she learns that her new paramour is leading a double life, she must decide whether her happiness can come at the expense of others.

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Critics Consensus

With Katharine Hepburn and the city of Venice glowing under David Lean's direction, Summertime is a swooning romance for the ages.

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Jake Cole

Slant Magazine

David Lean basks in the splendor of Venice’s tourist hotspots in a manner that, as evinced by Summertime’s rapturous visual splendor, anticipates his subsequent string of massively scaled productions.

Jul 13, 2022

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Gavin Lambert

Sight & Sound

It offers a rich, sometimes dazzling surface, with its fine Venice locations, but its conception seems tentative.

Mar 18, 2020

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Peter Bradshaw

Guardian

The dialogue can be stagey and Venice is evoked at a tourist level, but it's beautifully photographed and Hepburn's loneliness and sadness look disquietingly real.

Rated: 3/5

Nov 6, 2007

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Brian Susbielles

InSession Film

It’s not the traditional formula for a romance film, but Lean does not desire to make it traditional.

Feb 22, 2023

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Rob Aldam

Backseat Mafia

An intelligent and well-acted romantic drama.

Jul 25, 2022

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Michael Barrett

PopMatters

The tawdry subject became the province of only the classiest actors.

Jul 20, 2022

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JamieLynn W

Absolutely Beautiful! But very hard to get through, Jane is definitely autistic, my heart hurt for her during so many scenes. Not knowing how to act with big groups, not understanding when someone wants you to be with them, then wanting to go and not knowing how to navigate asking, she is a complete mess. And I love her. She has no clue how to talk with children, with friendships and even men. This was an amazing performance by Katherine Hepburn. My heart still aches for her.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

01/15/25

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shaun G

Visual...of course. Some complain about the smaltz but the pathos of people having so little memories to carry them through life makes it work

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

06/30/24

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John E

High point in this film: it was in color and it was in Italy. If this was Hepburn at her best God help us! Her little amigo was better than she. A stinker. Nuf said.

Rated 1 out of 5 stars

06/10/24

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harwee h

Much enjoyable. Hepburn at her finest. Lovely cast. Bittersweet ending.

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

12/19/23

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j F

Katherine Hepburn at her best, and she was amazing! Also small details add to the film throughout and Venice was gorgeous.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

11/06/23

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John A

Can't say that it strikes me as one of David Lean's 'mandatory viewing' movies yet I was continuously carried away by the semi-existential dreaminess and rich photography.

Rated 3 out of 5 stars

10/26/23

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David Lean

Director

Katharine Hepburn

Jane Hudson

Rossano Brazzi

Renato de Rossi

Darren McGavin

Eddie Yaeger

Isa Miranda

Signora Fiorini

Mari Aldon

Phyl Yaeger

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Synopsis

Middle-aged Ohio secretary Jane Hudson (Katharine Hepburn) has never found love and has nearly resigned herself to spending the rest of her life alone. But before she does, she uses her savings to finance a summer in romantic Venice, where she finally meets the man of her dreams, the elegant Renato Di Rossi (Rossano Brazzi). But when she learns that her new paramour is leading a double life, she must decide whether her happiness can come at the expense of others.

Director: David Lean
Producer: Ilya Lopert
Distributor: United Artists
Genre: Romance
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Jun 8, 1955, Original
Release Date (Streaming): Feb 23, 2012
Runtime: 1h 39m

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