Saw this film in a festival a few years ago and was deeply disappointed. It is a tale of a theatre family and their ups and downs during a summer in the trendy suburbs, but that's where the interest of this viewer ended.
Filmed in a dull style which reminded me of creaky home movies, this film is stodgy, poorly-written, and half-baked. It represents the last film performance of the late Roddy MacDowell and he is totally wasted in the role he has.
I heard that this film was supposed to be influenced by the great dramas of Russia and Scandinavia, and by film auteurs such as Woody Allen and Mike Leigh. I'll take all their work before I'd watch 'Last Summer in the Hamptons' again.
Last Summer in the Hamptons
1995
Action / Comedy / Drama
Last Summer in the Hamptons
1995
Action / Comedy / Drama
Plot summary
Filmed entirely on location in East Hampton, Long Island, "Last Summer in the Hamptons" concerns a large theatrical family spending the last weekend of their summer together at the decades-old family retreat which economic circumstances have forced them to put on the market. Victoria Foyt plays a young Hollywood actress whose visit wreaks havoc on the stellar group of family and friends - led by matriarch Viveca Lindfors and made up of an extraordinary mix of prominent New York actors, directors, and playwrights. In the course of a very unusual weekend, comic as well as serious situations arise, and the family's secrets - of which there are many - begin to unravel.
Uploaded by: FREEMAN
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Top cast
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Hardly Chekhov
A great kiss for Jessica Lindfors
Andre Gregory and Melissa Leo's kiss stole the show. Melissa has just told a table of guests that she and her brother had incest for years. Then she cuddles up to him under a tree. Their kiss is everything a kiss could or should be. Maybe incest is. Other great moments were when Jessica Lindfors spoke or smiled. It was her final performance; she died three months later in Sweden.
Victoria Foyt outstanding in stellar cast
If, like me, you don't know much about legitimate theater and how serious actors learn their craft, nor how that contrasts with Hollywood's business, you will find this a pleasurable and informative look into an actors' retreat and workshop.
Victoria Foyt stars as a young actress made famous by a starring role in films about a Wonder Woman super hero. She has managed to be invited to a retreat run by a Grand Dame of legitimate theater, played by Grand Dame of legitimate theater Viveca Lindfors in her last role. Besides her acting role, Victoria Foyt is also listed as one of the writers of the movie, and maybe had something to do with getting it made. I had never heard of Victoria Foyt but thought she was truly outstanding, particularly in her training exercises playing a variety of animals. Maybe she wrote the script as a means of showcasing her talent.
I found the movie to be thoroughly enjoyable.