Ian is sent from Chicago to Wisconsin for a summer vacation at his grandmother's. He takes his beloved dog, Bentley, with him and is prepared to be bored in his new surroundings. Huh, is he in for a surprise! Not only is there a Dairy Queen, but the neighborhood also sports a neat girl named Juliet AND a semi-haunted house with a mysterious old inhabitant (Ernest Borgnine). It has been rumored that he was involved with the mob and that there is a fortune hidden somewhere on the property. What is sure is that the old man is a grump and that he has a beautiful old automobile stuffed into the garage. Juliet longs for a ride in the car and to find the fortune so she enlists Ian's help. There may be a relative out to discover the bags of money himself, complicating things. Was this supposed to be a boring summer, you say? This is a very nice family movie. Borgnine and Eileen Brennan, as the grandmother, are fine actors and fulfill their roles with ease. The children are adorable and the gold-digging relative and his girlfriend are funny, funny. The small town Wisconsin atmosphere is gorgeous, making one want to change living arrangements. Then, too, the costumes are also fine and the beautiful old car just marvelous. Oh, and one more thing! The darling dog Bentley "talks" to the viewers, at times, and his presence adds greatly to the film's overall impact. If you wish to sit down with your loved ones and share a contended evening, you could hardly do better than this family film. It's humor, mystery, and warmth will make for a peaceable kingdom at the homestead, if only for a couple of hours.
