Griffin in Summer

I typically avoid movies that are described as touching, sweet, or heartwarming, but I'm glad I decided to give this movie a try. It's consistently funny and quirky throughout, and it doesn't get Hallmark-movie syrupy-sweet or overly sentimental. The plot is unique and has a lot of unexpected twists to it, which kept me interested all the way through.

If you're expecting a laugh out loud comedy with Griffin in Summer, well, personally I didn't find it funny at all. What I did see on screen was myself at 13 and 14 years old and I suspect many gay men will see themselves in Griffin, expertly played by Everett Blunck, who will most likely see his career take off after this. He stars in the film and honestly he is the film because while some of the other performances are OK, they're also uneven and leaning towards caricatures as opposed to realistic characters. Griffin is not a caricature and I suspect that whoever wrote this, wrote it from some real experience, it's very charming, touching and in the ways of reality , also sad. I found a few parts of the plot not very believable, and yet the movie does offer up a glimpse of hope. This is not your average coming out film, and to it's credit it also examines relationships in general. It's very well done.

Greetings again from the darkness. For fourteen-year-olds, there's often very little difference in passion for something and obsession with that same thing. Writer-director Nicholas Colia (reimagining his 2017 short film, ALEX AND THE HANDYMAN) brings us the coming-of-age story of Griffin (a fantastic newcomer in Everett Blunck), whose passion for art is undeniable and plays a role in his newfound obsession (this time we can tell the difference).

A cold opening finds us on stage at the school's end of year Student Talent Show. Griffin announces he will be performing an excerpt from his 'latest' play, "Regrets of Autumn", which he describes as "Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf" and "American Beauty". The scene, and his performance, are intense and funny, and far beyond the audience of teens since it's a harsh view of the relationship between an alcoholic housewife and her disinterested and philandering husband.

With summer arriving, Griffin convenes his friends to begin rehearsal on his play. The basement takes some rearranging, and his patient and understanding friend Kara (the talented Abby Ryder Forston, ARE YOU THERE GOD? IT'S ME, MARGARET, 2023) has agreed to be the director ... despite her knowing that things must go according to Griffin's plan. Of course, not every 14-year-old wishes to adhere to his 60 hour per week rehearsal schedule (don't be late!), so there is a bit of pushback as kids like to be kids. Griffin is struck by another annoyance - his mother (expert at playing beat down characters, Melanie Lynskey, "Yellowjackets") has hired a twenty-something handyman named Brad (the always interesting Owen Teague, IT, 2017), and the noise is disturbing Griffin's creativity.

It's the dynamic between Griffin and Brad that sets this one apart from so many movies. Stars align when Brad discloses that he's a performance artist in New York City ... the city of Griffin's hopes and dreams. Soon the two are working together, and the fallout causes other issues that Griffin's blinders initially prevent him from noticing. Additionally, his attraction to Brad is interrupted by Brad's girlfriend Chloe (an energetic and funny Kathryn Newton, "Big Little Lies"), generating more unfortunate actions.

Coming-of-age is a term that gets easily tossed around, but the actual process can be quite challenging and often involves the first heartbreak. There's another interesting aspect to Colia's screenplay and that's the similarities between Griffin's parents' relationship and that of the couple in his play. It's never directly mentioned, yet was clearly an influence. This is Everett Blunck's first lead role, and he's a unique talent that we will surely see more often in the coming years. The same can be said for filmmaker Nicholas Colia who has delivered a dramatic coming-of-age with plenty of laughs, while also commenting on how one's passion for art may be easily mocked, making it difficult to sustain.

Available in theaters beginning August 29, 2025.

I thought this movie was a delight from start to finish. It's a sensitive, yet very funny story of adolescent angst. The protagonist is Griffin, a precocious 14-year-old who writes plays and puts them on in his basement, with his stage-struck friends playing adult roles. His new play is obviously autobiographical. It's about his alcoholic mother and philandering father. He describes it as "WHO'S AFRAID OF VIRGINIA WOOLF meets AMERICAN BEAUTY." Of course, his cast is composed of adolescents who don't really want to spend a lot of time rehearsing, which upsets him because is a project of passion for him. Into all this comes a 25-year-old youth named Brad, whom his mother has hired to do some work around the house. Griffin develops a crush on Brad when he finds out that the young man lives in New York and is a "performance artist." He fires his friend from the cast and replaces him with Brad, with hilarious and cringeworthy results. This could have turned into CALL ME BY YOUR NAME, but thankfully it doesn't. This is a coming-of-age story. And Griffin grows up a lot over the course of the film. This is a terrific feature debut by director-writer Nicholas Colia. I eagerly await his next film. To me, this film indicates that he's a major talent. It's a clever and heartfelt script and shows that Colia has a real ear for the speech of today's teens, and he gets wonderful performances from the whole cast. I especially loved Everett Blunck as Griffin and Kathryn Newton as Chloe (Brad's girlfriend), but they're all really excellent. Owen Teague as Brad probably has the most challenging role, but he carries it off splendidly. The parents' roles are smaller, but they are all fully realized. Bravos to all. I think this is going to be the sleeper hit of the year.

If you enjoyed John Waters' "Polyester", the deadpan humor of "Daria" or the irreverence of Enid in "Ghost world", you can definitely enjoy this movie. Griffin is not your average tween.

This is a rare coming-of-age story where your main characters get to have layers, instead of being products of the Disney Channel acting school.

Given that it acknowledges the reality that all humans start developing their sexualities and attractions even before we're able to articulate what we are feeling, I am sure this film will not be widely embraced. A very conservative and exclusionary environment is not the right time for it. But it is exactly what we need. You can bet that (just like most non-superhero macho films) it will receive several bad grades here on IMDb with no real explanation of its merits or shortcomings. Check it out and decide for yourself.

Even though there's not much of Melanie Lynskey, I am okay with it given that the film lasts as much as it needs to. It doesn't overstay its welcome. I sure hope we get to see much more of both the director and Everett Blunck.