Last Summer

To the poster who asked if her name change to Seagull had anything to do with the film, the answer is yes.

While filming one of the scenes with the bird, it was accidentally killed. She was so moved ( or guilt ridden) by it that she changed her name to Seagull to memorialize it. I read this in an biography of her years ago.

Seems vaguely stuntish, but it was the 60s, after all. One thing that always interested me was that her career stalled for years, and it wasn't until after she changed her name back to Hershy that she got more roles and respect. Kind of like Dionne Warwick/Warwicke.

There's no plot, no apparent theme, and little action. And an hour into the movie, I'm still not sure where it's going. So why is the 90-minutes as riveting as I think it is. For one, the filmmakers begin with that interesting seagull sequence that provides insight into Sandy's (Hershey) manipulative character and the boys' general submissiveness.

However, in between the opening sequence and the final one, nothing much happens. Some scenes are overlong (the pot smoking, the hair washing), while the elliptical dialog is often punctuated by long, non- meaningful, pauses.

Nonetheless, the three hedonistic kids are attractive, fairly realistic, and found horsing around at a scenic beach. But then, chubby Rhoda arrives, with her needy, yet judgmental, attitude, and it's curious where things will go from there now that an outsider is watching them.

There's an undercurrent here, especially with Sandy, that's seductive. It's to the filmmakers credit, including the cast, that they manage to mesmerize with such spare elements. Oddly, the technique reminds me of the popular Swedish auteur Ingmar Bergman— especially his Virgin Spring (1959).

I take the upshot as having to do with judgmental people who stand apart from the crowd and not being able to tolerate them. But however you take it, the movie avoids cliché (as others note) and continues to fascinate at a generally unspoken level. Too bad the Perry's didn't make more movies.

I had the pleasure (if not outright fun), together with several of my friends at Fire Island Ferries, of participating in the production of this film. It was a fairly compelling and accurate portrayal of the late-60's counter-culture. Fire Island was certainly THE place to be during those summers.

Post-production, we were given the opportunity to preview it at a local theater. It quickly received an "X" rating due the explicit "rape scene" which was abridged to earn the "R" it carried when released. I wonder what circulation it got before the editing and re-rating. Are there any copies of the original ?

Very intriguing late 60's film by Frank Perry with a great performance by Catherine Burns (nominated and SHOULD have won Supporting Actress). A young Barbara Hershey is attractive and full of verve. Bruce Davison is fine and Richard Thomas is sensitive and believable, but C. Burns as Rhoda is heartbreaking and wonderful. I don't know what happened to his young actress. She was also in RED SKY AT MORNING with Richard Thomas in '71.

An 8 out of 10. Best performance = Ms. Burns. A tale of youth that will stay with you. Nothing exploitive going on this film. Find it if you can. A beauty!

This coming of age drama is about four friends living on an island who meet on the beach. As they discover sex and each other they are at times brave, kind and considerate. However at other times a darker side to their nature appears and they are cowardly, selfish and cruel. The characters' parents never appear in the movie and all verbal references to them are negative. We are left with the impression that these young adults are left to their own devices and they are growing up without morals. The film is shot in soft focus and the days are the perfect Summer idyll. The symbolism is a little unsubtle at times, but the performances are good. Catherine Burns received an oscar nomination.