It's a beautiful day in Indiana. Working on their family sod field, the Taylor sisters are looking forward to the coming evening with both joy and sadness. Soon two of them will be leaving home to pursue other endeavors but first, for the last time, tonight The Girls of Summer will take the stage.
Beautifully photographed and smoothly paced, "The Girls of Summer" follows oldest sister Maren (Tori Titmas, who also wrote the screenplay) as she embarks on the journey of life. A chance meeting at their last gig with former country star Luke Thomas (Hosner) offers her the opportunity to join his touring band - he's on the comeback trail, an opportunity she originally turns down to stay home and care for her father (Puckett), still grieving for his late wife and now heavily dependent on drugs and alcohol to get through the day. Dad convinces her to follow her dreams. But, as with many dreams, they don't always come true.
I think what made this film so enjoyable to me is that it is the finished product of a "Community Project." As with his previous films, "The Looking Glass" and "A Piece of Eden," director Hancock and crew prove that not all the talent in the world resides in Hollywood. From his headquarters in Indiana he has put together some amazing local talent and their freshness and enthusiasm fill the screen. The performances are strong, the songs are catchy and the countryside is beautiful. Hancock has always been at his best when tackling "real life." His camera seems to give you a look into the hearts of the characters, giving the viewer an emotional attachment to what they are seeing.
This time of year usually signals the beginning to the upcoming summer movie season, filling theatres with loud, multi-million dollar extravaganzas. "The Girls of Summer" is a welcome respite from those films.
