Summer of Tomorrows (2003) (V)

User Rating:

6.5/10   

Director:

Christopher Johnson

Writer:

Christopher Johnson (writer)

Release Date:

1 August 2003 (USA)

Genre:

Drama

Tagline:

A miracle would open Daniel's eyes and give him one more summer, his last.

Plot:

Meet Daniel Kellam, a twenty-six year old mentally retarded man leading a sheltered life with his police officer brother Alex...

Cast

Christopher Johnson	...	Daniel Kellam
Nicole Nealon	...	Kenna
Matthew Johnson	...	Alex Kellam
Tom Delillo	...	Charlie
Linda Fenescey	...	Brooke
David Merrell	...	Raymond Kellam
Josh LaPallo	...	Gabe
Keisha Roman	...	Lianna
Jeffrey Henyan	...	Brad
Naomi VanHart	...	Lois
Mark Levy	...	Neurologist
David Johnson	...	Daniel Age 76
Amanda Marsico	...	Hospital Secretary
Gregory C. Mason	...	Hot Dog Attendant
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Denise Briscoe	...	Station Nurse
Eva George	...	Kellam Secretary
Robert Henyan	...	Accident Driver
Jack Juran	...	'Louie' the Van Driver
Julia Mahar	...	Library Woman
Ryin Nugent	...	Man in Pavillion
Ray Patton	...	Dr. Snyder
Jerry Wicks	...	Club Doorman

Runtime:

USA:110 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Filming Locations:

Binghamton, New York, USA

Company:

Misty Falls Motion Picture Company

Trivia:

The name of the lead female character, Tatum McKenna, or "Kenna", was named after a friend whom the director grew up next door to.

Movie Connections:

References The Last of the Mohicans (1992)

Soundtrack:

What is Love

This movie will surprise you!

I saw this movie in a theater in upstate New York a couple of years ago with some friends who know the director. I never expect much from lower budget indie flicks, but this one surprised me.

First, the title intrigued me and I wasn't sure how the story was going to support it... I won't give it away here, but when you find out what it means, it's kind of a bittersweet mind-blower. Most of the performances in this film are pretty decent. The main character Daniel, played by the director is performed almost disturbingly well (the character has a mental disability and it's unpleasant to see some of what happens to him). Daniel's brother, who is played by the director's real brother, and the love interest, Kenna, are both performed solidly. There are some performances by secondary characters that are not as strong as these three, but the movie has such a heart to it, it is not hard to overlook the few shortcomings that come along with a limited budget.

The movie doesn't really start slow, but the pace picks up after the first 10 or 15 minutes. Once you start to see the transformation Daniel makes throughout the movie, things get more and more interesting. In fact, I'm not sure why the director doesn't do more acting, or even more directing for that matter. The movie itself looks great. I think it must have been shot on digital, but it looks sharp and the color is vivid.

I wonder if this movie will have the same impact on the smaller screen. It's been a couple of years since I saw it and when I saw it listed here I remembered the experience fondly and with detail. Since it's a smaller movie, I'm assuming that the only place anyone will ever get to see it is on DVD, but if you do get the chance, it's worth checking out. I still remember how pleasantly surprised I was after seeing it, and the whole audience got a surprise that night because there was a Q&A after the show and the director, the DP and some of the cast were there to answer questions from the audience. What a treat.