"The Simpsons" Summer of 4 Ft. 2 (1996)

Director:

Mark Kirkland

Writers:

Matt Groening (creator)
James L. Brooks (developer) ...

TV Series:

"The Simpsons" (1989)

Original Air Date:

19 May 1996 (Season 7, Episode 25)

Genre:

Animation | Comedy

Plot:

The end of the school year, and an empty yearbook causes Lisa to contemplate her lack of popularity...

Plot Keywords:

Popularity | Beach House | Period In Title | Skateboarding | Fourth Of July

Cast

  (Episode Credited cast)

Dan Castellaneta	...	Homer Simpson / Grampa / Barney Gumble / Krusty the Klown / Groundskeeper Willie / Mayor Quimby / Hans Moleman / Sideshow Mel / Others (voice)
Julie Kavner	...	Marge Simpson / Patty Bouvier / Selma Bouvier / Others (voice)
Nancy Cartwright	...	Bart Simpson / Nelson Muntz / Todd Flanders / Ralph Wiggum / Kearney / Others (voice)
Yeardley Smith	...	Lisa Simpson (voice)
Hank Azaria	...	Moe Szyslak / Chief Wiggum / Apu / Comic Book Guy / Cletus / Prof. Frink / Others (voice)
Harry Shearer	...	Montgomery Burns / Waylon Smithers / Ned Flanders / Kent Brockman / Rev. Lovejoy / Principal Skinner / Dr. Hibbert / Rainer Wolfcastle / Others (voice)
Christina Ricci	...	Erin (voice)
Marcia Wallace	...	Mrs. Krabappel (voice)
Pamela Hayden	...	Milhouse Van Houten / Rod Flanders / Others (voice)
Tress MacNeille	...	Dolph (voice)
Maggie Roswell	...	Maude Flanders / Helen Lovejoy / Others (voice)
Russi Taylor	...	Martin Prince / Sherri / Terri / Others (voice)

Runtime:

30 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby

Certification:

Argentina:Atp

Company:

20th Century Fox Television

Goofs:

Continuity: When Marge and Lisa are talking in the bedroom at the beach house, there is a picture over each of the beds of Ned and Maude. In a subsequent shot, one of the pictures changes to a portrait of Rod and Todd.

Quotes:

Bart: Oh, this is the worst Fourth of July ever, I hate America.

Movie Connections:

Spoofs American Graffiti (1973)

Soundtrack:

All Summer Long

Brutally honest, reasonably funny Lisa episode

*** This review may contain spoilers ***

The seventh season's Lisa episode, following in the footsteps of Moaning Lisa (season 1), Lisa's Substitute (season 2) and Lisa's Wedding (season 6), tries to be funny and emotional at the same time. Here, Lisa feels lonely when she realizes she has no friends. It's the end of the school year and no one signs her yearbook. She realizes it's because she's a nerd. As the family plans to go to another community (Little Pwagmattasquarmsettport) on vacation, Lisa takes the opportunity to present herself as a different person to new people. She makes a few friends- until a jealous Bart shows her yearbook to the kids, outing her as a teacher's pet. Bart and Lisa turn against each other, but in the end the kids still accept Lisa and Bart gets them to sign her yearbook.

Coming in what was at times a great season, Summer of 4 Ft. 2 is consistently funny, though the laughs aren't major (except for when Homer essentially blows up Ned Flanders' kitchen). The episode pokes fun at Milhouse's geekiness, Homer's antics with fireworks, and the kids' way of talking ("I can totally hear him going that.") The episode probably won't make you cry like Lisa's Substitute and Lisa's Wedding, but it's got heart. Like Marge and Lisa, I've had a lot of trouble making friends, and the episode is honest in portraying the bitterness of it and how being yourself doesn't always work. I see some fans criticized the episode on snpp.com, saying this episode ignores the fact that Lisa does have friends like Janey, but episodes like Dancing Homer (season 2) established that while friendly with other girls, Lisa was never actually close to them. As always, Bart and Lisa feuding makes for good material because it's natural and still involves heart- see Lisa on Ice (season 6). Altogether, a nice episode.