Summer Solstice (1981)
** 1/2 (out of 4)
Henry Fonda and Myrna Loy made their final film appearance in this made-for-TV drama about a couple looking back on the fifty-years they've been together. The elderly couple sit on their favorite beach as they look back on the highs and lows of their life together. This movie was released the same year as Fonda's Oscar-winning turn in ON GOLDEN POND and I'm sure that's part of the reason why this film has pretty much been forgotten over the past few years. It also doesn't help that this film just isn't as good as one would hope. I don't think anyone could expect this to come anywhere near ON GOLDEN POND but even on its own this film doesn't have enough to keep it going. Seeing Fonda and Loy together is the main reason to watch this as both deliver fine performances and they appear to enjoy working together. Both of them perfectly fit into their roles and are the sole reason to search for this film. Stephen Collins and Lindsay Crouse play the younger versions and neither come off too well since they're trying too hard to "act" like Fonda and Loy. I think it's always hard when you ask actors to try and act like the younger version of another actor and sadly neither Collins or Crouse can pull it off here. The biggest problem with the film is the screenplay that is so hit and miss but I'm sure a lot of this is due to them having to cram so much into a 50-minute running time. We never really get to know either one of the characters and we see these short clips of their lives yet it's hard to really have any strong connection to either of them. Then there's the ending, which I won't ruin, but it come off a little too weird, which certainly wasn't the plan. I found Fonda very effective in the scene but it just didn't play well. Again, fans of Fonda and Loy will want to check this out since it was their final film but others should check out some of their better work.
** 1/2 (out of 4)
Henry Fonda and Myrna Loy made their final film appearance in this made-for-TV drama about a couple looking back on the fifty-years they've been together. The elderly couple sit on their favorite beach as they look back on the highs and lows of their life together. This movie was released the same year as Fonda's Oscar-winning turn in ON GOLDEN POND and I'm sure that's part of the reason why this film has pretty much been forgotten over the past few years. It also doesn't help that this film just isn't as good as one would hope. I don't think anyone could expect this to come anywhere near ON GOLDEN POND but even on its own this film doesn't have enough to keep it going. Seeing Fonda and Loy together is the main reason to watch this as both deliver fine performances and they appear to enjoy working together. Both of them perfectly fit into their roles and are the sole reason to search for this film. Stephen Collins and Lindsay Crouse play the younger versions and neither come off too well since they're trying too hard to "act" like Fonda and Loy. I think it's always hard when you ask actors to try and act like the younger version of another actor and sadly neither Collins or Crouse can pull it off here. The biggest problem with the film is the screenplay that is so hit and miss but I'm sure a lot of this is due to them having to cram so much into a 50-minute running time. We never really get to know either one of the characters and we see these short clips of their lives yet it's hard to really have any strong connection to either of them. Then there's the ending, which I won't ruin, but it come off a little too weird, which certainly wasn't the plan. I found Fonda very effective in the scene but it just didn't play well. Again, fans of Fonda and Loy will want to check this out since it was their final film but others should check out some of their better work.