Main Cast: Alan Arkin, Matt Craven, Elizabeth Perkins, Diane Lane, Kimberly Williams, Bill Paxton, Vincent Spano
Release Year: 1993
Country: US
Run Time: 98 minutes
MPAA Rating: PG13
Plot
Mike Binder wrote and directed this reunion story in The Big Chill vein about of group of ex-campers, now in their twenties, who return to their old summer camp to get together again. Alan Arkin plays Uncle Lou, the old camp counselor and resident sage at Canadian summer camp Tamakwa. Leading a group of contemporary youngsters wearing Walkmans on their heads to glory in the beauty of a majestic moose in the Canadian Northwoods, he realizes that the children of today are not the way children were in ancient times before 1993, so he decides to close up shop and shut down Camp Tamkwa for good. But before he does he invites a group of campers from the camp's golden age -- men and women now in their twenties -- an assortment of veteran campers who return to reflect on the past and sort out their troubles. The campers include Beth (Diane Lane), a woman who is adjusting to her husband's accidental death; Jennifer (Elizabeth Perkins), a single woman looking forward to renewing her relationship with fellow camper Matthew (Vincent Spano); Kelly (Julie Warner), Matthew's wife, feeling insecure because she knows Matthew is unhappy in the marriage; and Jamie (Matt Craven), a swinging bachelor with an eye for younger women. Rounding out the pack is Jack (Bill Paxton), who as a boy was kicked out of the camp for a mysterious reason. When he shows up at the camp, the rest of the campers are stunned. ~ Paul Brenner, All Movie Guide
Review
Ten years later, the style and premise of The Big Chill (1983) is borrowed for this reunion comedy-drama that's surprisingly warm and effective, even as its subjects are clearly not advanced enough in years to be suffering from the pangs of nostalgic regret. The plot is expectedly predictable (old wounds are healed, secrets are revealed, new romance takes bloom, etc.), but writer/director Mike Binder handles the proceedings with a gentle good humor and grace that make even the most cliched moments entertaining. He's aided ably by some of his cast members, particularly the flinty Alan Arkin, note-perfect as an irascible camp commander. Bill Paxton is also a revelation, sinking his teeth into an edgy misanthrope role that's probably a welcome change of pace for the actor, accustomed as he is to portraying soldiers, cops, and other authority figures. Perhaps the film's funniest performance, however, comes from director Sam Raimi, who turns up in a rare acting role as the camp's hapless assistant and handyman Stick, the butt of his employer's passive-aggressive rage. It's all a bit too pat, neat, and lacking in real substance, but Indian Summer, while it never lets the audience forget it's watching something from the land of make-believe, is a light, fun enterprise. ~ Karl Williams, All Movie Guide
Rocco Matteo - Art Director, Jack Binder - Associate Producer, Caroline Baron - Co-producer, Jane Robinson - Costume Designer, Mike Binder - Director, Adam Weiss - Editor, Miles Goodman - Composer (Music Score), Craig Stearns - Production Designer, Newton Thomas Sigel - Cinematographer, Gary Barber - Producer, Lynn Bigelow - Producer, M. James Kouf Jr. - Producer, Robert Newmyer - Producer, James G. Robinson - Producer, Jeffrey Silver - Producer, Ed Novick - Sound/Sound Designer, Mike Binder - Screenwriter
