Summer Lovers (1982)

Touches You

Load of rubbish!!

A great movie, one of the best of this year. There was a bit of confusion at one point in the plot, but nothing serious.

It's the kind of movie you'll want to see a second time with someone who hasn't seen it yet, to remember what it was like to watch it for the first time.

Summer Lovers (1982): Dir: Randal Kleiser / Cast: Peter Gallagher, Daryl Hannah, Valerie Quennessen, Barbara Rush, Hans van Tongeren: The Greek Islands offer beauty, history and romance but the title of this film is misleading in its stance on open relationships. Peter Gallagher plays Michael Pappas and Daryl Hannah plays his girlfriend Cathy Featherstone. They are college graduates on vacation enjoying the ravishing Greek environment, which also includes nude beaches. Soon Michael meets the beautiful Lina who is doing archaeological work and they share a fling on a nude beach. He confesses to Cathy who, out of frustration and curiosity desires to meet Lina. This results in a three way friendship that examines the reality of open relationships. While the concept opens beautifully the structure is often poorly paced or dull. It is obvious that two will have to leave the one and they sexually link but they form a seemingly innocent little union. Gallagher is a weak lead but perhaps it is because Michael is a pompous ass who comes off as boring and self entitled. Hannah brings a high spirited likeness as Cathy who explores photography. Valerie Quennessen as Lina is stunning with her wide captivating eyes and a flair for fun. Barbara Rush as Cathy's visiting mother is in for a surprise. Open relationships can bring complications that can render no love for anyone's summer. Score: 6 ½ / 10

This film is an excellent promo tool for tourism in the Greek Isles. Who wouldn't want to spend a summer on a beautiful island with important archaeological artifacts to explore during the day and discos to party in at night? There are quite a number of beautiful people in the film and many of them are half dressed or naked while sunning or swimming.I am not a huge fan of Peter Gallagher, but his character Michael Pappas pulls off every guy's dream of getting his girlfriend to approve of him fooling around with another woman. Daryl Hannah is his American girlfriend Cathy who is looking to grow, become more open and sexually move away from her "nice girl" persona in Santorini. Valérie Quennessen is the lovely other woman Lina who eventually moves in with Michael and Cathy at their villa just across the way from hers. The sunsets and vistas are killer at both villas.The director, Randal Kleiser also directed "The Blue Lagoon" – which is another beautiful film that can also be appreciated without sound. This film is not deep, but it is great to look at and good, light entertainment.

Santorini, a beautiful island paradise with donkey rides to the top and a fun vacation. I made two visits, but never got to spend a summer there. That is reserved for those who are much more well off.So, here we have well off Peter Gallagher (Short Cuts, American Beauty) and his girlfriend Daryl Hannah (Splash, Kill Bill Vol. 2) spending the Summer on Santorini. Is there anything in the world you could imagine that would top that? Why would you even want to? Well, it seems that Michael (Gallagher) isn't satisfied with a hot girl on a beautiful island and wants to add Lina (Valérie Quennessen) to his life. Naturally, Cathy (Hannah) objects, but eventually agrees after becoming friends with Lina. Right I can just imagine the crazy mind that dreamed this up. Every girl would share her man. And, no, there is no hot lesbian sex going on to seal the deal. It's share with no benefits.They move in together and become a loving family. They even get depressed and cut their vacation short by two weeks when Lina disappears. Are these two mental? Yes, we see Darryl in her skin debut as she sunbathes nude, and she has a fantastic wet-t-shirt scene, and there are babes galore on the beach topless and fully nude, and on and on, but face it, if you suggested this to your girl and she looked like Daryl Hannah, she would probably tell you to take a hike.

I have read other viewers comments, and I am surprised to find that many of them are under the impression that Lina and Kathy were lovers. It was made perfectly clear by the writer, director, and actors, (at the time of release) that Michael was making love to either woman separately. The three of them shared the bed, but sex was only between Michael and Lina, or Michael and Kathy, not Kathy and Lina. Kathy and Lina were never intimate sexually. Having corrected that misunderstanding, I do admit that... the non-sexual relationship between Lina and Kathy was beautiful, warm and loving. Both Valerie Quennessen and Daryl Hannah were endearing, soft, free, relaxed, and exciting. To watch them on the screen made this one of my favorite movies. I was 16 and freshly licensed, going to the 'drive-in' without my parents for the first time, and I had the privilege of watching these three actors live life the way I knew it could be.