And Then Came Summer (2000)

Good movie but grossly overrated

It’s sentimental, ridiculously long and only occasionally funny

The movie turns out to be a little better than the average. Starting from a romantic formula often seen in the cinema, it ends in the most predictable (and somewhat bland) way.

The film never slows down or bores, plunging from one harrowing sequence to the next.

The acting was not really the best out there (at least Seth looked good, that kinda helped), the music was, well, just imagine elevator music and you have it down. Some of the lines and situations were really fake and not exactly great, but this is still a good movie. the message it tries to portray is an amazing one and it is really heartwarming and a tear jerker. If you like to see movies about young boys coming out and the hardships they face all the while then this is a must see. Overall it is a movie I'm OK with adding to my collection. The problems that Seth faced because of his parents really came out of nowhere and didn't really fit the movies original goal. Other minor characters made pointless appearances and often ruined the movies atmosphere. The ending seemed a bit rushed. The acceptance from their family should have been extended or at least explored further. You never really find out how David and his (poorly acting) brother made up, or if they even made up at all. Also random plot lines and twists came up into the movie for no real reason, like Jennifer's death. There was no explanation in her character nor any background information on anything regarding the father's pasts. Although it somehow allowed Seth's bro to wallow in pity, Jennifer's death really didn't play a big role at all.There are many things that can be criticized about this movie, yet it holds a nice little place in my heart. "Coming out with problems (especually family problems)" seem to be my favorite kind because along with the romance and happiness there is a dash of angst thrown in to make an even better movie.

If I had read the previous comments, I probably would not have bothered with this movie. This has to be the worst film I've ever suffered through. It made "Swept Away" look like a 5 star movie. The script and the acting was just dreadful. None of the actors were able to bring any life into their character. The subject matter had not dept. The plot did not build up and there was no climax. The entire movie was flat. If you want to see real life gay drama covering every issue imaginable, my number one recommendation is to rent Showtime's "Queer As Folk". You'll be hooked after the very first episode, and it does not disappoint. Another would be "Making Love", with Harry Hamlin. Now that was good!

I have to feel a bit of sadness for the producers, cast and crew of 10% Productions "And Then Came Summer." I mean, their hearts were all in the right place... they wanted to make a nice, light, coming-of-age story about two boys who, very naturally, fall in love. The idea is sweet, and the intentions are good. The outcome, however, is a vastly different matter. Unfortunately, "And Then Came Summer" falls into just about every trap that face amateur filmmakers face. The script is an unsubstantial mess, with no build, no interesting dialogue and non-existant character development. The acting is really poor all the way around - either totally wooden or completely overdone, often times both in the same scene. The camerawork is attrocious; certain scenes were filmed so ineptly that it literally made the film difficult to watch. The inclusion of Anthony J. Domingues as the younger brother is perhaps the worst casting mistake in the history of Hollywood... this kid looks not a the thing like his father and older brother (was he adopted or something? If so, the script never gets around to mentioning it.) And, most of all, the film's treatment of women is borderline offensive... the caring aunt is a pie-baking marm so sweet that I almost lapsed into diabetic shock, and the brief appearance by the gossipy neighbor is so dense it's nearly laughable. It used to be enough to simply make a "gay movie." But (thankfully) there are more and more films in the gay genre being made. This ups the ante, and slapping together a film like "And Then Came Summer" just doesn't cut it anymore. Budget be damned, a film needs to be ABOUT something. It needs to still be well-acted and directed professionally. And it needs to draw in the audience with a script and characters that are pertinent and revelatory. This films tries, but, sadly, achieves none of these benchmarks. It's too bad... I really wanted to like this film!

It's really sad that this film is so horrible. It's obvious that a lot of love, care, and energy went into the making of it. The actors, according to the extras on the DVD, really loved the venture, putting a great deal of themselves into this film. Problem is the script is dreadful, with a few exceptions the acting is horrible, and the direction is so poor that you'll walk away from this film wishing for your time and your money back.The main problem is that all the good things in the story -- the abduction, the relationship between the brothers and the fathers and the teens in love -- are just plopped down in front with no sense of drama, care, or even thrill. The most interesting bit of the movie, the abduction of one of the characters, wasn't even in the theatrical release according to the DVD. What could have gotten the film off to a bang and left the audience curious, wondering what was going on, invested in the film, never happens. We're left wondering what went wrong with the writing, the directing and everything else.Jesse Petrick just isn't up to the task of carrying the film. He's -acting- the whole time without an honest note to his performance. Mathieu Smith does an admirable job with his more complicated role. For a first timer, he walk away with his scenes with Petrick. It's a shame that Smith hasn't, as far as IMDB says, had any more work.Overall, wait for cable. Then hold your breath. The movie is a lot better if you are oxygen deprived and hallucinating good performances and a script that makes sense.