Top 10 Summer Movies
The summer of 2020 has finally arrived, and we can only hope it doesn’t have anything in store for us that resembles the first half of this year. So instead of looking back on the rough start to this year, why don’t you take the time to remember how wonderful the summer can be and the amazing setting it is for in a ton of classic movies. Here are the Top 10 Summer Movies of all time:
10. Independence Day
Director: Roland Emmerich
There are some movies that truly fall into the category of art, redefining the ever changing, ever expanding medium that so many of us love. A truly fine piece of work can define a genre, even define a generation of filmmaking, leaving a legacy that will live on for decades to come. Independence Day is not one of those movies. This one falls more into the ‘turn your brain off and enjoy’ category but hey, that’s just as legitimate as the whole art redefining thing. Bordering on total U.S. propaganda, this action/disaster blockbuster is truly a classic action movie, even though it’s not necessarily a good movie. But I mean, the fact that the military counter offense against the invading aliens takes place on July 4th is so hilariously dumb that it actually falls into the delightful shlock category. With prime Will Smith in the leading role as Captain Steven Hiller and some actually amazing visual effects, Independence Day is a summer movie that is both deserving and undeserving of its title as a ‘90s classic.
9. A Goofy Movie
Director: Kevin Lima
If you’ve seen A Goofy Movie, you know how hard Goofy rocks as a dad. However, as the tagline of the movie says, “It’s hard to be cool when your dad is Goofy,” and that is just the struggle that Goofy’s son, Max Goof, faces throughout this film. You see, Max wants to go to the Powerline concert (a very prominent pop star in the Disney canon apparently), but Goofy has other plans in store. He wants to bring Max on a fishing trip just like he and his father had done years before. The Goofs embark, and hijinks ensue, as the two struggle to obtain their own goals. Bigfoot, deceit, and exploding cars are all in store for this 81-minute thrill ride of a film. But it’s not just action that you should expect from A Goofy Movie. There’s also a lot of heart in this toon world as well. As previously mentioned, Goofy is one of the best cartoon dads out there and in the end, he only really wants to spend time with Max, no matter what. But that doesn’t mean some hearts won’t get broken along the way. So, don’t forget to grab some tissues for this one, you’ll be bawling your eyes out by the time the Goofs get to the Grand Canyon.
8. Moonrise Kingdom
Director: Wes Anderson
Ah, Wes Anderson: you either love him or you hate him. His unique and quirky filmmaking style has charmed as many as it has alienated and Moonrise Kingdom is one of his most stylized flicks to date. Following two adolescents in a tale of forbidden love that plays out almost like a hipster Romeo and Juliet, Anderson’s signature style is on full tilt here and the backdrop of the storybook summer only brightens his distinctive filmmaking pallet. Witty, charming, and very symmetrical, Moonrise Kingdom is a quaint movie that isn’t afraid to bear its teeth every now and then. With a star-studded cast including the likes of Bill Murray, Frances McDormand, Edward Norton, Bruce Willis, and Tilda Swinton, the film is a lovely time if you’re looking for an interesting spin on a romance story.
One of the stronger child performances comes from actress Kara Hayward who plays Suzy Bishop, the female lead and love interest of the Khaki Scout Sam (Jared Gilman). However, if there were any criticisms of the cast, it is overwhelmingly white.
7. (500) Days of Summer
Director: Marc Webb
What’s great about (500) Days of Summer is that it’s a rom-com for those who like and dislike rom-coms. Touting more brains than the standard movie of the genre, the flick is told in a non-linear style that follows around leading man Tom Hansen (Joseph Gordon-Levitt) through different days of his relationship with Summer, portrayed by the lovely Zooey Deschanel. With the interesting narrative style, some fourth wall breaking moments, and overall smart writing, (500) Days of Summer is a great movie for those in and out of relationships or those in need of a nice portrayal of love on film.
6. The Endless Summer
Director: Bruce Brown
A true time capsule of a documentary, The Endless Summer follows a group of surfers as they trek across the globe in search of exotic and untapped surfing spots. Filmed in 1966, the documentary really captures the essence of the era’s pop culture with it’s now corny (but endearing) commentary and it’s classic ‘60s vibe soundtrack recorded by the surf rock group, The Sandals. As the surfers move with the summer season around the world, thus creating the titular ‘endless summer,’ their interactions with different people and places are as entertaining to watch as their surfing.
While the filmmakers and surfers are a bunch of white dudes, they do make their way throughout the globe and have exchanges with many different people from different countries. As they travel through Africa, there are a few ‘60s-esque comments here and there that haven’t aged too well about the people there, but overall there is nothing too detrimental said towards anyone of any race or culture, which is more than can be said about a lot of ‘60s movies.
So, if you’re looking to chill and watch a classic documentary about surfing and seeing the world, The Endless Summer can’t be recommended enough. Oh, and the poster is amazing.
5. The Sandlot
Director: David Mickey Evans
If you’re like me and grew up watching The Sandlot, you’ll most likely agree that this movie holds a special place in your heart. It’s not the most complex movie or even the best movie, but what The Sandlot lacks in some places it totally makes up for with its character. The heart of this movie is just part of what makes it so endearing even almost 30 years later. Perfectly utilizing those hot summer days that live in all of our memories as the setting for a gang of friends playing backyard baseball, The Sandlot flawlessly plucks the strings of the nostalgia harp, making audiences of all ages yearn for the early 60s. The cast is also strong, even for a group of child actors. Standouts include Ham (Patrick Renna), Squints (Chauncey Leopardi), Yeah-Yeah (Marty York), and Smalls (Tom Guiry). However, the cast is again largely white and definitely uses Kenny DeNunez (Brandon Adams) as a token black character which is not great in terms of representation. However, the movie is about kids playing baseball so it’s not exactly that deep to begin with.
4. Midsommar
Director: Ari Aster
The idea of making a horror movie that takes place in broad daylight is a task few directors are equipped for, but depression enthusiast Ari Aster took it upon himself to do just that and succeeded in stars. Midsommar is one of the best new entries in the indie horror renaissance we appear to be in the midst of right now and has cemented Aster as one of the hottest up and comers in the genre. A mixture of Wes Anderson and The Wicker Man, Midsommar creates a terrifying and claustrophobic environment even though it takes place on warm sunny days in the middle of a field in Sweden. Aster’s style of horror in this film seems dry and unapologetic, never shy about being blatantly macabre at times while also being reserved yet unique at others.
The main character Dani is wonderfully portrayed by Florence Pugh, who gives the best performance in the movie as the tragic protagonist. It’s also nice to see a horror movie where the women don’t fall into any stereotypical roles like the ‘final girl.’ Also, in the supporting cast, Josh (portrayed by William Jackson Harper) avoids the stereotypical horror trope of ‘black guy gets killed first.’ He’s a fully-flushed out character and isn’t just there to be killed by the cult. However, as Josh is the only minority portrayed in the movie, he could definitely be seen as somewhat of a token character. However, he’s pretty important to the story, making him more than just the token.
3. Stand By Me
Director: Rob Reiner
Stand By Me is not only one of the best coming of age movies out there, it is yet another great summer adventure story that captures the freedom summer brings during a more youthful and naïve time in all of our lives. Landing on the earlier side of director Rob Reiner’s excellent seven film run in which he released consecutive classics from 1984 to 1992 (including This is Spinal Tap, The Princess Bride, When Harry Met Sally, and A Few Good Men), Stand By Me stands as one of his best pieces of work. The film has a very particular ‘80s aesthetic that rides the line between cheesy and nostalgic, but proves to be a charming mixture of the two that works in its favor. It’s also an interesting character study of kids that looks at a child’s potential as they grow up and how their circumstances play such a big role in where their life will lead them. In some cases, their circumstances can trap them, leaving it up to them to fight through or succumb to their own personal enclosure. In that sense, Stand By Me says a lot more about human nature than it appears on the surface, showing us that we all have personal struggles we must fight through, it just depends on how we choose to push through to the other side.
The representation is pretty limited here again so Stand By Me gets a neutral inclusivity score. While it is a great representation of being a kid in the summer, it does little to further minority groups in film.
2. Do the Right Thing
Director: Spike Lee
Taking place on the hottest day of the summer in a neighborhood in Brooklyn, Do the Right Thing uses the intense heat as a metaphor for the increasing racial tensions between the Italian pizzeria owners and the African Americans that make up the majority of the community. This metaphor also extends to racial tensions throughout the entire country in 1989, continuing to be a poignant parallel even today. Director Spike Lee does a great job addressing a number of key issues in African American communities, specifically those involving the police and their racial bias. With all that has happened since this film’s release, right up until the moment you’re reading this, Do the Right Thing has remained all too relevant and will only continue to be unless there is real change. For a more in depth look at Do the Right Thing, check out my full article on the film here.
1. Jaws
Director: Steven Spielberg
Basically the quintessential summer film, Jaws is not only a great adventure story, it also changed Hollywood forever. Before Jaws, there was no such thing as the summer blockbuster that we know and love today. Before 1975, studios would put movies they thought would flop in summer time slots for the periods notoriously poor box office receipts. They did just that with Jaws, but it turned out to totally work in their favor as the film went on to be the highest grossing movie of 1975 and the 11th highest grossing movie of all time when adjusting for inflation. This sparked the summer blockbuster and turned the season into one for large box office intakes.
The film itself is simple but very effective. The first half resembles the more horror-based monster story that the movie was sold as whereas the second half is more like an adventure tale that director Steven Spielberg was once synonymous with. With three great performances from Roy Scheider, Richard Dreyfuss, and especially Robert Shaw as Captain Quint, the rest of the story easily falls into place, all the while taking place off the coast of an American summer cottage town called Amity Island. If you haven’t seen Jaws already, do yourself a favor this summer and check it out. And if you have already seen it, do yourself a favor and watch it again.
There is little about this movie that is overtly inclusive. While there aren’t any minority groups represented in the film, it’s not necessarily harmful towards them either. Overall, Jaws is neutral for representation.
