Review of The Kings of Summer (2013) by Ryan S — 16 Oct 2013

Judd: Every so often Tom and I get an invite to a small indie film that the studios want the critics to see and generate word of mouth. These films are usually Sundance or SXSW favorites, which really aren't that good but stand out against all the other crap that's shown at these festivals. This year's Sundance darling is Kings of Summer, a story about three 15 year old boys who run away from home and spend their summer living in a cabin they built in the woods. Written by new-comer Chris Galletta and directed by Jordan Vogt Roberts, known for his internet shorts, Kings of Summer feels very indie and quirky, but at its heart is an innocent story about boys who aren't smarmy, too-cool-for-school, or other such Hollywood contrivances.

Joe (Nick Robinson) flees from a party after it's broken up by the cops, while walking with fellow party-goer and oddball Biaggio, (Moises Arias) they find a clearing in the woods. Soon after we learn that Joe doesn't get along that well with his cold, widowed father (Nick Offerman) and BFF Patrick's parents (Megan Mullally and Marc Evan Jackson) are well-meaning but smothering. The writing for the parents is a bit lame, particularly Jackson and Mullally, but Mullally is able to make it work because she's just that good. Joe, Patrick and Biaggio run away from home to build a house in the clearing, living a life free from their parents. It's never stated whether or not the boys had a long term plan, but they were 15. What 15 year old boy thinks more than a week into the future?

The majority of the movie is just the boys horsing around and being boys, interspersed with beautiful nature cinematography. It reminded me very much of the photography by Jock Sturges, infamous for his photos of nude adolescents and their families taken on the beaches of NorCal and France. Tennessee and Alabama attempted and failed to charge him with child pornography. Kings of Summer doesn't feature any nudity, but the image of these young men (old boys?) on the brink of adulthood, playing in the dirt, water and mud conveys the same innocence and natural beauty of Sturges' work.

From a cynical standpoint, the movie is a bit nostalgic, showcasing an awkward time of life that our boys seem to coping with a little too well. The oddball character says things that are just a little too odd. Patrick's parents are just a little too quirky. Nick Offerman is just a little too Ron Swanson. The movie as a whole is a fraction "more" than what I think the director was aiming for, but that doesn't detract from the overall charm and enchantment.

Judd: ****.