Joseph Cross is a director you may not know by name, but you’re likely to know his face. He’s also an actor and you may recognise him from Big Little Lies or Clint Eastwood’s Flags Of Our Fathers. He has now turned his creative eye towards filmmaking and his directorial debut is Summer Night, a film about a group of friends, just hanging out, having a few beers while contemplating some huge life changes they’re all about to go through.
The film features a huge ensemble cast, made out of young actors you’ll immediately recognise and go “Oh oh oh! It’s that guy from that film! She was in this and this!”. You can maybe name one or two of them, but the relative anonymity is where part of the film’s charm lies. They’re recognisable, but able to blend in and completely disappear into their characters. Summer Night feels like a younger companion to 10 Years: A Reunion, a long-forgotten Channing Tatum film with a similar ensemble cast of great actors. The two films would make a killer double bill.
Coming-Of-Age, But With A Twist
The film begins with friends Seth and Jameson having a cheeky swim far from the centre of the little town they live in. Seth’s girlfriend Mel is bombarding him with texts, having just found out she’s pregnant. Elsewhere, Taylor gets mugged and is nursed by Dana. Jameson takes the wild girl Harmony out, but runs into his ex at the bar. Mel’s friend Lexi on the other hand has slept with another man at a wedding, while her best friend Rabbit has feelings for her. Bartender Andy is like the drunken mother hen to the youngsters; oldest of the group, hovering over them. Over one night, they all have to figure out what direction they want to take next, where to go and what to do.
Cross explores some familiar coming-of-age themes here, but with a twist. Our characters aren’t in high school, but fully-pledge adults, but not quite ready to let go of their youth just yet. They all still long for the care-free days and booze-filled nights of hanging out together. It’s an interesting angle to the narrative that otherwise feels a bit too familiar.
Summer Night mainly adopts a male perspective. The female characters aren’t particularly well written or developed, but it’s undeniably fascinating to look at themes usually explored through and by female characters from the male perspective. Seth’s insecurities and fear of responsibility come alive in Ian Nelson’s performance. He’s at once relatable and distant, unable to open up or make a decision, avoiding Mel instead. Out of the large collage of characters, he’s the one filled with the most conflict and confusion. It almost feels like the film should have focused on him alone and Nelson is fantastic, but it’s questionable whether he would have been a seasoned and charismatic actor enough to carry a whole narrative on his back.
Parenthood As Something Scary
Anxieties about adulthood and taking responsibility are hanging above all our characters throughout the film. Seth’s storyline is the most obvious one to tackle this, but it’s also seen when Jameson goes to pick up Harmony for their date and encounters her with a baby in her arms. His fear is palpable and Harmony can tell, asking him if he knew she had a baby. It’s all a joke, it’s Harmony’s sister’s baby daughter but Jameson’s anxiety over the matter in that 60 seconds is more than enough to tell us what he thinks of becoming a baby daddy.
In Summer Night, parenthood is something to be scared of, full of sacrifices and poop-filled diapers. Seth asks a member of their friend group what it’s like to be a parent and he replies going to birthday parties on a Sunday afternoon is the worst. They also have to leave to go home while the rest of the gang continue their night at another bar. The life of a parent is restricted and limited and should be avoided at all costs. Seth, the ultimate dude with a healthy habit of doing drugs, doubts his ability to be a father, which we later learn stems from daddy issues.
The middle of the film focuses on a band gig at the local bar The Alamo and Cross stages live music numbers beautifully. It’s a little One Tree Hill-esque which is only a complaint if you don’t like One Tree Hill (Go Ravens!). The music scenes are filmed nicely and seamlessly. They don’t bring much to the narrative, apart from offering a space for some more talking and hanging out.
A Film Running of Empathy
Ellar Coltrane, of Boyhood-fame, doesn’t leave much of an impression, but other young stars do. Elena Kampouris, Ella Hunt and Justin Chatwin all elevate their characters despite the script that doesn’t give them much to do. Hunt was a standout in last year’s Anna and The Apocalypse and is increasingly sweet here. Kampouris radiates charisma, but it’s Chatwin who impresses the most.
Chatwin’s character Andy might the most tragic of them all; he’s the oldest guy in the room at the age of thirty and stuck in a bar job, finding himself as the last one at the party, alone. While everyone is busy coupling away, he quietly downs another drink, until he’s the last one at the party. Andy hasn’t admitted to himself that the party was over a long time ago and maybe he should also move on. Chatwin makes Andy relatable and real, with a hint of loneliness and tragedy.
Summer Night is a slightly infuriating film in the sense that all the friends have so much going on in their own lives they fail to see their friends struggling with theirs. Their problems might be quite ordinary, mundane even but they feel like the end of the world to our characters. And they would for us too, if we were in the middle of the same problems. Being torn between two possible lovers and dealing with unexpected pregnancies will always be relatable and Summer Night is no exception. It’s easy to insert yourself into these characters’ shoes and feel what they’re feeling. The film runs on empathy and if you’re not feeling it, the film will be a failure in your eyes.
Summer Night: Perfectly Breezy Or Too Humid?
All parties must end at sunrise and so does the one in Summer Night. Nothing might not change for most of our characters, but Summer Night provides some insight into a night in the life of these young men and women. They’re all smack in the middle of not being young anymore, but they’re also not ready to be old. The film explores them at a turning point in their lives and Summer Night is a perfectly sweet film about the hot, hazy nights we’ve all had and can look back to with adoration and nostalgia.
What did you think of Summer Night? Who is your favourite character? Let us know in the comments!
Summer Night will be released on VOD on July 12, 2019.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j9FDmJhrqtc
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