Despite what you may have seen on project greenlight that would depict this film as a film that was not put together well and full of problems, it's not. This film is one of those rare films that invokes some feeling and those are always good in my book. Whether you have or haven't heard of project greenlight, rent this film.
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johnsaucier19775 July 2003
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gnomon-113 February 2008This movie is beautifully written and simply acted, with wonderful performances from the child actors bringing it to life. It deals with subtle and complex issues of faith and love, parenting, friendship and flat-out chutzpah. The character of the Rabbi, played by Kevin Pollack, is a joy.
Stolen summer explores what faith means in action and who's got it right. Done from a child's questioning point of view it gets in to and away with some very tough and unresolvable issues. The kids treat the notion of getting in to heaven, whose God is right, what happens when you die- all as things you can actually ask about, and think about. The result is heartfelt and up to the end, wrenching in its honesty.
The final scene of the movie has absolutely no connection to the rest of story. Or rather, it seeks to tie up every single thread and gives you all those answers, revealing in the final two minutes the nature of prayer and the meaning of faith. Predictably it comes out as shallow and baffling. Where did the movie go? The actors are wrenched from any connection to any part of the story leading up to that moment and left doing a Hallmark card. The scene reeks of a desperate move to appeal to some research-specified demographic, the implausible act of an executive justifying his salary by telling the writer what the story needs.
Up until the Advent of Executives, this is a lovely movie, and a great story. -
mixiallen22 August 2003This movie was a wonderful movie until the last ten minutes when it falls completely flat on its face. The movie examines the unique and heartfelt friendship between the young son of an angry Irish Catholic and the young son of a Jewish Rabbi. Not only are the characters deeply explored, their differing faiths are thoughtfully examined throughout the film. It's a shame that the "powers that be" had to fold in the last ten minutes and give viewers bogus wishy-washy so-called theology that proves moviemakers are still afraid of moral absolutes. What a shame. Bonnie Hunt was so convincing as the dutiful wife and loving mother I wanted to adopt her. Kevin Pollak was incredible as the agonized father living with terminal illness.
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Buddy-515 February 2003American films deal with all aspects of every day life: work, school, marriage, family, divorce, adolescence, sexuality, crime, alcoholism, drugs, disease, death - the range of subjects is virtually endless. Yet if you were to look to films to get some sense of what defines American culture, you would never know that religion played any kind of role at all in the lives of the common, ordinary citizen. Spirituality seems to be the one aspect of life that never gets acknowledged even by the most incisive of filmmakers. Of course, we do occasionally run across the serial killer who claims to be doing `the Lord's work' as he's butchering his victims, or the diabolical Catholic Church hierarchy plotting the deaths of hundreds to maintain its nefarious hold on its riches and power, or the sleazy evangelist who is out there bilking millions out of their life savings in exchange for a phony one way ticket to eternal glory. But we almost never see just plain garden-variety folks who go to church, value their faith and try to make their religion an intricate part of their workaday lives. Why is that?
Well, `Stolen Summer' is that rare American film which actually acknowledges that religion plays a key role in many people's lives. It's Chicago, 1976, and 8-year old Pete O'Malley, fearful of going to hell, is on a quest to assure his place in heaven by converting neighborhood Jews to the Christian faith. As part of his effort, he enlists the aid of a local rabbi who, admiring Pete's honesty and willingness to seek for Truth, agrees to let the boy set up a lemonade-cum-salvation stand outside his temple. The film deals with a wide array of characters, including members of Pete's family as well as the rabbi's, who have varying reactions to both Pete's stated goal and the burgeoning friendship between Pete and the rabbi's own son.
`Stolen Summer' is not afraid to confront the sectarian nature of religion that is often used as a means of dividing people of faith rather than bringing them together. Moreover, by viewing the world through the unfiltered eyes of these two innocent young boys, writer/director Pete Jones points up the empty ritualism that often defines how we adults choose to practice our faith. Pete and Danny, by cutting through the layers of nonsense and getting to the simple heart of the matter, force many of the grownups in the film to re-evaluate their own beliefs and practices.
It's also nice to see a family in a film that, although it has problems, is not thoroughly angst-ridden and dysfunctional. The O'Malley's are an intact Irish Catholic family whose eight children are a clear testament to the couple's adherence to papal decrees on birth control. In an excellent, multi-layered performance, Aidan Quinn plays Pete's father, Joe, a hard-working fireman who is proud of his ethnic roots and who feels that the most important role for a man in this world is to take care of his family. Yet, Joe has problems of his own. For one thing, he has an excessive sense of pride that prevents him from wanting his children to have a better life than the one he has made for them. He believes that his college-aged son should be content to work as a dutiful civil servant rather than pursue his dream of becoming a doctor. Moreover, Joe obviously fears what he doesn't know or understand and this comes out in subtle flashes of anti-Semitism, which put him in direct conflict with the rabbi and even his own son at times. Joe is, in many ways, the most interesting character in the film mainly because Jones is careful not to peg him as either a total hero or total villain. Bonnie Hunt and Kevin Pollack offer strong support as Joe's levelheaded wife and the open-minded rabbi, respectively. And young Adiel Stein scores big time as the centerpiece of the film, little Pete O'Malley. Stein conveys an upbeat childlike innocence that is infectious without becoming cutesy or cloying. He is utterly believable as a young boy coming-of-age in a suburban home in the 1970's.
`Stolen Summer,' because it deals gently with its people and its subject matter, may strike some as a bit too mild in tone, a bit too lacking in grit to be worth very much. And, in a sense, they may be right. The film does sometimes come off a bit like one of those `good for you' After School Specials designed to deliver an upbeat, heartwarming message about the goodness of mankind without unduly upsetting anyone in the audience. And the movie does feel a bit contrived at times, more concerned with wringing tears or teaching a lesson than it is in capturing life in its rawest form for all of us to see. But no matter. It's still a pleasure to see a film at least attempting to acknowledge both that people do think about religion and God from time to time in this world and that we all don't come from families torn asunder by personal trauma. Yes, one could perhaps wish for a bit more edginess at times - still, `Stolen Summer' merits praise for bringing religion back into the mainstream of American movies. -
famousmonster0022 December 2002Stolen Summer is a decent movie that could have been a lot better. It is the story of a 8 year old Irish catholic boy growing up in Chicago in 1976. The boy, named Pete O'Malley (Adiel Stein), believes he is on the fast track straight to hell. Although he seems like a good kid, his teachers and parents seem to tell him he is going to go to hell more than anything else. In order to get to heaven, he decides that he is going to convert Jewish people to Christianity, to both save them and himself. On his quest he meets Rabbi Jacobsen (Pollak) and his son Danny (Weinberg) and all of their lives are changed.
Although somewhat cheesy, the movie is in fact heart-warming. Aidan Quinn and Bonnie Hunt do a wonderful job as Pete's parents. The best acting in the film is probably by Kevin Pollak who plays a kind and open-minded Rabbi who is going through some tough times. The main problem with the film seemed to be that it had too low of a budget. I thought the child actors did a decent job and the shots looked good but some of the scenes don't look like it reached its full potential. I think if there would have been more time and money put forward, the child actors could have done a better job. I also thought at times it looked like there wasn't enough coverage of the scenes, so the editor just had to do the best he could. Overall though it was a good film, but it could have been better. -
sarge_515025 September 2003This is a good outing for a first-time director. I saw the HBO series first and was quite surprised at how well this film turned out. The script is good; the subject matter is powerful. The actors turned out great performances. Quinn and Pollack both did outstanding jobs. I think a huge amount of credit needs to go to the crew on this film, but I think Pete Jones did a great job.
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I don't think I'm slanted because much of the film was made in my hometown... and the writer-director is the youngest son of a longtime friend. But I thought I'd better establish those facts up front.
If you want to capture the true flavor of the south side of Chicago in the '70s, this movie does it. From the scenes in and around Holy Cross church in Deerfield, to the beautiful Jewish temple on the south side, to the 76th Street beach, to scenes in and around Chicago bungalows, even under the L tracks, this film has it. I grew up on a block on the south side where we were the only family that was not Irish-Catholic. This film depicts the values and relationships of those types of families very well.
Will anyone get a Golden Globe or an Academy Award from "Stolen Summer"? Probably not. But if you want to spend a couple of hours enjoying a good movie with a real message--go see "Stolen Summer". If you're a Chicagoan and want to see a slice of home... so much the better. -
Watching Project Greenlight, anyone would think this movie would turn out worse than Batman and Robin.
But taken on its own terms, it's a mildly entertaining film about a boy questioning differences in faith and religion. Bonnie Hunt and Aidan Quinn are just brilliant in this, but the film's ending doesn't quite gel (reshoots would have helped, Mr Weinstein).
A decent first feature. -
kwhetten12 February 2008This movie was one of the best movies that I have seen in a very long while. It was touching and very motivating. The two young boys in this film were fabulous actors and made the story so great. It was so easy to relate to the dynamics between the two families and to feel there pain and confusion. As a mother, I would want my children to be a part in viewing this movie in order to conjure up a open conversation about it's contents and morals. I would be concerned with anyone of any faith to not feel the same about this movie. Messages like the one presented in this movie are few and far between these days. I would recommend it for your whole family regardless of your ages or beliefs.
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johnnyboyz21 August 2011Stolen Summer is all coy piano music; character arcs we anticipate and flimsy narrative frameworks that wouldn't necessarily feel out of place in a television movie. Hark, then we spot that the film was actually the result of a television programme; a show set up by endowed Hollywood acting royalty in the form of Ben Affleck and Matt Damon and designed to get independent films off the ground when they wouldn't ordinarily see the light of day – the sentiment a whole lot better than the end product, while somewhat tellingly, the show has hardly flourished since. Much like the film that was a result of it, the experiment was done with the best of intentions although ultimately came out a little flat. Stolen Summer is very much the sort of piece that possesses the capability of attracting great criticism, but it isn't necessarily one of those films one particularly takes pleasure from criticising; you root for it from its humble beginnings right the way through to its, albeit relatively phony, climax, but all the while willing it on to pull away from tepid foundations and spiritless crucibles so as to widen out into a broader; more inspiring, surprising realm. Alas, it doesn't quite make it and if anything, comes close to rather annoying the viewer in the process.
The film covers that of a Chicago based family in the summer of 1976; specifically, this family and their slow inception into varying religious realms through the presence of a local Jewish community whom come to have somewhat of an impact on them. The family, staunch Catholics named the O'Malley's, consist of an array of archetypes ranging from the hard-nosed and very masculine father; to the young son on the cusp of adulthood; to the much younger infant son stuck in there amidst the oft-worried housewife/mother whom essentially functions as a voice of antagonism when she isn't required to remain anonymous. The father, a certain Joe (Quinn), is a firefighter but is a beer swilling; easily wound up guy whom enjoys a gamble with his colleagues at work, and lives for that sensation of working long; hard and manly hours in a physical job so that he may provide for a family he thus feels exists to be bossed about on account of this. Patrick (Kaye-Thomas), Joe's eldest son, is near-enough in his twenties; a softly spoken individual, wiry and not the pit-bull his father is - a person with the steady job of a lifeguard and imbuing characteristics that generally clash with that of his dad.
The sweetest, and probably most substantial strand, covers that of Pete (Stein), who's the youngest of the family and a kid now out of his Catholic school given the summer holidays have begun. Pete has a confused outlook on the all of the world; life and most things around him; a boy with a fear of Hell, damnation and such recently instilled into him via the school, and thus sees himself as a bit of sinner or as someone going out of his way to avoid Godly retribution; so much so that he decides to dedicate the entire break to essentially repenting or trying to find redemption for a bad act he hasn't even done, something eventually forming into the encouraging of a certain young, local but terminally ill boy named Danny (Weinberg) to become Catholic. There is a telling moment on the eve of what Pete labels his "quest", an exchange between he and another boy playing baseball out there on a diamond; the large metallic fence surrounding the pitch and housing either boy on either side of it an indication of their separate sides: a physical splitting of how the respective children will spend their break, a divide surmising one boy and that of sports and leisure and another soul searching away from such things.
Pete's proverbial quest for redemption syncs up nicely with Affleck's own off screen repenting, a pouring of the cash he most certainly made for the previous year's monstrosity Pearl Harbour into that of humbler; more rounded foundings. Upon undertaking the pilgrimage, Pete comes to discover alternate religions and eventually intermingles with the local Jewish community; initial ignorance encapsulated by his meagre Cynagog suggestions early on, which would make little sense to execute. Pete's eventual coming to bond with Danny sees this child's unfortunate disease loom over proceedings; the kid seriously ill enough to be in and out of chemotherapy and yet finds room to swim unenviable distances in what are perceived as "record times" whilst out at sea.
Spinning around Pete's journey of self-discovery lies Joe's strand of being forced into confronting prejudices, a plot line to the film exuding degrees of obligatoriness and painfully highlighting its often languid, often standardised nature of rolling through the motions. It's here the film provides us with politics that are so firmly in the right place, that their entrenchment in such areas actually becomes a little grating. Stolen Summer very much feels like a machine that's just been oiled a little too well; it is often impassive and feels mostly processed, its cogs and wheels therein beautifully kept and working to such a pristine order that does not allow for a great deal of involved antagonism; does not allow for a great deal of ambiguity nor a great deal of blurring of anybody's morals. The piece very much the sort of film refusing to deviate from its grounded route, and it will at once both suffer and excel in its own peculiar ways to varying people as a result. -
Pookyiscute23 June 2006It's rare that a film like this comes along. Sometimes, they slip right by, and if you're lucky you get the chance to see them. This is one such film.
Even after four years of it's debut, I'd never seen the film, and only remembered seeing one preview for it, before it came out on video. I recently had the opportunity to see it, and wasn't hesitant to watch it, but I assumed it would be worse than I'd anticipated, given the summary I read on this website. I was completely, and pleasantly wrong.
This film touches you in so many ways, that it's hard to even find the words for how wonderful it really is. Throughout the whole movie, you are given opportunities of laughter, sadness and thought.
The film circles around a nine year old boy, growing up in the 1950s, in a Catholic home with nine other siblings. His sweet and sympathetic mother, and limited to a high school diploma father, raise him and his brothers and sisters, with the faith that the church encourages. After being bullied somewhat, by one of the nuns at his all boys Catholic school, he decides in order to make her like him more, he will try to convert someone to Catholicsism, before the summer ends.
He decides to make a free lemonade stand in front of a Jewish Synagauge, in order to tell people about Christ, and how they can get into heaven for "free". He befriends the Rabbi of the Synagauge (Pollak), and soon learns that his son has leukemia. From then on, he decides he will help convert the little boy, before he grows any sicker.
It's an amazing movie, that will leave you feeling good, and secure. It has it's moments of tears, but the majority of the film is laughter, and thoughtfulness.
I would recommend it to anyone and everyone, regardless of religion, or ethnicity, it's a film that everyone will enjoy, and I don't think anyone could honestly be offended by it. I loved it, and hope to see it again in the future. -
kidwltm14 July 2003After watching the Project Greenlight series on HBO, I was really hoping that Pete Jones would pull it off and make an good movie. But the result of Ben Affleck & Matt Damon's media stunt is less the admirable. The problem is not with Pete's directing. Okay, it's rather bland, but it is not destructive to the film. What ruins it is Jones's childish screenplay. It's just so cliched it's almost unbearable. The dialogue is TV movie level, and Jones beats around the bush when it comes to the Religious stuff. He asks questions we've all heard before, and either doesn't answer them at all or provides a blow off answer. Also, not that I care (I'm an atheist), Jones seems to be a little too harsh on Jewish faith. Some scenes were borderline anti-semite. The child also actors were also terrible. As if the screenplay wasn't bad enough, we have to hear it repeated with no emotion by two blank faced kids. The film does however feature good performances from the rest of the cast. Aidan Quinn and Bonnie Hunt are given nothing of substance to work with, but like the pros they are, they handle what they have with grace and quality. Kevin Pollack's character was probably the only decently written character in the movie, and Jones was dead right to cast him. He is truly the exceptional element in this production. Some of his finest work.
If you watched the docu-series, I'd recomend checking this out just to see what the result is. But don't expect any more than some good supporting actors.
4/10
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Docterry11 April 2003Having finally seen `Stolen Summer' I was more surprised than anyone to find the film extremely fetching. I thought it was well made and well acted. It was written and directed by a total novice, Pete Jones, who won a contest- as silly as that sounds. There are scenes that can be called schmaltzy but they seem to fit in with the mood of the picture and feel deserved; they're not simply tacked on as emotional buttons like in lesser screenplays. I hate watching kids in movies because they usually go hand and hand with loud noises and special effects. However, this screenplay gives these kids some heavy-duty subject matter to explore and their performances are intriguing. One might complain the film doesn't have any visual flair or creative camera angles and such. I think the film captures the austere sluggishness of the 1970's rather well.
After reading the external reviews for this movie I had to write a comment. One would think all the nation's critics united against this film. One reviewer said `There are probably at least nine people who will sit all the way through the well-meaning but inert `Stolen Summer'. What's that mean? Did the guy watch twenty minutes of it and split? Are professional critics allowed to do that? I find that incredibly aggravating. I think all people involved in the film business are eventually driven to this kind of cynicism and contempt. I myself was rather turned off watching `Project Greenlight' on HBO. I realize making movies is an expensive enterprise but there's got to be a better way next time than what Jones went through. They had his you-know-what's in a vice the entire time and treated him like he was just touring Universal Studios for the day. I guess Hollywood is finally letting us in on their secret that any schmuck off the street can make a movie because in the end it's the executives who really make all the decisions. The director might as well devote his time to the catering concerns. -
glennlump19 November 2002I have not been so impressed with a movie in a very long time, the child who played the boy (Adiel Stein) was perfect... he and this story really wrenched my heart, and by the end I was nearly in tears. Today there are not enough stories that are about the pure love of a childs heart, or depict the faith that can be displayed by children. I really think this is a must see movie.
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skip_press24 March 2002Forget the HBO series (I didn't see it, but I read about it and talked to people who saw it). Forget the hype, forget the manufactured "here's how they fight it out on the set" baloney. This time the good guys won. Pete Jones wrote a great screenplay and deserved to win '"Project Greenlight." There's no hokum in this movie, no manufactured emotion, no predictable formula. This is about real people and real things that matter. It challenges tough, long-standing human issues like the differences in Judaism and Christianity, heaven and hell, ego and reality, and what matters in life. It's a tremendous accomplishment as a movie and ranks up there with "To Kill a Mockingbird" and "Tender Mercies" (both written by Horton Foote) and movies by socially conscious directors like Stanley Kramer and Norman Jewison -- only it doesn't sledge-hammer you with "the way it oughta be," it simply lays out how it probably could be, if people stopped to really look at what's going on and what matters. Keep making 'em like this, Pete Jones, and you have a fan for life.
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At first, I thought it was a really cute movie. Then I caught the theme...
.... any differences between Judiasm and Catholicism were either portrayed as bigotry, or were smoothed over, or were childish misunderstandings. Such as the "decathalon" to "earn" the privilege of Holy Communion. At first the misunderstandings were kind of cute, I guess, showing how the adults don't really stop to listen to the children, but it got extremely irritating, as it went on and on... and the misunderstandings just got worse and worse, to the point of "cute" blasphemy.
Finally, at the end, the boy talks with his father, who comforts him by telling him that just like any father, God would welcome "Even an Eskimo who never heard of Him, as long as he lived a good life" - when the boy then (naturally) asks what use is it then to be Christian, the father has no real answer. Later the boy tells his friend the Rabbi that while on his "quest" he's figured out that Jesus is "just a symbol", and that it doesn't really matter if you pray to Jesus or not, because it doesn't matter which name you use, and suggests he use the name of Danny, the rabbi's dead son.
So... another could have been good, totally cruddy movie... sad...
relativism is the rule now, it seems... It's all good, it's all the same, or else we're "mean"... *sigh* -
I must say, HBO's "Project Greenlight" portrayed the filming of this movie as unprepared, unprofessional and just pieced-together, concentrating more on drama behind the scenes then the dedication being put into the production. That proves the vast differences between TV and Film. This movie was excellent. Close attention to detail, the script was very good, emotional and well thought out. The acting was also excellent, which is obviously not a rarity for Aidan Quinn and Bonnie Hunt. Kevin Pollack also gave a great performance. Eddie Kaye Thomas, in a dramatic role, (a far cry from American Pie), more than held his own...impressive. Newcomer Adiel Stein, carries the entire movie and does a damn good job. I hope to see him in more films. Pete Jones proves that passion and ambition leads to great successes. This movie is just one example of what great talents emerge from the Independent Film world. Great movie.
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damir009 April 2002All these positive comments from folks in IL? Coincidence, I'm sure. ;-)
Anyway, I watched Project Greenlight, and everybody connected with this film deserves a hand. It could've been a disaster. Easily.
But it's not.
It's ok.
Not great, story is a little after school special-ish, but it's ok. -
gooseswan23 February 2004I thought Stolen Summer was competently done. The director, Pete Jones, was blessed with great performances from well known performers like Bonnie Hunt, Aidan Quinn, Kevin Pollak, and Brian Dennehy. The film explores the differences between Catholicism and Judaism seen through the eyes of a child. The child protagonist takes on the challenge of making sure a Jewish child goes to heaven. The story is set on the South Side of Chicago in the mid-70's and since I grew up in roughly that time I enjoyed the talk about the White Sox of that era. The authenticity overall is accurate, but the film lacks a spark. Watching an 8-year-old try to figure out some of the intricacies of life is a great idea for a story. I just think that the plot lacked any real surprises.
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Leighbone6 February 2003Maybe it's the timing, but this movie hit me and my husband right in the heart. We are new parents of a six week boy and the movie had both of us ending up with tears in our eyes. The comedic writing kept us giggling and entertained while understanding that there is a deeper purpose. This is the way movies should be made. Thank you...
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guimaras296 October 2004The movie may not be the best quality in its artistic concept but when you view the film for its contents, (honestly, there are lapses in the plot but I would like to understand the director) the movie has its magic spell for viewers who likes religious-themed films.
The movie explores the facet not everyone would like to traverse - Christian and Jews and faith explained - through the heart and mind of an eight year old boy. When you watch the film, Christians are dazed and maybe, Jews too.
Well, there's a bunch of good acting. The lead and the supporting acts are classic. There are short cuts in the story, but it doesn't matter. And the artistry, never mind, except that the director pointed out his message just right - not in the eyes, but in the heart. For film critics, this isn't your movie. -
arieliondotcom14 February 2010This is a beautiful film. Wonderfully acted, well scripted, but takes a choice so terrible in its attempt to answer age-old questions quickly that I must recommend others not see it. Like a lovely wedding where the limo suddenly bursts into flames with the newlyweds inside, a promising movie finally goes terribly wrong. And its answer to struggling with huge faith issues is the cowardice of sugared sacrilege and blasphemy.
Having grown up Catholic from a large family and loving Judaism I was enthralled by this film and laughed and cried my way on cue. They even captured the way nuns terrified Catholic schoolboys. Only they used yardsticks on us Italians, not rulers as in this film.
And I personally went through the faith struggles the film touches upon. Although it only paints caricatures of Catholicism and doesn't really mention much of Judaism at all, it does mention the main issue of those two faiths (and Islam though that's never mentioned). How good is good enough? How much & what kind of action is necessary by us to get into Heaven? Sadly, the obvious (Protestant) answer, that we need do nothing other than believe Jesus already did all that was necessary, was skipped, suddenly & horribly. Instead we're given the quick (and deadly) "comfort" of Universalism: Call GOD what you want, if you're good, you get into Heaven (totally trashing the whole question of HOW good) & that "JESUS is just a symbol" (sacrilege & blasphemy). "A god by any other name, even a friend you like, smells as sweet" as it were. Heartbreaking heresy coming from a child to make it more palatable. And nodded to by adults & supposed spiritual leaders.
Just as spiritual leaders are portrayed as sweet but senseless, the father shown to be sweet but clueless, GOD the Father is shown to be pointless as innocuous as whatzisname, His Son.
In the end, what could have been a beautiful poem becomes a dirty joke, a beautiful blasphemy that no one should see. And it's sad. The thing that's stolen in the Stolen Summer is your trust. And you're left cheated & betrayed with a cop-out ending by the fall. -
films422 April 2002We saw this film last night @ a MIRAMAX-sponsored showing for members of IFC/MW & I have to say that, being Jewish, I went into this film with great skepticism (knowing only the outlines of the plot). What a surprise to find myself both crying & clapping as the credits rolled!!!
There were a million ways in which this film could have gone wrong, but the miracle is that it stays on track. I credit the 4 adult actors for this: each one of them (Dennehy, Hunt, Pollack & Quinn) is simply superb, earnestly staying in character, level-headed, grounded & thoroughly professional. I didn't see PROJECT GREENLIGHT (yet?), but I have to commend each one of them for committing to & cooperating with this novel process. They are all winners!!!
Pete Jones is to be commended for finding the way to tell a "small story" with such huge implications. He's right: the '70s were a period of enormous change (as the revolutionary fevers of the '60s permeated the national consciousness). If anyone ever tells you that the '60s didn't change anything, that's phooey. We are a better country since the '60s, & this important little movie makes the case most eloquently.
Kudos to everyone connected with PROJECT GREENLIGHT. In a land where dreams really can come true, it becomes possible to believe in miracles.
Jan @ Films for Two -
I can only assume that previous positive reviews for Stolen Summer were written by the director himself or members of his family because believe me this movie went beyond awful. The subject matter, a Catholic kid trying to convert Jews to Christianity in order to give them a fighting chance of getting into Heaven was offensive enough but the sheer ineptitude of the script, the banality of the dialogue and the sugary sweet ending beggared belief. Hampered by Pete Jones' near non existent direction the two child leads flounder in their attempts to bring their characters to life, at times displaying the kind of acting normally reserved for the average kindergarten Christmas play. Aiden Quinn, Bonnie Hunt and Kevin Pollack manfully struggle to bring some sort of class to the proceedings but this is clearly a ship beyond saving. During the Project Greenlight series Matt Damon voiced fears that the film could end up as the kind of feature normally reserved for the after school special slot. Stolen Summer should be so lucky.
Project Greenlight was supposedly set up to give aspiring screenwriters and directors hitherto ignored by Hollywood, a helping hand up the career ladder. Instead it proved that any system which successfully prevents the likes of Pete Jones from selling scripts and making movies couldn't possibly be faulted. Avoid at all costs. -
george.schmidt25 March 2002STOLEN SUMMER (2002) *** Aidan Quinn, Bonnie Hunt, Kevin Pollak, Adi Stein, Mike Weinberg, Eddie Kaye Thomas, Brian Dennehy. Ben Affleck and Matt Damon's `Project Greenlight' winner Pete Jones springboards into the cinema with a sweet-mannered drama about two young boys (newcomers Stein and Weinberg) - one Irish Catholic the other Jewish - in Chicago circa 1976 - asking some tough questions about religion, theology and faith, all arguably open to debate but handled adequately thanks to a talented ensemble despite the rookie filmmaker's visually stunted foresight. Not bad but not great either still an admirable attempt to showcase the independent spirit nonetheless.