Movie of the Month: The Kings of Summer

When a friend of a friend suggested that I spend my Sunday afternoon watching The Kings of Summer, I was skeptical. He described it as a movie about three friends who head into the woods to live for the summer. I was imagining a very Lord of the Flies-esque movie (and I really disliked reading Lord of the Flies--probably the only book in high school that I couldn't bring myself to finish), so I didn't set my hopes very high.

I could not have been more happily surprised. I could probably write endlessly about how beautifully this movie was shot and how I found myself laughing hysterically, but what struck me most was the familial relationships portrayed in the movie.

When the boys run away and build a house in the woods (primarily from stolen construction site goods), they leave their parents to reflect on what they could have done to drive their children away. Meanwhile, the boys have a grand old time at first, but come to realize maybe they aren't the "men" they claim to be, especially when they let a girl come between them.

What impressed me how genuine each moment felt between the characters. For example, at the end Joe and Patrick don't waste their time with big long speeches about how sorry they are or tears and hugs, they simply see each other riding in their parents' cars, flip each other off, and smile. The cars then go their separate ways and Joe makes a joke to his father about Patrick "goofing off." It felt like a moment captured from real life. Mix that with a great soundtrack and really great humor, and we have the makings of a classic coming of age movie.

There was nothing about The Kings of Summer that I disliked, but Rotten Tomatoes only gave it a 74%, and IMDB leaves it at 7.4 stars. It received rave reviews at the Sundance Film Festival, and I, personally, could watch it again and again.