Cast: Alan Arkin, Matt Craven, Diane Lane, Bill Paxton, Elizabeth Perkins, Kevin Pollak, Sam
Raimi, Vincent Spano, Julie Warner, Kimberly Williams
Director: Mike Binder
Producers: Jeff Silver and Robert Newmeyer
Screenplay: Mike Binder
Cinematography: Newton Thomas Sigel
Music: Miles Goodman
U.S. Distributor: Touchstone Pictures
A group of eight adult friends gather at the camp where they spent several halcyon summers two decades ago. The camp director, Uncle Lou (Alan Arkin), has invited them back for a final get-together as he prepares to close down. Of course, there are various interpersonal dramas that have to be resolved. The marriage between Matt (Vincent Spano) and Kelly (Julie Warner) is on the rocks, a situation that is exacerbated by the presence of Matt's old flame, Jennifer (Elizabeth Perkins). Jack (Bill Paxton) is trying to come to terms with his past. A year after her husband's tragic death, Beth (Diane Lane) is still recovering. Jamie (Matt Craven) brings along his fiancee, Gwen (Kimberly Williams), who is ten years his junior.
Indian Summer is a mish-mash of mediocre formulas. Although there are several good comedy sequences, this uneven humor is unable to camouflage the essential weakness of the storyline. The script, which relies heavily on conflict, doesn't present us with any believable characters. Reunion stories have been done so often that for one to make an impression, it needs a new angle (Peter's Friends, Kenneth Branagh's recent film, fell into the same trap). Indian Summer doesn't even attempt to strike out towards new ground. It finds a comfortable, cliche-filled groove and sits there.
Despite the weak material they're given to work with, at least the ensemble cast is solid. There are times when the film is almost palatable because of the actors. Alan Arkin, the consummate professional, is dryly humorous as the aging camp director. There's a lot of appeal amongst the rest of the group, which includes Kimberly Williams (Father of the Bride), Bill Paxton (One False Move), Vincent Spano (Alive), Elizabeth Perkins (Big), Kevin Pollak (A Few Good Men), Julie Warner (Doc Hollywood), Diane Lane (Chaplin), and Matt Craven (K2).
Indian Summer is Mike Binder's semi-autobiographical reminiscence about summers gone by. Obviously there's a lot of nostalgia involved for him, but he never effectively conveys it to the audience. Cheap cinematography tricks like graying the film aren't likely to cause an audience to wax sentimental. As special as Indian Summer might be to its creator, it has little enough allure for anyone else.
© 1993 James Berardinelli