Summer of Tomorrows (2003 Video) User Reviews

I couldn't believe this was really a movie!

[AdamBowl23 · 1/10 · 25 January 2012]

First off, I think whoever wrote the positive reviews for this movie years ago were obviously either cast or crew members because there is no way anyone would give this movie 10 stars. First off, its pretty obvious this was shot on a video camera because it looks like someone's home movie. I happened to stumble upon the "film" at 2:00AM on a Thursday morning on a small independent TV station. At first, I thought it was an old commercial promoting family values or something like that, commercials like that are fairly common at this time. I then checked the TV listings after it lasted longer than a commercial should and saw the title and looked it up on here and was amazed there was even a page for it. It is downright terrible and the reviewer who compared it to The Room is right on, but at least The Room had some production values. Then we get to the performance of the lead, also the director. His portrayal of a mentally challenged man is downright offensive. It instantly made me think of Tropic Thunder and Robert Downey Jr.'s character saying "never go full retard". Then added to that are the performances of the cast, wow, just wow. I've seen better acting in elementary school plays. I hate to criticize anyone trying to make an independent film, but the fact that this movie takes itself way too seriously just kills it. But here's the long and short of it, a mentally challenged man gets hit by a car and his family thinks he's dead, even showing the family cleaning out his bedroom. His brother gets a call from the hospital about their bill and they ask him to come to the hospital to work it out(whaaa?). When he gets there, the doctor says there's something he needs to show him and its his brother, who's alive without a scratch on him. And then to top all of that, he's no longer mentally challenged!!! From there, he seems to develop "powers" of some kind, becoming some sort of genius/telepath. Yeah, the story is beyond dumb and ludicrous, so much so they should have just made it a superhero/comedy movie, at least then it could have been a little clever, instead, its downright laughable and offensive.

There is one bright spot in the movie, the girl who plays Kenna, Nicole Nealon, is beautiful. She's not much of an actress but she's a looker.

In summary, if you're a fan of really bad movies, this is one you should put on your list. If I was with a group of inebriated friends, I think this would provide a lot of laughs. If you're looking for a powerful, uplifting drama, I'd watch something else.

Unique, Exciting and Heartfelt

[rsolver · 10/10 · 27 December 2006]

As a widely-published film and theater critic, I received this film in the mail sent with many others to review. What I found moved me to take immediate action and write.

"Summer of Tomorrows" breaks a both tragic and loving ground for moviegoers who want an extrasensory experience that is so uncommon in film today.

For those who aren't happy with simple beginnings, simple endings and pedestrian emotions, "Summer of Tomorrows" highlights an empathetic texture rarely seen but highly sought after.

Despite the tender and coming-of-age nuance in the film, I showed this movie to an action fanatic as well as to a 16-year old student and BOTH were captivated.

There is no doubt that writer and director Christopher Johnson will be recognized as part of the zeitgeist that is "Movies for Intelligent People", here very shortly.

Mr. Johnson, please forward your other films so I may review them formally. I will forward all reviews to you, including the review for "Summer of Tomorrows" shortly.

This movie will surprise you!

[kometkeeper · 10/10 · 29 October 2006]

I saw this movie in a theater in upstate New York a couple of years ago with some friends who know the director. I never expect much from lower budget indie flicks, but this one surprised me.

First, the title intrigued me and I wasn't sure how the story was going to support it... I won't give it away here, but when you find out what it means, it's kind of a bittersweet mind-blower. Most of the performances in this film are pretty decent. The main character Daniel, played by the director is performed almost disturbingly well (the character has a mental disability and it's unpleasant to see some of what happens to him). Daniel's brother, who is played by the director's real brother, and the love interest, Kenna, are both performed solidly. There are some performances by secondary characters that are not as strong as these three, but the movie has such a heart to it, it is not hard to overlook the few shortcomings that come along with a limited budget.

The movie doesn't really start slow, but the pace picks up after the first 10 or 15 minutes. Once you start to see the transformation Daniel makes throughout the movie, things get more and more interesting. In fact, I'm not sure why the director doesn't do more acting, or even more directing for that matter. The movie itself looks great. I think it must have been shot on digital, but it looks sharp and the color is vivid.

I wonder if this movie will have the same impact on the smaller screen. It's been a couple of years since I saw it and when I saw it listed here I remembered the experience fondly and with detail. Since it's a smaller movie, I'm assuming that the only place anyone will ever get to see it is on DVD, but if you do get the chance, it's worth checking out. I still remember how pleasantly surprised I was after seeing it, and the whole audience got a surprise that night because there was a Q&A after the show and the director, the DP and some of the cast were there to answer questions from the audience. What a treat.