Last Summer in the Hamptons

What is so powerful here is not the dysfunctionality of the family portrayed within, but what is at the core of this dysfunctionality: it is the inability of its members to walk away from its greatness, its fame within the highest circles of the artistic world. This movie is, in a way, a modern "Buddenbrooks", but it delves much more deeply into the reasons for the family's implosion. From the teenager who is pathologically rebellious because, as she explains to her cousins, it is the only way she can find to establish her independence from this great theatrical institution which is her family; to the brilliant director who, in order to create, has renounced, monk-like fashion, all sexual contact; to the most deeply studied pair of characters: the brother and sister pair who are so caught up in the web of their family, that their own sexual passions are trapped within the family, self-directed in an incestuous relationship.

This is the saga of a family which is admired, coveted, and idolized from outside, yet whose members are suffocating under the weight and tremendous magnet of its fame. It is a family which is the embodiment of Blake's sick rose.

This is a great movie, or a great play; it is a very powerful piece which will stay with you for a long time.


This is a movie for theatre people!!!   June 27, 2004
C. Alexander (New York, NY)
2 out of 3 found this review helpful

I understand that most people wouldn't understand or like this movie becuase you have to be a true theatre person to be able to relate to this dysfuntional family dynamic. The love that is spurned from creating art together is something that can cause a lot of the dysfuntion explored in this film, but that love is also strong enough to withstand the hardships. I think theatre people relate to this movie the same way they relate and understand Waiting for Guffman.


Excellent Characters,Funny Bits and a Great Ensemble   August 1, 2005
Thomas Tsunami (Bend, Oregon USA)
2 out of 3 found this review helpful

I am finally purchasing the DVD after having paid many rental fees for this movie.This was the first of several excellent Henry Jaglom films that I have seen and remains my favorite. This is an inside look at Theater and Movie people and their idiosyncrasies as well as the machinations and back-biting of Actors wanting the lead in an upcoming Play. It is also a turning point in a family's history,since the matriarch of the family has decided to sell the summer home in the Hamptons. I find the acting,writing and direction to be superb. One of the best moments in the film is with Vivica Lindfors and Victoria Foyt discussing what it's like to be acting in front of a camera and they are viewing a movie Viveca appeared in with Errol Flynn. It has such a feeling of truth to it. Also, all the family members characters project the history and shared experience between them beautifully. If you like great ensemble acting,quirky characters,humor and poignant moments, then this is a film for you!


A sophisticated look at the theatre world   February 28, 2007
KerrLines (Baltimore,MD)
1 out of 2 found this review helpful

Films about the people involved in theatre tend to be love'em or hate'em.There seems to never be a middle ground with reviewers.People that act tend to be a little zany and outside the "norm";thank God they are or we would never have a great cinema piece or a touching play on stage!!!This film is very much for the "artist-type".The film is chock full of very interesting and well developed characters, an excellent screenplay and deft direction from Henry Jaglom.YOU WILL KNOW THESE PEOLPLE WHEN YOU ARE FINISHED VIEWING THE FILM!!!It is slow-paced,but not at all plodding, allowing for great character expression and plot building.The acting is outstanding.There is a great deal of bittersweetness in this film.Settle in with a nice glass of wine and get absorbed in a real family drama with touches of wry humour;you won't regret it.
Companion films would be ILLUMINATA,A LIFE IN THE THEATRE,AN AWFULLY BIG ADVENTURE,STAGE BEAUTY and SHAKESPEARE IN LOVE.To a lesser degree,films like THE CELEBRATION (france),SON OF THE BRIDE (argentina),THE SEA (iceland),PIECES OF APRIL (usa) and A LOVING FATHER (france) are great for a good like into dysfunctional families confronting sectrets.


An amusing, slice of life film to watch when raining.   July 10, 1999
drecio@siprep.org (San Francisco)
10 out of 11 found this review helpful

In this film about a family of histrionic folk, a successful but rather dim Hollywood star comes in search of work. She encounters people who believe in the theatre as art while meeting those who have felt manipulated into acting when they would rather be doing otherwise. "Hamptons" is a worthwhile character study. It reminds me of international films which commit more to character development than plot. I thought often of Woody Allen's work (Hannah and Her Sisters) and while this film insists on dialogue to flesh out its cast, I never found this technique distracting. Jaglom also works in typical 90's characters such as the playwright who happens to be gay. He appears to be the male protagonist of the film and the various ambitious actors around him eagerly await his new work, largely for their own selfish purposes. I struggle to recommend this film to all. Instead, I would say, if one finds intelligent, insightful talk interesting, if one finds complex characters worthwhile, if one likes eccentric humor, then this film might possess the merit for a rental.