Almost Summer

Almost Summer is a 1978 film directed by Martin Davidson, and produced by Motown Productions for Universal Pictures. It is the only Motown theatrical feature not to center on African-American characters. Though not successful at the box office, the film has since acquired a certain degree of historical importance because many observers consider it to be the first of a series of distinctive "youth-genre" films of which other, more prominent examples include Fast Times at Ridgemont High and The Breakfast Club.

Contents

• Almost summer 1978
• Almost summer movie trailer 1978
• Cast
• References

Set in a generic Southern California high school, the plot of the film revolves around a student council election, which stirs up assorted petty jealousies among various characters. Most of the soundtrack was written by Mike Love of the Beach Boys and performed by a studio band assembled by Love known as Celebration. The title song, which became a mid-level hit single, opens with the lyrics "Susie wants to be a lady director, and Eddie wants to drive a hearse; Johnny wants to be a doctor or lawyer, and Linda wants to be a nurse" — reflecting a total lack of world-changing idealism on the part of the teenage characters, thus clearly marking them as the first wave of a new generation, which in the fullness of time would receive the label "Generation X."

The best-known actor to star in the film was Tim Matheson, in the role of Kevin Hawkins. The film features three professional skateboarders: Bryan Beardsley, Ty Page, and Mark Bowden.

The movie was rated PG by the Motion Picture Association of America, but earned a B — "objectionable in part" — rating from the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops' Office for Film and Broadcasting; the latter body observed that "the film presents in uncritical fashion a suffocatingly materialistic and amoral environment, has offensive jokes at the expense of people with physical disabilities, and flaunts a gratuitous bit of nudity."

Outdoor scenes were filmed at Verdugo Hills High School in Tujunga, California.