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Summertime (1955)

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Average Rating: N/A
Critic Reviews: 3
Fresh: 3 | Rotten: 0

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78

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Average Rating: 3.7/5
User Ratings: 3,466

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Movie Info

Katharine Hepburn stars as Jane Hudson, an Ohio secretary on the verge of spinsterhood. Carefully saving her money, Jane takes an extended trip to Venice, half hoping to find the romance that has always eluded her. Luck of luck, she meets handsome Renato Di Rossi (Rossano Brazzi), who sweeps her off her feet. Jane's flight on Cloud Nine comes to a flaming crash when she learns that Renato is married and the father of a large family. Picking herself up and dusting herself off, Jane is determined

Unrated, 1 hr. 38 min.

Drama, Romance, Classics

H.E. Bates, Arthur Laurents

Sep 9, 1998

United Artists

Cast

All Critics (14) | Top Critics (3) | Fresh (14) | Rotten (1) | DVD (1)

The film stacks up as promising entertainment -- with some reservations.

November 6, 2007 Full Review Source: Variety | Comment
Variety
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The challenge thus set of making Venice the moving force in propelling the play has been met by Mr. Lean as the director with magnificent feeling and skill.

May 20, 2003 Full Review Source: New York Times | Comment
New York Times
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Recommended, with hesitations.

January 1, 2000 Full Review Source: Chicago Reader | Comment
Chicago Reader
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It's beautiful to look at, the acting is superb and it has its poignant moments.

June 11, 2010 Full Review Source: Ozus' World Movie Reviews | Comment
Ozus' World Movie Reviews

It turned Lean from a subtle, very English director into an international film-maker working in broad strokes.

November 6, 2007 Full Review Source: Observer [UK] | Comment
Observer [UK]

The dialogue can be stagey and Venice is evoked at a tourist level, but it's beautifully photographed and Hepburn's loneliness and sadness look disquietingly real.

November 6, 2007 Full Review Source: Guardian [UK] | Comment
Guardian [UK]

Touching, warm, often funny and lushly photographed.

November 6, 2007 Full Review Source: TV Guide's Movie Guide | Comment
TV Guide's Movie Guide

Romantic drama with Hepburn in good form.

December 23, 2006 Comment
Dispatch-Tribune Newspapers

David Lean's restrained direction, Katharine Hepburn's nuanced turn as a spinsterish middle-aged secretary, and above all Venice's alluring sights compensate considerably for a plot that's borderline banal and schmaltzy.

November 5, 2006 Full Review Source: EmanuelLevy.Com | Comment

[Features] lovely performance from Hepburn at its centre.

June 24, 2006 Full Review Source: Time Out | Comment

Being Lean's favourite of his films this is undoubtedly worthy of attention.

July 23, 2004 Full Review Source: Empire Magazine | Comment
Empire Magazine

Thanks to Hepburn's performance we can feel how this woman's past romantic disappointments have made a passionate affair seem so simultaneously appealing and frightening.

June 22, 2004 Full Review Source: BBC | Comment

Summertime was shot exclusively in Venice. And for those who have been to Venice, the film is a rare treasure;

January 8, 2004 Full Review Source: Not Coming to a Theater Near You | Comment
Not Coming to a Theater Near You

As a coming-of-age story it remains touching. As a showcase for Katharine Hepburn, it is superb.

May 24, 2003 Full Review Source: Film4 | Comment
More Critic Reviews

Audience Reviews for Summertime

Fun Romantic film to watch. Great shots of Italy. and out of all the places in the united states ms. hepburn's charecter could be from, it happened to be from akron, Ohio.

August 26, 2011

Katherine Hepburn gives one of here finest performances in this very entertaining and touching film. The casting is perfect for the entire cast. Hepburn has such a tremendous understanding of her role, she's amazing. David Lean's direction is superb. The Venice setting is marvelous.

July 11, 2009
jam233
James Higgins

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Foreign Titles

  • Summertime (1955) (DE)
  • Summer Madness (UK)
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