Saturday movie review: 'The Kings of Summer'
While it's cold outside across much of the country, viewing THE KINGS OF SUMMER is an easy way to heat things up on the inside. The coming-of-age comedy — which dazzled at last year's Sundance Film Festival — features chuckles and charm that will provide plenty of warm fuzzies to get you through these chilly winter days.
THE KINGS OF SUMMER tells the story of three teenage boys and their determination to break free from the parental ties that bind and aggravate. They seek refuge and independence in the woods, building a house where the quirky buddies can live off the land and, they hope, prove they're no longer boys but have matured into men.
Nick Offerman, who plays the hands-off, single father of one of the boys, slayed me again and again with his deadpan delivery. He's kind of a jerk of a dad, but his heart is in the right place. The always funny Megan Mullally (real-life spouse of Offerman) along with Marc Evan Jackson play parents that are the polar opposite of Offerman — overbearing and overprotective... yet funny as heck.
What I loved about the movie: The quirkiness from beginning to end and of each and every character — especially Offerman and the odd and unpredictable teen played by Moises Arias — kept me wondering what they'd do next, kept me continually chuckling. The story highlighted the best parts of summer as an adolescent as well as the frustration of wanting to get out from under the watchful (or just plain annoying) eyes of Mom and Dad to celebrate friendship unhindered by parental rules and judgement.
While watching THE KINGS OF SUMMER, I appreciated and cheered for both sides — the boys and the parents. Both made me laugh, both touched my heart. It's a sweet summer movie perfect for a cold winter viewing.
THE KINGS OF SUMMER (rated R) was nominated for the 2013 Sundance Grand Jury Prize and named winner of several prominent film awards. It was released in theaters last summer and is now available on Blu-ray, DVD and digitally on Amazon and iTunes. Find out more on THE KINGS OF SUMMER website and Facebook page.