Summer League
by Tom Jeffers
SUMMER LEAGUE is a coming-of-age story that does not quite come off as the typical Hollywood fare we often see in modern cinema. The movie begins with the arrival of a small town girl, Allie played by Danielle Evon Ploeger, that has gone away to the big city for college. She is returning for summer break and because her mother is in ill health. As the story progresses, we see many changes in store for Allie. The death of her mother, reuniting with an old friend, played annoyingly well by Kelsey Thomas, a possible new boyfriend and the stress of seeing her estranged father are all issues Allie must come to terms with. Ploeger is lovely in this role and has a gracious screen presence. The film certainly has elements of comedy, but they are subtle except for the unusual but excellently delivered “that’s what she/he said” jokes. Even though the title and slogan suggest the film is a sports movie, in fact this film is mostly about friendship. It is portrayed in a very real and believable way by Ploeger and Thomas. It is about returning to roots and discovering that the place you left is never as bad and may even be better than you thought it was. In addition to the very strong female leads, the musical score is as close to perfect as it could be. The songs almost tell the same story as the movie itself. They are absolutely brilliant. It would be a real shame if the soundtrack is not made available. The music seems to carry the plot lovingly along and provides a wonderful backdrop. The cinematography is truly inspired and filled with carefully crafted lighting, backgrounds and positioning. The film is a pleasure to look at and comes off as having a high production value. The colors do seem to “pop” in a strange way at times, but it truly warms the scenes and the characters. Sometimes it feels surreal, like being in the 1970’s but with modern cars, clothes and cell phones.
The movie is not without its oddly slow moments. One particular scene, when Allie goes to see her lawyer to settle the estate of her mother, stands out as very peculiar. The scene seems to go on for an eternity and is largely comprised of the lawyer looking for papers on his desk and upon finding them continuing to look around the room. It is fairly awkward and drawn out. Sometimes the conversations drag along a bit, but in reality, life is simply like this. Most of our lives are filled with composed behavior. In the end, these moments in the film work.
At the close of the film what a viewer has experienced has come full circle. The story affirms just how precious time, people, and places truly are. As the credits rolled, I found myself smiling. I went to bed happy, thankful to be alive and glad to be where I am in life. In short, SUMMER LEAGUE is well done for what it intends to do. It evokes a love for friends, forgiveness for family and a desire to return to those old places we all have in our lives-those places we call home.
