Summer Lovers

Summer Lovers (1982) isn’t deserving of any serious film criticism or retrospectives. But that doesn’t mean this breezy, carefree (and mostly clothes-free) ode to early ‘80s sexual adventurousness isn’t worth watching, especially from a 30-plus year perspective. Writer / director Randal Kleiser (Grease) points his camera at the Greek Isles, their white-washed villas and black-sand beaches invaded by 24-hour party people in full Dionysian frenzy, with vistas worthy of a National Geographic documentary. But the landscapes are only a backdrop for his careful – and rarely corny – exploration of a ménage a trois between a timid American couple and their more worldly local lover.

Michael (Peter Gallagher) and Cathy (Daryl Hannah) arrive in Greece hoping to rekindle the spark in their relationship. Unfortunately, Michael makes sparks with Lina (Valerie Quennessen), a French archeologist who exudes a sexual freedom that Cathy sorely lacks. After Michael owns up to the affair, Cathy confronts her rival and, rather than fight, the two strike up an instant friendship.

Little by little, the trio becomes inseparable, dining, drinking and finally sleeping together. Things become so cozy that Lina eventually moves in, creating a free-love family dynamic that really works. Until it doesn’t. An unexpected visit by Cathy’s mother is a not so subtle reminder that their paradise can’t last forever. And that flaunting the rules of conventional wisdom – two’s company but three’s a crowd – is harder than it looks.

Actually, Kleiser’s film makes it seem like convincing one’s lover to enter into a ménage a trois is surprisingly simple. As the man in the relationship, Michael’s justifications initially revolve around little more than pure physical attraction. And Gallagher’s open-mouthed, wide-eyed performance is sure to draw a chuckle from those viewing the film as nothing more than a classy Penthouse Forum letter. But Kleiser staging of the initial step from friends to lovers – with Cathy humorously grading their performance – is chaste but believable (for a film about a threesome with constant parade of naked flesh, it may disappointing to learn that there’s not one simulated sex act onscreen).

Summer Lovers is really about Cathy’s journey from uptight American to laissez-faire European, a state of mind, which the movie celebrates with very little reservations. Kleiser’s previous film, The Blue Lagoon, generated heaps of publicity with the rather disturbing promise of underage sexual awakening. The ages may have changed here, but the agenda of uninhibited sexual liberation is the same. It may be a pipe dream, and a short-lived one at that (as Julie Kirgo’s liner notes point out, the AIDS epidemic was only a few years away), but Summer Lovers is a satisfying exercise in wish-fulfillment filmmaking. Even if your wishes are more scenic than sexual.

Twilight Time’s 3000-copy limited edition looks so good you’ll be booking a flight before the credits roll. Extras include the usual isolated music track, director’s commentary, screen tests (including a young Patrick Swayze), vintage Making Of, trailers and a lengthy documentary on the life and work of composer Basil Pouledouris.