SUMMER ELEVEN
US, 2009, 92 minutes, Colour.
Directed by Joseph Kell.
Summer Eleven is the story of four young girls, aged eleven, during their summer vacation. This is a warm and sensitive film, written by a man but with a feel for the feelings and thoughts of girls at this age. The film focuses also on their mothers and their extended families.
The girls are very strong in performance, especially Jamie Butterworth as Jessie. There is a subplot with the brother of one of the girls, a man wounded in Vietnam who finds it very difficult to readjust. It is Jessie who is the one able to make communication with him.
The girls are ordinary in their way, the problems not uncommon. However, with a screenplay that illuminates the characters and the situations, it is a film for its target audience, the young girls, and their parents.
1. A warm film, sensitive, families, children, girls, growing up, problems?
2. The title and the captions of the months passing?
3. The film’s sensibilities, eleven-year-old girls, their personalities, issues, crises, transition in school, boys, facts of life? The handling of these questions with sensitivity?
4. The introduction to the four girls, their situations, differences, friends, their mothers?
5. Jessie and Miranda, their mother and their father leaving, her living with Dave, Jessie waking up, sullen at breakfast, with her mother, her father on the phone, her clashes with Dave?
6. Vanessa and Linda, together, rehearsing in the car, the auditions, her talent in the audition?
7. Lizzie, her parents, their tension, older, their concern about Gerry in Iraq, sending the parcel for his birthday, the computer link-up and talking with him? Lizzie as much younger?
8. Perry, seen in the car, with her mother and brother, Vanessa inviting her to play, the mother and her hesitation?
9. The girls together, playing, talking, affirming each other, the party, taking head shots, the tent?
10. The mothers: Linda, alone, pushing her daughter or not? Jessie’s mother, Dave, weak? Dave and his job at home, clearing the girls’ room? His anger at their watching TV? Leaving? Cheryl and Gerry, Gerry’s return, Martin and his inability to accept Gerry, building the ramp at the back of the house?
11. Gerry, cheerful in Iraq, signing up? His parents’ disapproval? Being injured, home, the beers, not wanting therapy, Jessie’s kindness to him, playing the game, the ice cream, ready for therapy?
12. The refrain of the old man and his wife, their devotion and love, dancing, her absence and her death? Jessie watching them and the impact that this made on her?
13. The boys, girl-talk, awkward, playing soccer with the girls, lying on the grass, chatting, the end and the ice cream?
14. Linda and Janine, her concern about Perry being dropped, her clothes, the critique, taking her to the audition with Vanessa’s dress? Jogging, seeing the car, inviting Janine, talking, Janine accepting to stay in the house? Settling in? Her gratitude?
15. Vanessa and the final audition, the rivals, coming close, not getting the job, Ron as her manager and helping her through it?
16. The girls going to school, Gerry’s advice, in the car, Janine and the job? Jessie’s father turning up, the photo and the head shot technique?
17. An ending with hope?
