The Kings of Summer (2013)
Storyline
Joe Toy, on the verge of adolescence, finds himself increasingly frustrated by his single father, Frank's attempts to manage his life. Declaring his freedom once and for all, he escapes to a clearing in the woods with his best friend, Patrick, and a strange kid named Biaggio. He announces that they are going to build a house there, free from responsibility and parents. Once their makeshift abode is finished, the three young men find themselves masters of their own destiny, alone in the woods.
Directors
Writers
Cast
Nick Robinson, Nick Offerman, Marc Evan Jackson, Logan Fry, Rance Martin, Moisés Arias, Gillian Vigman, Thomas Middleditch, Angela Trimbur, Tony Hale, Gabriel Basso, Mary Lynn Rajskub, Alison Brie, Kumail Nanjiani, Eric Frank, Megan Mullally, Nathan Keyes, Erin Moriarty, Austin Abrams, Craig Cackowski, William Sonnie, Cristoffer Carter, Priscilla Kaczuk, Eugene Cordero, Lili Reinhart, Paul Floriano, Brian Sacca, Peter Karinen, Hannibal Buress, Jeffrey Grover, Eric Wasserman, Nick Rutherford, Jennifer Lindgren, Michael Cipiti, Kim Bordwine, Christina Cacic, Justin Cooney, Anthony Daniel, Joe Gallipoli, David Gragg, Hannah Harris, Linda Marie Howell, Christopher Kaczmarek, Cole Kornell, Maria Laskowski, Daniel T. Martin, Derick Mayes, Christine McBurney, Shawn Michelle, Tyler Moliterno, Taylor Nelms, Brady Novak, David Sanborn, Julie Simon, Joel Thingvall, Josh Tippey, Nicole Tubbs, Lisa Y. Wong, Abigail Wylie, Theresa Wylie
Trailer
Reviews
83
While the premise of the film is outlandish, the feelings are all real...Director Vogt-Roberts and screenwriter Chris Galletta are in perfect unison on this film, harmonizing to create what feels like a fresh comic voice.
75
A summer movie that staggers down that fine line between sentimental and snarky, a tale of nature and nurture and first love that manages to charm more than any R-rated movie about horny teens has a right to.
70
Even if the movie ultimately proves less adventurous than its main characters, it has a charm that keeps resurfacing every time you think it’s wandering too far into cutesville.
70
[The Kings of Summer] is much more interested in the laughs that can be mined from character rather than plot. Galletta’s script, Vogt-Roberts’ direction and the distinctive play of the actors, notably Offerman and Mullally, lets the viewer know who everyone is right away, and the gag lines flow.
70
The best way to enjoy The Kings of Summer is to view it as a likable comic fantasy dreamed up by filmmakers (Chris Galletta wrote the screenplay) who are close enough to adolescence to infuse their ramshackle story with a youthful, carefree whimsy.
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