Summering, a coming-of-age film about the ties created in early adolescence, has received a trailer from Bleecker Street. The film, which is based on cult favourites from the 1980s and has an all-female youthful ensemble, will open in theatres in about a month. Summering looks a much like Stand By Me in the trailer, with Dina (Madalen Mills), Lola (Sanai Victoria), Daisy (Lia Barnett), and Mari (Eden Grace Redfield) attempting to make the most of their time together before middle school separates them. After discovering a body, the girls vow to find out who the person was and how they got themselves in such a predicament.
Atmospheric footage displays the film’s ability to capture late-childhood wonder, when our impulse to investigate the world around us leads to minor but memorable discoveries that may end up moulding our personalities. When you’re a youngster, saying goodbye to your pals and learning that getting older is a waste of time are two of the most frightening experiences you’ll ever have to face. In previous films such as The Spectacular Now and The End of the Tour, director James Ponsoldt has demonstrated his ability to capture the essence of both positive and negative life situations. Benjamin Percy, a first-time feature-film writer, collaborates with Ponsoldt on the script.
Early screenings of the film were shown at the Sundance Film Festival this year. After the screening, the film’s writer and director spoke with IndieWire about the idea for the film, why they chose four female leads to star alongside each other, and how those years of the epidemic have shaped the story: A lot of the ideas for the film came from talks I had with my three young children, especially my daughter. When I was looking for movies to show her and talking about programmes and books I used to read as a kid, I realised how many stories I had as a youngster that dealt with coming of age or first encounters with death — and they were all led by men. […] My co-writer Ben Percy and I, as well as our children, are the subjects of many of the scenes in this video. I believe we’re all talking to each other about it. Are we all asking, “Is it going to be OK, or is it going to return to normal, whatever that means?”
Harley Quinn is joined by Sarah Cooper, Ashley Madekwe, Megan Mullally, and Lake Bell in the cast (Will & Grace). On August 12, Summering will open in cinemas.