Ensofter Overrated and overhyped

Spoonatects Am i the only one who thinks........Average?

Numerootno A story that's too fascinating to pass by...

Scarlet The film never slows down or bores, plunging from one harrowing sequence to the next.

SnoopyStyle In 1922, a man returns to the rural countryside with his wife remember a pre-war love affair. In 1904, lawyer Mr. Ashton (James Wilby) and his friend Dr. Garton from London are walking. Ashton twists his ankle and encounters country girl Megan David (Imogen Stubbs). She brings them to her auntie Mrs. Narracombe (Susannah York) and her possessive son Joe (Jerome Flynn). They aren't really related. Narracombe took her in after her mother's death. Garton takes off the next morning. Ashton is intrigued and he starts an affair with Megan. It drives Joe jealous who expected to marry her.It's a heart breaking romance. It's kind of a reverse romance. Ashton's weakness is the bane of this movie. I never really liked the chemistry of the couple because of his character. I would like to follow her story more than his story. The ending is harsh but that's what so good about this movie.

weezeralfalfa The basic plot, on the surface, tells a simple tale of a very common happening through the centuries, in England, as well as the rest of Europe. A young unmarried gentleman 'sows his oats' with a poor trusting peasant girl, then abandons her to marry an often spoiled girl of his own class. However, this case is a bit out of the ordinary in that the gentleman felt a real love for this girl and didn't intend to abandon his promise to marry her, until a series of unexpected events compressed into a couple of days caused him to get cold feet and make a fateful decision. He was swayed by the common advice to young upper class gentleman to 'never make the mistake of marrying your mistress', and let his head overrule his heart at the last minute. Unfortunately for Megan: the girl involved, Frank Ashton, the gentleman involved, was not the sort to keep a mistress on the side. Thus, he never sought her out again until it was far too late. Thus,she was left to care for their infant son he didn't know existed, and soon thereafter died of a combination of depression and a winter illness. This, Ashton didn't learn until many years later.The screenplay contrasts the earthy communal feel of rural English peasantry with the city world of uncaring bureaucracy-obsessed arrogant bankers and out-of-touch leisured upper class families. Of course, this is a caricature that doesn't always ring true. Nonetheless, we are treated to the perception of Megan as a carefree young woman, full of fun, yet skilled in the tasks of a farm girl: a girl with self confidence in caring for children in a fun way and doing the common chores of a housewife, capable of real passion in a romantic relationship with the right man, despite disapproval by her family. The background music for the film was quite appropriate in helping to accentuate it's various moods.This story has personal relevance to me, as I didn't make Ashton's mistake. Against all advice, I decided to marry a girl rather like Megan, from a poor family on the other side of the world, of quite a different race and non-western culture, and whom I had known only a short while. Despite many challenges, it has generally worked out well for 20+ years, thus far. With my considerable financial and knowledge help, she became a medical professional and has adapted well to US culture, while retaining a keen interest in her native family and culture. However, you must begin with the right two people for this to work out well over the long run.

kareburke I thought I was the only person in the whole universe who knew about this film.It is not only timeless and relevant,but how can a truly great film,brilliantly acted become so obscure that I not only cannot find another (I have managed to get 2 VHS copies,though very grainy)but the soundtrack is impossible to get as well.Imagine,films from the 1930's have been restored and converted to DVD,but this beautiful work of art(made in 1988) is lost somewhere on some shelf or maybe lost forever.I'm ready to write letters to Atlantic Entertainment and beg the question WHY HAVE YOU BURIED SUCH A MAGNIFICENT FILM?????? I could never begin to count the number of times I have watched this film.It has become my all time favorite film.So the word PRECIOUS does not even sum up my feelings....PRICELESS seems more appropriate.I admit, it breaks my heart every time I watch it.But I'm so drawn to it I just can't seem to help myself.Therefore,I'm so happy that there are other (A SUMMER STORY) aficionados out there.I am not alone.

richievee This film, though little noticed by the general moviegoing public, is a beautifully photographed and acted masterpiece. It is a bittersweet tale of lost love, based on a short story ("The Apple Tree") by John Galsworthy. Most of the film, in writer Penelope Mortimer's skillful adaptation, is presented as a flashback -- sandwiched by an introduction and coda that are devastatingly poignant. Piers Haggard directs with a lighthanded touch that makes the characters seem utterly real. I cannot recommend this film too highly. Every time I view it, I am overwhelmed anew by its intense vision of human nature. A gem!