The Kings of Summer is a 2013 American independent coming-of-age comedy-drama film that premiered
at the 2013 Sundance Film Festival, and received a limited U.S. release in May 2013.
Plot Joe Toy, on the verge of adulthood, finds
himself increasingly frustrated by the attempts of his single father, Frank, to manage his
life.
Declaring his freedom once and for all, he escapes to a clearing in the woods with his
best friend, Patrick, who was also sick of his life at home with his annoying and seemingly
lame parents, and a strange kid named Biaggio who just happened to tag along.
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.
Joe claims himself and Biaggio to be the hunters, while Patrick goes off to harvest.
Several weeks pass and Patrick and Joe are reported missing and appear on multiple news
channels.
Conflict arises between Patrick and Joe when Joe invites his crush Kelly to come see the
house they built.
After a while, Kelly takes a liking to Patrick and the two begin a relationship.
Joe passively confronts Patrick in a Monopoly game by teaming up with Biaggio to trade land
and buy hotels in the orange Monopoly in front of Patrick's piece, leading him to lose the
game on the very next turn.
The two get into a scuffle.
Joe calls Kelly a "cancer" and a "bitch" who ruined the peace and harmony the three of
them were having and eventually makes her walk out of the house in despair.
Joe, realizing that Patrick feels bad for Kelly, taunts him to go after her and stomps
on his previously broken foot.
Patrick leaves the house and goes after Kelly, comforting her with a kiss.
Biaggio, who has become good friends with Joe, is told to leave as well, leaving Joe
to live by himself.
About a month later, Joe is still living alone in the woods.
Short on money, he sets out to hunt his own food, eventually leading him to kill and eat
a rabbit.
Joe, not disposing of the body properly, attracts a snake into the house.
Meanwhile, Kelly goes to a concerned Frank and says she can take him to Joe.
When they arrive, they find Joe cornered by the presumably venomous snake that appeared
the night before.
Biaggio comes barging in and attempts to kill the snake with his machete, but is bitten
instead and collapses, becoming violently ill.
Frank, Kelly and a mildly feral Joe rush Biaggio to the hospital.
Biaggio survives and tells Joe that he saw heaven and if he had to do it all over again,
he would do the same thing, but then changes his mind.
Joe and Patrick's parents each drive them home.
As they view each other from their respective cars, they flip each other off jokingly and
part ways.
The film ends showing shots of the house Joe, Patrick and Biaggio built.
After the credits, Biaggio is seen still residing in the house in the woods.
Cast Nick Robinson – Joe Toy
Gabriel Basso – Patrick Keenan Moisés Arias – Biaggio
Nick Offerman – Frank Toy, Joe's father Alison Brie – Heather Toy, Joe's sister
Megan Mullally – Mrs. Keenan Marc Evan Jackson – Mr. Keenan
Eugene Cordero – Colin Mary Lynn Rajskub – Captain Davis
Thomas Middleditch - Rookie Cop Erin Moriarty – Kelly
Nathan Keyes - Paul Angela Trimbur – FacePaint
Kumail Nanjiani – Delivery Guy Austin Abrams – Aaron
Craig Cackowski – Mr. Larson Lili Reinhart – Vicki
Cristoffer Carter - Construction Kid Hannibal Buress - Bus Driver
Tony Hale - Bus Passenger Production
The film was director Vogt-Roberts' first feature film and was based on screenwriter
Galletta's first produced script.
Filming took place in the summer of 2012 in various locations across Ohio, including Cleveland,
Chagrin Falls, Lyndhurst and South Pointe Hospital in Warrensville.
Release The film premiered on January 19, 2013, during
the 2013 Sundance Film Festival as Toy's House.
The title of the film was later changed to The Kings of Summer.
It was shown at the Cleveland International Film Festival on April 3, 2013.
The Kings of Summer began its limited U.S. release on May 31, 2013.
It received a UK release in August 2013.
Reception The film received positive reviews and currently
holds a 75% on Rotten Tomatoes, with the consensus stating: "Thanks to charming performances
and endearingly off-kilter spirit, The Kings of Summer proves to be a slight, sweet entry
in the crowded coming-of-age genre."
According to Sheila O'Malley of the Chicago Tribune, "despite some beautiful sequences
and solid acting, the script by first-timer Chris Galletta pulls its punches, over-explains
the emotional meaning of its moments, and tries to lighten the mood in sometimes awkward
sit-com-style ways, betraying the movie's more honest spirit.
The Kings of Summer flirts with profundity, seeming to yearn for it and fear the honest
expression of it at the same time.
There is much here to admire, but the overall impression is of a film that does not have
the courage of its convictions."
Upon the film's August 2013 UK release, Mike McCahill of The Guardian said "If David Gordon
Green had made Son of Rambow, it might have looked something like this: a sunny and reasonably
funny coming-of-ager"; he concluded "The director's background in online shorts manifests itself
in an occasional, montage-heavy scattiness, and the broadly conventional closing act can't
quite maintain the laugh rate, but there's a lot of warm-hearted and commendably daft
business along the way.
The film made it onto Complexs Best Summer movies of 2013 list at number 17 and Not Made
in Chelseas Best Films of 2013 list at number 4.
References
External links Official website
The Kings of Summer at the Internet Movie Database
The Kings of Summer at Rotten Tomatoes The Kings of Summer at Metacritic
The Kings of Summer at AllMovie The Kings of Summer at Box Office Mojo