A discussion of a film that went under the radar when it came out, but one that viewers may want to check out in this particular time of self-isolation.
The Kings of Summer is an independent film that came out in 2013, so it’s a few years old now. The film focuses on two teenagers who are becoming increasingly frustrated with their home lives, and whose solution is to run away together and build a house in the woods.
While I may be seven years late on the review, the film’s concept feels relevant in today’s situation with self-isolation. It’s otherwise a charming coming-of-age comedy that has some valuable things to say about friendship, parental conflict, and the journey to adulthood.
However, it’s a film that I never hear anything about these days, and think is criminally overlooked.
The Kings of Summer: A Brief Overview
The Kings of Summer is about a high school student named Joe Toy, who lives with his stern single father, Frank. There is a palpable tension between the two, due in large part to Frank’s seemingly unfair and embarrassing rules for Joe.
From the get go, it’s clear that this tension is a ticking time bomb. It’s early on in the film when this bomb explodes, which is when Joe finally decides to do something about his anger. So he devises a plan to run away from home and build a house in the woods, and invites his best friend Patrick, who is equally frustrated with his parents, to join him.
They muster the courage to follow through with their plan, and they set out to construct their own house in the woods to live free from not only their parents, but society… all with the help of some random kid named Biaggio, who just happens to tag along with them.
Through the main characters’ self-isolation, what follows is a rather simple coming-of-age story that is uniquely endearing.
My Thoughts on the Film
The Kings of Summer is an endearing balance between comedy and drama, and which never gets too melodramatic in its depiction of teen angst. In fact, I’d say the film is aware of these cliches, and makes a point to poke fun at them.
Teen drama often seems to justify the behaviour of its rebellious characters, but The Kings of Summer is different. While all the parents in this film are indeed overbearing and irritating, it doesn’t feel like enough to warrant Joe and Patrick going as far as to run away to live alone together. However, I found this whole concept to be one of the biggest components of the film’s humour, which was done effectively and realistically.
Biaggio: “Where are we?”
Joe: “Someplace they won’t find you.”
The main character of Joe Toy, portrayed by the talented Nick Robinson, is an angry, self-righteous and entitled teen. He’s not even a particularly likeable character, but he has redeeming qualities and we can’t help but laugh at his logic and pettiness throughout the film. For me, his character to an extent satirises the concept of ‘teen angst’, while still delivering the depth of it in the more serious scenes.
Without a doubt, the highlight of the film is Joe’s father, Frank Toy, who is portrayed by the hilarious Nick Offerman of Parks & Recreation. The strained relationship between Joe and Frank is the whole basis of the film, and Offerman’s performance as the overbearing father always makes me laugh in every scene he’s in.
The friendship between Joe and Patrick, portrayed by Gabriel Basso, is also an interesting one. While Joe is moody and often lets his emotions get the best of him, Patrick is rather easygoing and more emotionally intelligent than Joe, a difference that takes a toll on their friendship during their isolation.
What I love about the film the most is that it subverts popular coming-of-age cliches in ways that are realistic, funny, and also delivers just the right amount of dramatic depth that it needs to.
As well as this, it’s an overall simple film that is made easy to watch through its beautiful direction, and able to be enjoyed for what it is. I found no need for questions like “Why would he do that?” or “Why would he say something like that?” because it’s constantly made clear, through humour, that the characters are troubled teens who aren’t thinking straight.
The film also has something important to say about getting through tough situations, which I thought was relevant to bring up today.
Why You Should Watch It in Self-Isolation
In the state of the world today in self-isolation, it’s hard to say when things will go back to normal. As of now our connection to the outside world is being restricted, and most people are being emotionally affected by it, understandably so.
This is why I think The Kings of Summer is worth a watch. After all, it’s about three teenagers who voluntarily isolate themselves, thinking it will solve all their problems, but spoiler alert, it doesn’t. From the film, we can learn that the world works in imperfect ways, but things will always blow over and work themselves out in the end… even if they didn’t go as planned.
So hang in there, and go ahead and watch this film in the meantime.
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