A Plumm Summer
| A Plumm Summer | |
|---|---|
 Promotional poster | |
| Directed by | Caroline Zelder[1] |
| Written by | T. J. Lynch[2] Frank Antonelli[1] Catherine Zelder[1] |
| Produced by | Frank Antonelli[1] Catherine Zelder[1] |
| Starring | William Baldwin Henry Winkler Lisa Guerrero Brenda Strong Owen Peare Morgan Flynn Peter Scolari Rick Overton Tim Quill Chris J. Kelly |
| Narrated by | Jeff Daniels |
| Cinematography | Mark Vargo[1] |
| Edited by | Jonathan Lucas[1] |
| Music by | Tom Heil[1] |
| Distributed by | Freestyle Releasing[1] |
Release dates |
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| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
| Budget | $5 million[2] |
A Plumm Summer is a 2007
Plot
The film is based on a real event that occurred in 1968 in Billings, Montana, the hometown of screenwriter T. J. Lynch.[3][4][5]
A popular locally produced children's television show, Happy Herb & Froggy Doo, features magician Happy Herb (Henry Winkler) and his wisecracking marionette sidekick, Froggy Doo. Froggy Doo is stolen and held for ransom, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) is called in to investigate. Elliott Plumm (Chris J. Kelly) used to watch the show, but now feels he is too grown up to do so any longer. His five-year-old brother, Rocky, is a Froggy Doo fan, however. Their father, Mick Plumm (William Baldwin), is a recovering alcoholic and unemployed ex-boxer who believes Elliott's birth prevented him from going to the Olympic Games 12 years earlier. Mick's emotionally distant relationship with Elliott is causing Elliott to become emotionally troubled. Their mother, Roxie Plumm (Lisa Guerrero), is the only breadwinner in the family, and keeping her husband sober and attending to her job means she has little time for her children.
Elliott shows little interest in the kidnapping. Shortly thereafter, however, Haley Dubois (Morgan Flynn) and her father arrive in their run-down mobile home and move in next door. Haley's father is the new deputy sheriff in town, and Haley is entranced by the mystery surrounding the kidnapping of Froggy Doo. Elliott quickly begins to fall in love with Haley, and soon he agrees to help Haley and Rocky find Froggy Doo in order to win Haley's heart. The three kids have to find the marionette before the two bumbling FBI agents, Hardigan (Peter Scolari) and Brinkman (Rick Overton) can do so. Elliott, Haley, and Rocky's list of suspects include the local bully, a store clerk, and Happy Herb's wife Viv (Brenda Strong). As the kids pursue the case, Elliott and Rocky's brotherly bond strengthens, and Elliott realizes he might not only win back the love of his father but provide his family with the substantial reward money and help his parents' marriage, too.
Cast
- Jeff Daniels as The Narrator
- William Baldwin as Mick Plumm
- Henry Winkler as Happy Herb McAllister/Froggy Doo
- Lisa Guerrero as Roxie Plumm
- Chris Massoglia as Elliott Plumm
- Owen Pearce as Rocky Plumm
- Morgan Flynn as Haley Dubois
- Brenda Strong as Viv McAllister
- Tim Quill as Wayne Dubois
- Peter Scolari as Agent Hardigan
- Rick Overton as Agent Brinkman
- Richard Riehle as Art Bublin
- Clint Howard as Binky the Clown
Production
T.J. Lynch grew up in Billings, where the real-life Happy Herb and Froggy Doo show originated, and watched the show as a child. Lynch used the kidnapping of Froggy Doo as the basis for a screenplay, and interviewed Herb McAllister (the actor who played Happy Herb and provided Froggy Doo's voice) to gain background information for the script.[4] Lynch and McAllister agreed to a contract which gave exclusive story rights to Lynch and permitted the use of the original Froggy Doo character design in the final film.[4] Lynch contacted Caroline Zelder, a director/producer friend of his, and Zelder agreed to produce the film.[4] Work on the script took roughly two-and-a-half to three years.[6]
The budget was initially set at $3.5 million.
The producers considered several states in the United States as well as locations in Canada for the production, but chose Montana over South Carolina after receiving support from the governor, state financial incentives, and encouragement from freelance movie production workers in the state.[7][11] The picture was Zelder's first as a director.[10] Filming began in July 2006,[6] and lasted 35 days.[5] The production was filmed in and around Bozeman and Livingston.[3][4]
Release
A Plumm Summer screened at a number of film festivals around the world (including the
Nonetheless, the self-distribution strategy led several major motion picture companies to express interest in releasing the film on DVD.[2] Paramount Pictures won the right to do so,[2] and released the DVD in North America on May 5, 2009.
A sequel, A Plumm Summer Adventure, and possibly a third "Plumm" movie were planned.[9]
Critical reception
Critics gave the film very mixed reviews.
Variety gave a much more positive review. The industry trade journal called Owen Pearce's performance "scene-stealing," and felt all the performances were "at a very high level across the board."[21] The magazine also praised Zelder's direction: "[A]ction, comedy and a touch of sweetness... [are] exactly what distinguishes Caroline Zelder's debut feature.... Zelder has a way of imbuing even the smallest gestures -- like a teenager's slump or a 5-year-old's intractable stare -- with meaning."[21] Variety also gave high marks to the film's technical production. "Lenser Mark Vargo bathes the Montana locations in glorious natural light; Alan Muraoka's production design and Nola Roller's costumes mostly nail the 1968 aesthetic, but could have been even more consistent."[21]
References
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k Honeycutt, Kirk. "'A Plumm Summer' - Bottom Line: Weak Family Films Wastes Its Opportunities." The Hollywood Reporter. April 25, 2008.
- ^ Huffington Post. December 10, 2009.
- ^ Montana Standard. August 26, 2006.
- ^ a b c d e Easterling, Camden. "Frog Kidnapping Mystery Makes 'Plumm' Fun Film." Associated Press. June 24, 2006.
- ^ Minneapolis Star Tribune. April 25, 2008.
- ^ a b c "'Plumm Summer' Filming to Begin Next Month." Associated Press. June 11, 2006.
- ^ a b "Gov, Filmmakers in Talks About Montana Movie." Associated Press. May 3, 2006.
- ^ Chicago Daily Herald. October 20, 2007.
- ^ a b c d Kerr, Euan. "Former Twins Pitcher Finds A New Career in the Movies." Minnesota Public Radio. April 25, 2008.
- ^ a b "William Baldwin, Henry Winkler, Brenda Strong, Lisa Guerrero, Chris Kelly, Morgan Flynn and Owen Pearce Are Teaming to Star in the Indie Pic 'A Plumm Summer'." Daily Variety. July 27, 2006.
- ^ a b McKee, Jennifer. "Governor A Real Trouper, It Seems."[permanent dead link] Montana Forum. August 17, 2006.
- ^ "Governor Schweitzer Announces Montana Opening of the Independent Feature "A Plumm Summer"" (PDF). Montana Department of Commerce. 2008-04-21. Archived from the original (PDF) on 10 December 2009. Retrieved 14 December 2009.
- ^ Birmingham News. April 25, 2008.
- ^ "Film Festival Concludes With 22,000 Attendees." Archived 2012-02-06 at the Wayback Machine Inside INdiana Business. October 30, 2007.
- ^ a b "'Baby Mama' Legit at the Box Office." The Hollywood Reporter. April 27, 2008.
- ^ "'Baby,' 'Kumar' Vie for Box Office." Variety. April 24, 2008.
- ^ "'70s-Style Family Melodrama Offers Hugs But Little Depth." St. Paul Pioneer Press. April 25, 2008.
- ^ Olsen, Mark. "It's Plum Refreshing, But 'Plumm' Is Flawed Too." Los Angeles Times. April 28, 2008.
- ^ a b Vice, Jeff. "'A Plumm Summer' Amateurish, Hokey But Not Awful." Deseret News. May 15, 2008.
- ^ Schilling, Peter. "Don't Waste Your Time With 'Plumm Summer'." Minneapolis Star Tribune. April 24, 2008.
- ^ a b c Loewenstein, Lael. "'A Plumm Summer'." Variety. February 19, 2008.
