A Plumm Summer
Encyclopedia
A Plumm Summer is a 2007 adventure
-family film
directed by Caroline Zelder. It starred Owen Pearce, Chris Massoglia
(appearing under the name "Chris J. Kelly"), Morgan Flynn, William Baldwin
, Henry Winkler
, and Lisa Guerrero
. The film follows a teenage boy, his young brother, and a new-to-town teenage girl as they try to find a marionette from a local television show which has been stolen and held for ransom. Meanwhile, the brothers' father struggles with alcoholism and their mother tries to hold her marriage together.
, the hometown of screenwriter T. J. Lynch
.
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 Massoglia) 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, 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.
The budget was initially set at $3.5 million. A foreign film financing company agreed to provide financial backing for the picture, but pulled out just weeks after casting of the major leads was complete. Actor Lisa Guerrero and Scott Erickson
(Guerrero's husband) formed Home Team Productions and partnered with Zelder and producer Frank Antonelli's company, Fairplay Pictures, to finance the film. Guerrero and her husband received executive producer credit on the film. The film was Guerrero's first film role. Erickson pitched the final game of his baseball career at Yankee Stadium in New York City, boarded a plane, and was producing the film just days later. Montana
Governor Brian Schweitzer
had a small role in the film as Sheriff Strunk. The real-life "Happy Herb," Herb McAllister, also had a cameo role in the film.
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. The picture was Zelder's first as a director. Filming began in July 2006, and lasted 35 days. The production was filmed in and around Bozeman
and Livingston
.
and Chicago International Children's Film Festival
) and won several awards, but the picture was unable to find a major American studio willing to release the family-friendly film. Fairplay Pictures eventually self-distributed the picture on 58 screens in 10 cities in the United States on April 20, 2008. Cities in the limited release included Minneapolis-St. Paul, Los Angeles
, Birmingham
, and some towns in Montana. The film's opening weekend box office receipts totalled $60,668, a "thin" $1,046 per venue.
Nonetheless, the self-distribution strategy led several major motion picture companies to express interest in releasing the film on DVD. Paramount Pictures
won the right to do so, 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.
wrote, "This family film is willing to tackle important issues such as burgeoning sexuality, alcoholism and a troubled home life but does so in a bland and unconvincing story." However, the film's technical qualities were praised. Both The Hollywood Reporter and the St. Paul Pioneer Press
felt the story was slow and contrived. The Los Angeles Times
called the film flawed, and placed the blame squarely on the screenplay for not knowing whether to depict a Disney-esque innocent adventure or a real world that confronted a teenager's emerging sexuality, a father's alcoholism, and the break-up of a marriage. The Deseret News called the film "hokey" and felt the direction and some of the performances were amateurish. The newspaper labeled the score as "one of the worst musical scores in recent memory", and felt the period songs were "ill-chosen". The Minneapolis Star Tribune was particularly harsh in its criticism. The newspaper felt the picture was "insulting to your child's intelligence, veer[ed] wildly between broad humor (and I should mention that there is literally not one funny scene in this whole movie), sugary nostalgia and the worst melodrama", and "fraught with leaden direction and horrible acting".
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." The magazine also praised Zelder's direction: "[A] ction, comedy and a touch of sweetness... [are] exactly what distingushes 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." 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."
Adventure film
Adventure films are a genre of film.Unlike pure, low-budget action films they often use their action scenes preferably to display and explore exotic locations in an energetic way....
-family film
Family film
A family film is a film genre that is designed to appeal to a variety of age groups and, thus, families.In December 2005, Steven Spielberg's 1982 film E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial came first in a poll of the 100 Greatest Family Films. The genre today generates billions of dollars per annum.Family...
directed by Caroline Zelder. It starred Owen Pearce, Chris Massoglia
Chris Massoglia
Christopher Paul "Chris" Massoglia is an American television and motion picture actor.-Early life:Chris Massoglia was born in Minneapolis, Minnesota, to Christopher and Karen Massoglia. His father is a chiropractor and his mother a homemaker...
(appearing under the name "Chris J. Kelly"), Morgan Flynn, William Baldwin
William Baldwin
William Joseph "Billy" Baldwin is an American actor, producer, and writer, known for his starring roles in such films as Flatliners , Backdraft , Sliver , Fair Game , Virus , Double Bang , as Johnny 13 in Danny Phantom , Art Heist , The Squid and the Whale , as himself...
, Henry Winkler
Henry Winkler
Henry Franklin Winkler, OBE is an American actor, director, producer, and author.Winkler is best known for his role as Fonzie on the 1970s American sitcom Happy Days...
, and Lisa Guerrero
Lisa Guerrero
Lisa Coles Guerrero is an American sportscaster, actress, host and model. The Los Angeles Times has called Guerrero the 'hardest working sports reporter'. The Hispanic Business Journal named her one of the 100 most influential Hispanics in America. President George W...
. The film follows a teenage boy, his young brother, and a new-to-town teenage girl as they try to find a marionette from a local television show which has been stolen and held for ransom. Meanwhile, the brothers' father struggles with alcoholism and their mother tries to hold her marriage together.
Plot synopsis
The film is based on a real event that occurred in 1968 in Billings, MontanaBillings, Montana
Billings is the largest city in the U.S. state of Montana, and is the principal city of the Billings Metropolitan Area, the largest metropolitan area in over...
, the hometown of screenwriter T. J. Lynch
T. J. Lynch
T. J. Lynch is a screenwriter residing in Los Angeles. He was born and raised in Billings, Montana, and received a Bachelor of Science degree from Montana State University in Film & Television Production in 1986...
.
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
Federal Bureau of Investigation
The Federal Bureau of Investigation is an agency of the United States Department of Justice that serves as both a federal criminal investigative body and an internal intelligence agency . The FBI has investigative jurisdiction over violations of more than 200 categories of federal crime...
(FBI) is called in to investigate. Elliott Plumm (Chris Massoglia) 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
Boxing
Boxing, also called pugilism, is a combat sport in which two people fight each other using their fists. Boxing is supervised by a referee over a series of between one to three minute intervals called rounds...
who believes Elliott's birth prevented him from going to the Olympic Games
Olympic Games
The Olympic Games is a major international event featuring summer and winter sports, in which thousands of athletes participate in a variety of competitions. The Olympic Games have come to be regarded as the world’s foremost sports competition where more than 200 nations participate...
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, 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.
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. 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. Lynch contacted Caroline Zelder, a director/producer friend of his, and Zelder agreed to produce the film. Work on the script took roughly two-and-a-half to three years.The budget was initially set at $3.5 million. A foreign film financing company agreed to provide financial backing for the picture, but pulled out just weeks after casting of the major leads was complete. Actor Lisa Guerrero and Scott Erickson
Scott Erickson
Scott Gavin Erickson is a former Major League Baseball pitcher.-Career:Erickson was born in Long Beach, California, and began his professional career, after being drafted by the NY Mets in 1986, Houston Astros in 1987, and Toronto Blue Jays in 1988, in when he was drafted by the Minnesota Twins...
(Guerrero's husband) formed Home Team Productions and partnered with Zelder and producer Frank Antonelli's company, Fairplay Pictures, to finance the film. Guerrero and her husband received executive producer credit on the film. The film was Guerrero's first film role. Erickson pitched the final game of his baseball career at Yankee Stadium in New York City, boarded a plane, and was producing the film just days later. Montana
Montana
Montana is a state in the Western United States. The western third of Montana contains numerous mountain ranges. Smaller, "island ranges" are found in the central third of the state, for a total of 77 named ranges of the Rocky Mountains. This geographical fact is reflected in the state's name,...
Governor Brian Schweitzer
Brian Schweitzer
Brian David Schweitzer is an American politician from the U.S. state of Montana. Schweitzer is its 23rd and current governor, serving since January 2005. Schweitzer currently has one of the highest approval ratings among governors in the nation, with polls regularly showing a rating of above 60...
had a small role in the film as Sheriff Strunk. The real-life "Happy Herb," Herb McAllister, also had a cameo role in the film.
The producers considered several states in the United States as well as locations in Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
for the production, but chose Montana over South Carolina
South Carolina
South Carolina is a state in the Deep South of the United States that borders Georgia to the south, North Carolina to the north, and the Atlantic Ocean to the east. Originally part of the Province of Carolina, the Province of South Carolina was one of the 13 colonies that declared independence...
after receiving support from the governor, state financial incentives, and encouragement from freelance movie production workers in the state. The picture was Zelder's first as a director. Filming began in July 2006, and lasted 35 days. The production was filmed in and around Bozeman
Bozeman, Montana
Bozeman is a city in and the county seat of Gallatin County, Montana, United States, in the southwestern part of the state. The 2010 census put Bozeman's population at 37,280 making it the fourth largest city in the state. It is the principal city of the Bozeman micropolitan area, which consists...
and Livingston
Livingston, Montana
-Geography:Livingston is located at , at an altitude of 4.501 feet .According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of , of which, of it is land and 0.38% is waters.-Climate:-Demographics:...
.
Cast
- Jeff DanielsJeff DanielsJeffrey Warren "Jeff" Daniels is an American actor, musician and playwright. He founded a non-profit theatre company, the Purple Rose Theatre Company, in his home state of Michigan...
as "The Narrator" - William BaldwinWilliam BaldwinWilliam Joseph "Billy" Baldwin is an American actor, producer, and writer, known for his starring roles in such films as Flatliners , Backdraft , Sliver , Fair Game , Virus , Double Bang , as Johnny 13 in Danny Phantom , Art Heist , The Squid and the Whale , as himself...
as "Mick Plumm" - Henry WinklerHenry WinklerHenry Franklin Winkler, OBE is an American actor, director, producer, and author.Winkler is best known for his role as Fonzie on the 1970s American sitcom Happy Days...
as "Happy Herb" and the voice of "Froggy Doo" - Lisa GuerreroLisa GuerreroLisa Coles Guerrero is an American sportscaster, actress, host and model. The Los Angeles Times has called Guerrero the 'hardest working sports reporter'. The Hispanic Business Journal named her one of the 100 most influential Hispanics in America. President George W...
as "Roxie Plumm" - Chris MassogliaChris MassogliaChristopher Paul "Chris" Massoglia is an American television and motion picture actor.-Early life:Chris Massoglia was born in Minneapolis, Minnesota, to Christopher and Karen Massoglia. His father is a chiropractor and his mother a homemaker...
(appearing as Chris J. Kelly) as "Elliott Plumm" - Owen Pearce as "Rocky Plumm"
- Morgan Flynn as "Haley Dubois"
- Brenda StrongBrenda StrongBrenda Lee Strong is an American actress and yoga instructor, known for her roles as as Capt. Deladier in the 1997 hit movie Starship Troopers and Mary Alice Young on the television show Desperate Housewives....
as "Viv, Herb's Wife" - Tim Quill as "Wayne Dubois"
- Peter ScolariPeter ScolariPeter Scolari is an American television, film and stage actor best known for his roles in the television shows Newhart, Honey, I Shrunk the Kids: The TV Show, and Bosom Buddies.-Career:...
as "Agent Hardigan" - Rick OvertonRick OvertonRichard "Rick" Overton is an American screenwriter, actor and comedian. His writing credits include Dennis Miller Live, and his acting credits include Willow and The Secret Adventures of Jules Verne.-Life and career:...
as "Agent Brinkman" - Richard RiehleRichard Riehle-Life and career:Riehle was born in Menomonee Falls, Wisconsin, the son of Mary Margaret , a nurse, and Herbert John Riehle , an assistant postmaster. He attended the University of Notre Dame....
as "Art Bublin" - Clint HowardClint HowardClinton "Clint" Howard is an American film and television actor. He is a character actor with numerous brief appearances on television and films. He has played many bit parts in movies directed by his brother, actor-turned-director Ron Howard. He is also the uncle of actress Bryce Dallas Howard...
as "Binky the Clown"
Release
A Plumm Summer screened at a number of film festivals around the world (including the Heartland Film FestivalHeartland Film Festival
The Heartland Film Festival is a film festival held each October in Indianapolis, Indiana. First held in 1992, its goal is to "recognize and honor filmmakers whose work explores the human journey by artistically expressing hope and respect for the positive values of life."In May 2007, Heartland...
and Chicago International Children's Film Festival
Chicago International Children's Film Festival
Founded in 1975, Facets Multi-Media, located at 1517 W. Fullerton Avenue, Chicago, 60614 Facets Multi-Media is the largest conservator dedicated to the exhibition, distribution & education of foreign, independent & classic cinema...
) and won several awards, but the picture was unable to find a major American studio willing to release the family-friendly film. Fairplay Pictures eventually self-distributed the picture on 58 screens in 10 cities in the United States on April 20, 2008. Cities in the limited release included Minneapolis-St. Paul, Los Angeles
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
, Birmingham
Birmingham, Alabama
Birmingham is the largest city in Alabama. The city is the county seat of Jefferson County. According to the 2010 United States Census, Birmingham had a population of 212,237. The Birmingham-Hoover Metropolitan Area, in estimate by the U.S...
, and some towns in Montana. The film's opening weekend box office receipts totalled $60,668, a "thin" $1,046 per venue.
Nonetheless, the self-distribution strategy led several major motion picture companies to express interest in releasing the film on DVD. Paramount Pictures
Paramount Pictures
Paramount Pictures Corporation is an American film production and distribution company, located at 5555 Melrose Avenue in Hollywood. Founded in 1912 and currently owned by media conglomerate Viacom, it is America's oldest existing film studio; it is also the last major film studio still...
won the right to do so, 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.
Critical reception
Critics gave the film very mixed reviews. The Hollywood ReporterThe Hollywood Reporter
Formerly a daily trade magazine, The Hollywood Reporter re-launched in late 2010 as a unique hybrid publication serving the entertainment industry and a consumer audience...
wrote, "This family film is willing to tackle important issues such as burgeoning sexuality, alcoholism and a troubled home life but does so in a bland and unconvincing story." However, the film's technical qualities were praised. Both The Hollywood Reporter and the St. Paul Pioneer Press
St. Paul Pioneer Press
The St. Paul Pioneer Press is a newspaper based in St. Paul, Minnesota, primarily serving the Twin Cities metropolitan area. Circulation is heaviest in the eastern metro region, including Ramsey, Dakota, and Washington counties, along with western Wisconsin, eastern Minnesota and Anoka County,...
felt the story was slow and contrived. The Los Angeles Times
Los Angeles Times
The Los Angeles Times is a daily newspaper published in Los Angeles, California, since 1881. It was the second-largest metropolitan newspaper in circulation in the United States in 2008 and the fourth most widely distributed newspaper in the country....
called the film flawed, and placed the blame squarely on the screenplay for not knowing whether to depict a Disney-esque innocent adventure or a real world that confronted a teenager's emerging sexuality, a father's alcoholism, and the break-up of a marriage. The Deseret News called the film "hokey" and felt the direction and some of the performances were amateurish. The newspaper labeled the score as "one of the worst musical scores in recent memory", and felt the period songs were "ill-chosen". The Minneapolis Star Tribune was particularly harsh in its criticism. The newspaper felt the picture was "insulting to your child's intelligence, veer
Variety
Variety (magazine)
Variety is an American weekly entertainment-trade magazine founded in New York City, New York, in 1905 by Sime Silverman. With the rise of the importance of the motion-picture industry, Daily Variety, a daily edition based in Los Angeles, California, was founded by Silverman in 1933. In 1998, the...
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." The magazine also praised Zelder's direction: "