The defence The Sentimental Softie
“Sincerity is not manipulation.”
The film risks embarrassment to make emotion communal, and that openness is harder than fashionable detachment.
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Secret Summer
Romance · Family · Comedy · 2016
Appraiser Rachel (Lindsey Shaw) receives the news that her top-notched client wants to buyout a small town’s beloved library to build a resort and spa on the land. Rachel is completely against the idea of leaving NYC but loses the argument to her boss. So Rachel packs her bags and flies out to California. During her first visit to the library she runs into writer, Jake (Derek Theler), who is researching the tale of Captain Black Bart’s hidden treasures for his next novel. With hopes of saving the library, Mrs. Archer (Rachel Ticotin), the librarian, pushes Jake to show Rachel what the library means to the town. Jake’s already got a lot on his plate with his research and taking care of his niece, Hailey (Chiara Aurelia), and nephew, Noah (Max Page), for the summer but he agrees to help out. As Rachel learns what the library means to the community she must find away to save it before it’s too late.
Movie details
Secret Summer
2016 Romance · Family · Comedy 1h 28m
Critical arithmetic
The consensus, allegedly.
Scores change. Arguments endure.
IMDb
6.2 / 10
1K votes
TMDB
6.7 / 10
Community rating
External scores via OMDb · CC BY-NC 4.0. Values normalized for display; availability varies by title.
Appraiser Rachel (Lindsey Shaw) receives the news that her top-notched client wants to buyout a small town’s beloved library to build a resort and spa on the land. Rachel is completely against the idea of leaving NYC but loses the argument to her boss. So Rachel packs her bags and flies out to California. During her first visit to the library she runs into writer, Jake (Derek Theler), who is researching the tale of Captain Black Bart’s hidden treasures for his next novel. With hopes of saving the library, Mrs. Archer (Rachel Ticotin), the librarian, pushes Jake to show Rachel what the library means to the town. Jake’s already got a lot on his plate with his research and taking care of his niece, Hailey (Chiara Aurelia), and nephew, Noah (Max Page), for the summer but he agrees to help out. As Rachel learns what the library means to the community she must find away to save it before it’s too late.
CriticWise case file
What this film says about your taste.
Not a recommendation score. A measure of how closely the film’s taste signals resemble yours.
The archetype split
Who fights over Secret Summer?
For the defence
The Sentimental Softie
“You came to feel something, and you will.”
Read their case For the prosecution
The Cool Ironist
“Feeling things is a little embarrassing.”
Read their objectionThe split comes from the same five-axis model used by the test, not audience ratings or review sentiment.
Taste neighbourhood
Nearby on the taste map.
TMDB supplies the candidates. CriticWise reorders them by craft, strangeness, prestige, emotion, and pace.
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Where it lives
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Streaming availability data supplied by JustWatch.
Names above the title
The people responsible.
Cast & crew
Directed by
Rick Bota
Written by
Alec Colantonio-Ray · Adam Rockoff · Cara J. Russell
Lindsey Shaw
Rachel Turney
Derek Theler
Jake Kenman
Chiara Aurelia
Hailey
Emily Rose
Janice
M
Max Page
Noah
Lucas Bryant
Daniel Kenman
Court is in session
Put Secret Summer on trial.
Two incompatible taste archetypes. One film. Read the arguments, then issue a completely binding cultural ruling.
The prosecution The Cool Ironist
“The strings are showing.”
Every cue tells you exactly what to feel and when, leaving sentiment to do the work character should have done.