Corvette Summer (1978) ***1/2
Corvette Summer (1978) is a time capsule of a movie—a cute coming of age story with some elements that wouldn't fly in 2019. Case in point: Annie Potts' (aspiring) hooker with a heart of gold, a character trope that most people don't want to see anymore. It's hard to deny Potts though—she's sexy, saucy, and irresistible. It’s also worth noting that her character Vanessa has autonomy—she’s her own boss (she doesn’t have a pimp), she drives her own van, and she’s never looking to be “rescued” by anyone. Mark Hamill brings his quirky boyish charm to the role of shy and handsome high school grad Kenny, on the hunt for the stolen custom 1973 Corvette Stingray that his shop class restored.
The similarities to Pee-wee's Big Adventure (1985) are impossible to ignore, especially for this viewer, since that's my favorite film of all time. Aside from the obvious—boy searches for his beloved (red) vehicle and meets intriguing characters along the way—there's little bits like a stolen wallet leading to an offer to wash dishes, the protagonist passing right past the stolen vehicle more than once, and a persistent, nasally female lead (though Pee-wee never goes all the way with Dottie—that we know of). Ironically Kenny even resorts to stealing someone's bike to get his car back. I'd be curious to know if Paul Reubens, Phil Hartman or Michael Varhol took inspiration from Corvette Summer when they wrote PwBA. One thing Big Adventure, as zany and silly as it is, has going for it over Summer though is a more cohesive plot and through line—Summer is predictable and often feels like it was a bit of a slapdash script job.
That said, director and co-writer Matthew Robbins has some interesting screenwriting credits to his name, including The Sugarland Express (1974), "additional story" (uncredited) on Close Encounters Of The Third Kind (1977), Dragonslayer (1981) (which he also directed), *batteries not included (1987) (also director), and Guillermo del Toro's Mimic (1997) and Crimson Peak (2015). Kim Milford, who looks a bit like Hamill, plays a villain of sorts (he also starred in the whacky z-movie Laserblast the same year—my review for that film here). Also featured are a few familiar faces in small roles—Wendie Jo Sperber, Brion James, T.K. Carter, and genre character actor supreme Dick Miller.
When taken for what it is (it's right there in the title)—a summer distraction that doesn't take itself too seriously yet isn't completely devoid of intelligence—Corvette Summer is a real fun little flick. Movies like this serve a purpose and they're just as important and enjoyable as more highbrow artsy fare.
The similarities to Pee-wee's Big Adventure (1985) are impossible to ignore, especially for this viewer, since that's my favorite film of all time. Aside from the obvious—boy searches for his beloved (red) vehicle and meets intriguing characters along the way—there's little bits like a stolen wallet leading to an offer to wash dishes, the protagonist passing right past the stolen vehicle more than once, and a persistent, nasally female lead (though Pee-wee never goes all the way with Dottie—that we know of). Ironically Kenny even resorts to stealing someone's bike to get his car back. I'd be curious to know if Paul Reubens, Phil Hartman or Michael Varhol took inspiration from Corvette Summer when they wrote PwBA. One thing Big Adventure, as zany and silly as it is, has going for it over Summer though is a more cohesive plot and through line—Summer is predictable and often feels like it was a bit of a slapdash script job.
That said, director and co-writer Matthew Robbins has some interesting screenwriting credits to his name, including The Sugarland Express (1974), "additional story" (uncredited) on Close Encounters Of The Third Kind (1977), Dragonslayer (1981) (which he also directed), *batteries not included (1987) (also director), and Guillermo del Toro's Mimic (1997) and Crimson Peak (2015). Kim Milford, who looks a bit like Hamill, plays a villain of sorts (he also starred in the whacky z-movie Laserblast the same year—my review for that film here). Also featured are a few familiar faces in small roles—Wendie Jo Sperber, Brion James, T.K. Carter, and genre character actor supreme Dick Miller.
When taken for what it is (it's right there in the title)—a summer distraction that doesn't take itself too seriously yet isn't completely devoid of intelligence—Corvette Summer is a real fun little flick. Movies like this serve a purpose and they're just as important and enjoyable as more highbrow artsy fare.
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