`Hamptons' portrays the stars
"Being in front of the camera is better than sex," says Oona Hart, one of the heroines of Henry Jaglom's wonderful new film Last Summer in the Hamptons .
New Hollywood movie star Hart (Victoria Foyt) pays an unexpected visit to a group of New York theater family and friends in the Hamptons. The three generations of this large and brilliant theatrical family are spending the last weekend of their last summer together at the decades-old family retreat which economic circumstances have finally forced them to sell.
Hart's visit wreaks havoc on this extraordinary coterie of actors, directors and playwrights. In the course of one dramatic weekend, many of the family's secrets come to light and slowly begin to unravel.
The theatrical men and women share their insights about what it means to be a performer and what it means to be human. As the film relentlessly probes the narrow, unexplored territory between reality and acting, it is at turns wildly witty and achingly poignant.
At moments, Jaglom evokes Chekhovian tragedy. His characters even refer to the playwright by name. Like the eponymous dramatist's heroes, these people are well-intentioned, but nothing ever quite works out for them.
The film's closing credits include apologies to Anton Chekhov, James Joyce and Jean Renoir. But Last Summer in the Hamptons seems like such a cinematic gem that it's hard to imagine it offending any of its inspirations.
Another screenwriter also comes to mind. This movie's sexually-charged, intelligent humor is reminiscent of Woody Allen. The tremendous screenplay, written by Jaglon and Foyt, creates this effect with memorable moments, such as when a woman pulls a bright red vibrator out of her purse and laments, "I just want one man ... somebody who can recite Yeats in the dark."
The characters may be divas --beautiful people who think trying on a sweater means tying it around one's shoulders -- but thanks to the phenomenal script and Jaglom's gentle direction, they never fall into caricatures. Even with its smattering of open marriage, homosexuality, sex toys and hints at incest, the situation remains believable.
Jaglom succeeds at capturing genuine thoughts and conversations. Watching Last Summer in the Hamptons feels like watching real people, albeit real people who are more colorful than most real people.
The cinematography enhances that effect. The entire movie was filmed on location in East Hampton, Long Island. The rough camerawork and editing and virtual lack of background music give the film the feel of a documentary. Most of it consists of one-on-one conversations, which give it compelling intimacy.
The remarkable cast (including Viveca Lindfors, Roscoe Lee Browne, Andre Gregory, Nick Gregory, Melissa Leo, Roddy McDowall, Martha Plimpton, Ron Rifkin, Diane Salinger, Brooke Smith, Savannah Boucher, Kristoffer Tabori, Holland Taylor and Jon Robin Baitz) deserves praise as well for embodying their roles so convincingly. Even more impressive is the fact that many of these actors are making their large-screen debut with this film.
There are no weak links, but certain cast members stand out as extraordinary. Foyt acts as well as she writes. Her exercises, where she mimics animal behavior, are simultaneously comic and seductive.
As the family's matriarch Helena Mora, Lindfors brings wonderful spirit to her role. As she comes to grips with aging -- and all that it means in a profession where women peak at age 27 -- she exudes a great deal of strength, wisdom and beauty.
Real-life playwright Jon Baitz makes a triumphant acting debut in the role of gay playwright Jake Axelrod. Plimpton commendably plays Chloe Garfield, a Budweiser-swilling, angst-ridden teenager, without making the role the cliché it easily could be.
Saying Last Summer in the Hamptons is better than sex would probably be overstating the point. But it is an absolutely wonderful film.
This item appeared in the Arts & Entertainment section of the March 15, 1996 issue.
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