“You know who I feel sorry for? All those guys who had vasectomies in the 70s. Now with safe sex, they still gotta wear condoms.”

Andie’s rating: Hello Muddah, Hello Fadder…

Andie’s review: Not a lot of people have seen Indian Summer, but it is fantastic. It stars Elizabeth Perkins, Bill Paxton, Kevin Pollak, and Alan Arkin, among others. It’s about seven adults who return to their childhood summer camp, Camp Tamakwa, to spend a week swimming, canoeing, trying not to get eaten by bears, etc.

They all come back because of some peace they have to make with being a kid, like two of the adults are married, but the old flame of the husband is also returning to camp. And Bill Paxton comes back to make peace with the camp director, Alan Arkin, from getting kicked out of camp when he was 14. One guy brings his 21-year-old fiancé to the reunion and wonderful sparks fly from them. I know it doesn’t sound like much and it also sounds kinda boring, but it’s not. It’s really funny.

As adults, they’re up to all the old tricks, like camp schrecks (gags) they play on each other, kitchen raids, smoking pot, and remembering stuff that happened at camp, like a first kiss, a marathon called a Tamakwathon, and a first boner. It makes for an interesting movie about how people change over 20 yrs and how they also stay the same.

Justin’s rating: Want some bug juice?

Justin’s review: Out of all of the summer camp movies I like — and I like quite a few — I think that Indian Summer may be my stealth favorite.

On the surface, it’s not the type of film that’s going to bowl anyone over. It’s a mellow, quirky comedy-drama about some 30-somethings dealing with nostalgia, adult struggles, and moose infestations. It’s a little bit funny, a little bit sweet, a little bit sad, and a whole lot relatable.

Yet I love this flick. I really do. It even gets a thumbs-up from my wife, and we never agree on movies.

It’s the end of the road for Camp Tamakwa in Ontario, as long-time director and former boxer Uncle Lou (Alan Arkin) is finally retiring. But before he goes for good, he invites seven former camp attendees from the “golden year” of Tamakwa’s existence — that of 1972 — for a reprise of sorts.

Responding to this call are married couple Matt (Vincent Spano) and Kelly (Julie Warner); stressed and nerdy Brad (Kevin Pollak); lonely Jennifer (Elizabeth Perkins); recently widowed Beth (Diane Lane); freewheeling loverboy Jamie (Matt Craven) and his younger girlfriend Gwen (Kimberly Williams-Paisley); and formerly evicted-from-camp Jack (Bill Paxton). Each of them come bearing some kind of brewing issue — but also a true delight at this opportunity to revisit one of their favorite childhood memories.

One of my favorite shots in this film happens early on as we are introduced to all of these characters in their normal lives preparing for the trip. During this, the colors are somewhat muted. You don’t notice that as much until they take the boat ride over into Camp Tamakwa and the colors suddenly turn way up to emphasize the autumnal foliage and the return to a vivid place for all of them.

It’s kind of genius to get to know the story of these characters and the camp from the perspective of adults looking back. They pick up old traditions, go through a week of camp activities (swimming tests! marathons! late night kitchen raids!), and share stories with each other and newcomer Gwen. There’s a lot of delight and laughter as the friends reconnect, but there’s also plenty of drama that needs sorting out as well.

Perhaps the biggest mystery that hangs over this movie is why Jack got evicted from camp, why he’s come back, and what all of this has to do with Uncle Lou. I won’t spoil it other than to say that this marks an opportunity for the two of them to right a wrong, and it’s cathartic when it happens.

With a truly loaded cast of great actors, a breezy script, and Sam Raimi doing physical comedy from time to time, Indian Summer harnesses a nostalgia for a place that I’ve never been and makes me wish that I had. One of my faves — I hope you see it.

Intermission!

• Look for Sam Raimi, director of the Evil Dead series and For Love of the Game, in a great role as the camp maintenance man. He’s a riot!
• Camp Tamakwa is a real camp in Canada. Check out Jason Biggs in American Pie, as he wears the shirt of this camp.
• Filmed at director Mike Binder’s childhood summer camp
• Stick stares into the camera for the entirety of the credits.
• “The cabin always smelled like urine. That’s how you found it when you came up the hill in the dark.”