Indian Summer MPAA Rating: PG-13 Entertainment: +2 1/2 Content: -2

At the invitation of their childhood camp counselor, a group of thirty-something yuppies return to Camp Tamakwa for a reunion. The counselor, Unca Lou (Alan Arkin), wants to retire after 43 years of managing the picturesque camp on Lake Ontario. The chosen group to share his last week at the camp looked up to Unca Lou as a surrogate father. These veterans of the late '60s and early '70s squeal with delight as each one arrives. All seem to be successful, mature adults. Soon, however, they revert to their early teen behavior as they reminisce about the past. The first night is spent playing practical jokes on each other and remembering their "rites of passage" into a world of sexuality, marijuana and first romances. As Unca Lou puts them through a regimen of swimming, boating, hiking and getting tuned in to nature, their individual insecurities emerge. The cast also includes Diane Lane, Matt Craven, Bill Paxton, Elizabeth Perkins, Kevin Pollak, Sam Raini, Vincent Spano, Julie Warner and Kim Williams. INDIAN SUMMER might be described as a warmer, lighter BIG CHILL. The scenery alone is worth the price of admission.

Definitely not intended for youngsters, INDIAN SUMMER's adult subject matter contains many questionable elements. Flashbacks of the group's adolescent years include a detailed account of one boy's sexual awakening. One camper brings along his 21-year-old girlfriend to impress the others. They are shown together in a sleeping bag once, obviously having sex. Smoking pot around the campfire, discussing their sex lives, and telling off-color stories are a big part of the group's entertainment. Profanities, many obscenities and crudities add nothing to the story. When a disagreement leads to the start of a fight, Unca Lou insists the two men settle it in the boxing ring. One of the women decides to vent her anger at her husband in the ring, and she sends him to the mat. These sophisticated, smug adults evolve into likable, down-to-earth human beings by the time they head back home. Whether they would admit it or not, communing with God's world in its natural beauty helped them refocus their priorities.

Preview Reviewer: Mary Draughon
Distributor: Buena Vista Distribution, 500 S. Buena Vista St., Burbank, CA 91521