Summer Rental

{{Short description|1985 American comedy film by Carl Reiner}} {{Use mdy dates|date=February 2026}} {{Use American English|date=January 2025}} {{Infobox film | name = Summer Rental | image = summer rental.jpg | caption = Theatrical release poster | director = [[Carl Reiner]] | writer = Mark Reisman<br>Jeremy Stevens | starring = {{Plainlist| * [[John Candy]] * [[Richard Crenna]] }} | producer = [[George Shapiro]] | music = [[Alan Silvestri]] | cinematography = [[Ric Waite]] | editing = [[Bud Molin]] | distributor = [[Paramount Pictures]] | released = {{Film date|1985|08|09}} | runtime = 87 minutes | country = United States | language = English | budget = | gross = $24,689,703 (US)<ref name="Summer Rental">{{cite web| url=https://www.boxofficemojo.com/releasegroup/gr2534691333/| title=Summer Rental| website=[[Box Office Mojo]]| access-date=January 14, 2020}}</ref> }} '''''Summer Rental''''' is a 1985 American comedy film directed by [[Carl Reiner]], written by Mark Reisman and Jeremy Stevens, and starring [[John Candy]] and [[Richard Crenna]]. It tells the story of an overworked [[air traffic controller]] who is put on a five weeks' paid leave and takes his family to the fictional resort town of Citrus Cove, [[Florida]] as he experiences hilarious mishaps and contends with an arrogant sailing champion. An original music score was composed for the film by [[Alan Silvestri]]. The film was released on August 9, 1985, by [[Paramount Pictures]].<ref name=maslin9>{{cite news |last=Maslin |first=Janet |author-link=Janet Maslin |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1985/08/09/movies/film-summer-rental-directed-by-carl-reiner.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201007211926/https://www.nytimes.com/1985/08/09/movies/film-summer-rental-directed-by-carl-reiner.html |archive-date=October 7, 2020 |title=Movie Review: 'Summer Rental' Directed By Carl Reiner |newspaper=[[The New York Times]] |date=August 9, 1985 |access-date=2015-04-30}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.tcm.com/tcmdb/title/4252/summer-rental |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160305043125/http://www.tcm.com/tcmdb/title/4252/Summer-Rental/ |url-status=usurped |archive-date=March 5, 2016 |title=Summer Rental (1985) - Overview |website=[[Turner Classic Movies]] |access-date=2015-04-30}}</ref>

==Plot== Overworked [[air traffic controller]] Jack Chester is given five weeks' paid leave as an alternative to being fired after nearly causing a mid-air collision on the job and having an outburst over a fly covering a radar blip. He uses this time off to take his wife Sandy and their children; 14-year-old Jennifer, 8-year-old Bobby, and 3-year-old Laurie, on a summer vacation from [[Atlanta]] to the fictional Gulf Coast resort town of Citrus Cove, [[Florida]], where they are beset by a barrage of problems.

They are first bumped out of the line of an upscale seafood restaurant in favor of arrogant local sailing champion Al Pellet, who becomes Jack's nemesis. This leads to their dining at a pirate ship-themed restaurant called The Barnacle, run by Scully. The family then misreads the address, moves into the wrong house, and are forced to leave in the middle of the night, ending up in a decrepit shack on a public beach, with a constant stream of beach-goers passing through and its landlord being in the [[Intensive care unit|ICU]].

When Jack attempts to take Bobby sailing, he suffers a leg injury from a collision with Al that prevents him from spending time with his family. As Jack hasn't sailed for many years, he befriends Scully, who volunteers to help.

After the rental's original landlord dies, Al assumes the role, and Jack gives him a check for $1,000 to cover the rent for the next two weeks. Al spitefully tears up the check and orders him to leave the house when their first two weeks expire, threatening to personally throw them out should they fail. To avoid early eviction, Jack challenges Al to a race at the upcoming Citrus Cove Regatta: if Al wins, Jack will pay him the $1,000 rent and take his family home; if Jack wins, he keeps the money and earns the right to stay in the house for two additional weeks rent-free. Al scoffs at the notion that Jack could defeat him in a race, but accepts the challenge.

The bored Chesters come to life by helping Jack, Scully, and the Sanders refurbish ''The Barnacle'' and make it seaworthy while Scully's subordinate Angus finds the right size sails.' On the day of the race, Jack's youngest daughter, Laurie, requests to go play in the basement of the ship with Yorku, a strange old man with a grey beard. Yorku holds tight around the waist of the young girl in giddy anticipation of her mother's response. When she obliges, he takes her below deck to play with her doll while she brushes his long, scraggly hair. Meanwhile,''The Barnacle'' is at first no match for Al or anybody else in the race, but tossing useless garbage overboard, a strong breeze, and Jack's large pair of pants enable ''The Barnacle'' to achieve a victory against Pellet at sea.

==Cast== {{cast list| * [[John Candy]] as Jack Chester, an air traffic controller who takes his family on a vacation to Citrus Cove, Florida. * [[Richard Crenna]] as Al Pellet, a rich arrogant sailing champion in Citrus Cove who antagonizes Jack. * [[Rip Torn]] as Richard Scully, the proprietor of a restaurant boat with a pirate mentality who Jack befriends. * [[Karen Austin]] as Sandy Chester, the wife of Jack. * [[Kerri Green]] as Jennifer Chester, the oldest daughter of Jack and Sandy. * [[Joey Lawrence]] as Bobby Chester, the middle child and only son of Jack and Sandy. * Aubrey Jene as Laurie Chester, the youngest daughter of Jack and Sandy who has a tendency to repeat certain things said by her older siblings. * [[John Larroquette]] as Don Moore, a man who the Chester family befriends. * Tom Blackwell as Gregg Moore, the son of Don who becomes Jennifer's love interest. * [[Richard Herd]] as Angus MacLachlan, a Scottish man who works for Richard. * Santos Morales as Cortez, a Mexican man working for Richard who Al nearly had deported once. * [[Pierrino Mascarino]] as the [[Maître d'hôtel|Maitre'd]] of the seafood restaurant. * Harry Yorku as Yorku, a pirate musician who works for Richard. * [[Lois Hamilton]] as Vicki Sanders, the neighbor of the Chester family's rental that Jack befriends. * [[Carmine Caridi]] as Ed Sanders, the husband of Vicki who is an expert carpenter. * [[Francis Xavier McCarthy|Frank McCarthy]] as Hal, Jack Chester's supervisor at the airport. * [[Bob "Hoolihan" Wells|Bob Wells]] as Stan Greene, an attorney who is Pellet’s co-captain of the ''Incisor''. * [[Dick Anthony Williams]] as Dan Gardner, a man whose house the Chester family unknowingly settle in until he returns home. * Scot Samis as Russ, one of the lifeguards that lives next door to the Chester family's rental. * Roger Perkovich as a fat man who enjoys watching ''The Smurfs''. * [[Murphy Dunne]] as Announcer * [[Leigh French]] as Announcer * [[Reni Santoni]] as Announcer * Jack G. Woods as Regatta Announcer * Bear as Archie (uncredited), a [[St. Bernard (dog)|St. Bernard]]/[[Golden Retriever]] mix owned by the Chester family. }}

==Production== Filming took around nine weeks, from March 18 to May 15, 1985, with principal photography starting in [[St. Petersburg, Florida]], and [[St. Pete Beach, Florida]], on March 18 for seven weeks before moving to Atlanta.<ref name="afi/Catalog/58380">{{cite web| url=https://catalog.afi.com/Catalog/moviedetails/58380| title=Summer Rental (1985)| website=[[American Film Institute]]| access-date=May 26, 2020}}</ref>

The film was based on a summer holiday taken by [[Bernie Brillstein]] when he rented a house at the beach in Southern California. "I have five children and I weigh 240 pounds," said Brillstein. "Being heavy in California is not a terrific thing. Being heavy on the beach is worse. The house on the left was occupied by two elderly sisters, one of whom had a 6-foot-4 inch mentally challenged son who was out of ''[[Arsenic and Old Lace (play)|Arsenic and Old Lace]]''. The house on the right was out of ''[[Death in Venice]]'', occupied by a chic group of homosexuals who had 28 inch waists and wore peach sweaters."<ref name="new">{{cite news| title=At the Movies: A ghostly film that's no 'kiddie movie'| first=Aljean| last=Harmetz| newspaper=The New York Times| date=August 9, 1985| url=https://www.nytimes.com/1985/08/09/movies/at-the-movies.html?searchResultPosition=1| page=C16| url-access=subscription}}</ref>

It became a starring vehicle for John Candy. Director Carl Reiner said "Like a small, beautiful painting in a large frame, John is a handsome guy in a larger frame than is necessary."<ref name="new"/> The film was developed at Paramount by the team of [[Barry Diller]], [[Michael Eisner]] and [[Jeffrey Katzenberg]]. They all ended up leaving the studio before the film was made.<ref name="nytimes/Harmetz/1985/paramount">{{cite news |last=Harmetz |first=Aljean |author-link=Aljean Harmetz |title=Paramount Apoints New Production Chief |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1985/04/16/arts/paramount-appoints-new-production-chief.html |access-date=14 December 2022 |newspaper=The New York Times |date=April 16, 1985| url-access=subscription}}</ref><ref>{{cite news| title=Too Many Movies and Too Few Successes Result in Poor Summer for Film Industry| first=Laura| last=Landro| newspaper=[[The Wall Street Journal]]| date=August 2, 1985| page=15}}</ref> Brillstein expected the film to be cancelled. However, Paramount's new studio president [[Ned Tanen]] greenlit the film. "It was quite a good script, and we had no product," said Tanen. "There was a vacant spot of about six months on our release schedule. When all the geniuses are through, that's as good a reason as any to make a movie."<ref name="new"/>

Candy and Reiner got along so well that they planned to make another film together at Paramount, titled ''The Last Holiday'', but it never was made.<ref name="new"/> In a 1986 interview, Candy stated he was paid $800,000 for the role.<ref>{{cite news| url=https://www.chicagotribune.com/news/ct-xpm-1986-03-30-8601230533-story.html| title=Sour Movies Keep Candy Just Short of Sweet Success| date=March 30, 1986| newspaper=[[Chicago Tribune]]| first=Gene| last=Siskel| author-link=Gene Siskel| access-date=May 10, 2026| url-access=subscription}}</ref>

===Locations=== ''Summer Rental'' was filmed in [[St. Pete Beach]], near St. Petersburg, Florida.<ref name="afi/Catalog/58380"/> Several local landmarks can be seen throughout the movie, including the [[St. Petersburg Pier]] during the final leg of the Regatta. Other landmarks include the old drawbridge on [[U.S. Route 19 in Florida|US19]]/[[Interstate 275 (Florida)|I-275]] north of the old [[Sunshine Skyway]] as well as shots of [[Egmont Key]] in the distance.

The air traffic control, radar room scene was filmed on location at the [[Atlanta Air Route Traffic Control Center|FAA Atlanta Air Route Traffic Control Center (ARTCC ZTL)]] in [[Hampton, Georgia]].<ref name="afi/Catalog/58380"/>

===Music=== In 2014, [[Alan Silvestri]]{{'}}s score was released on a limited edition CD album in Spain by Quartet Records, twinned with his score for the 1987 film ''[[Critical Condition (film)|Critical Condition]]''.<ref name="discogs/7133784">{{cite web |last=Silvestri |first=Alan |author-link=Alan Silvestri |title=Summer Rental / Critical Condition (Original Motion Picture Scores) |url=https://www.discogs.com/release/7133784-Alan-Silvestri-Summer-Rental-Critical-Condition-Original-Motion-Picture-Scores |website=[[Discogs]] |access-date=14 December 2022 |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{cite web| last=Silvestri| first=Alan| title=Critical Condition/Summer Rental special edition| url=https://www.alansilvestri.com/discography-critical-condition-summer-rental-special-edition-97.htm| website=The Film Music of Alan Silvestri| access-date=14 December 2022| language=en}}</ref>

In 2023, the soundtrack was released by 1984 publishing for the first time on gatefold vinyl for [[Record Store Day]], with a limited edition CD version the same year.<ref>{{cite web| url=https://www.1984publishing.com/recordstore/summer-rental-soundtrack-lp-various-colors| title=Summer Rental Soundtrack LP (Various Colors)| website=1984 publishing| access-date=20 August 2024}}</ref>

[[Jimmy Buffett]]'s "Turning Around" plays during the closing credits. It is also played when the Chesters are fixing their boat, the ''Barnacle''. The soundtrack is the only legitimate release of the song.

==Release== ''Summer Rental'' was released in the United States on August 9, 1985, and was Candy's first starring role in a feature film.<ref name="afi/Catalog/58380"/>

===Home media=== The film originally was released in the United States by Paramount on VHS and [[Betamax]] on February 26, 1986, and on LaserDisc on March 21, 1986.<ref>{{cite web |title=VHS - Summer Rental - Paramount - USA |url=https://www.45worlds.com/dvd/disc/03775721785 |access-date=2024-01-25 |website=www.45worlds.com}}</ref> It was released on DVD in April 2001 on widescreen with a theatrical trailer as the sole special feature. It was reissued on DVD three more times.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.blu-ray.com/dvd/Summer-Rental-DVD/35788/ |title=Summer Rental (1985) Blu-ray |website=Blu-ray.com |access-date=May 26, 2020}}</ref> The United Kingdom released it on DVD in 2004 with the same extra feature. The film was released on [[blu-ray]] with a new 4K scan by [[Kino Lorber]] in the United States.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.facebook.com/KinoLorberStudioClassics/photos/coming-soon-on-blu-raybrand-new-hd-master-from-a-4k-scan-of-the-35mm-original-ca/918550350315664/ |title=Kino Lorber Studio Classics |website=Kino Lorber Facebook |access-date=August 20, 2024}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.blu-ray.com/dvd/Summer-Rental-DVD/144258/ |title=Summer Rental (1985) Blu-ray United Kingdom |website=Blu-ray.com |access-date=May 26, 2020}}</ref>

==Reception== ===Box office=== ''Summer Rental'' opened in 1,584 theatres on August 9, 1985, with a domestic total of $24.7 million.<ref name="Summer Rental">{{cite web| url=https://www.boxofficemojo.com/releasegroup/gr2534691333/| title=Summer Rental| website=[[Box Office Mojo]]| access-date=January 14, 2020}}</ref>

In the United States and Canada, it made $5,754,259 in its first weekend, ranking second at the box office. On its second weekend, it grossed $3,708,812 in 1,595 theaters, a 35% decrease over the previous week, ranking sixth. By the third weekend, it made $2.3 million and on its fourth $1.9 million over Labor Day weekend, ranking tenth.<ref name="upi/5938494654400">{{cite news |title='Future' summer champ |url=https://www.upi.com/Archives/1985/09/04/Future-summer-champ/5938494654400/ |access-date=14 December 2022 |work=[[United Press International]] |language=en}}</ref> On the fifth weekend, it made over $1 million for a box-office total of $21,579,838. It made another $2.8 million on its sixth and final weekend, with an increase of 171%, climbing to second place behind ''[[Back to the Future]]''.<ref name="Summer Rental">{{cite web| url=https://www.boxofficemojo.com/releasegroup/gr2534691333/| title=Summer Rental| website=[[Box Office Mojo]]| access-date=January 14, 2020}}</ref>

===Critical response=== [[Janet Maslin]] of ''[[The New York Times]]'' called it "a wan but good-natured hot-weather comedy, with a big debt to ''[[National Lampoon's Vacation]]'' plus a few nice touches of its own."<ref name=maslin9/> ''[[Variety (magazine)|Variety]]'' described the film as "more a collection of bits about taking the family to the shore for the summer than a coherent story" and noted that its appeal lays in John Candy's elevation of certain segments.<ref>{{cite news |date=1985-01-01 |title=Summer Rental |url=https://variety.com/1984/film/reviews/summer-rental-1200426459/ |access-date=2023-09-03 |magazine=Variety |language=en-US}}</ref>

Candy told [[Gene Siskel]] in 1986, "We shot it too fast,...We were trying to fill a time slot for Paramount."<ref name="stpetecatalyst/summer-rental">{{cite web |last=DeYoung |first=Bill |title=John Candy, the beach and 'Summer Rental' |url=https://stpetecatalyst.com/vintage-st-pete-john-candy-the-beach-and-summer-rental/ |website=St Pete Catalyst |access-date=14 December 2022 |date=November 6, 2020}}</ref>

[[Rotten Tomatoes]] gives the film a rating of 19% from 21 reviews.<ref>{{cite web| title=Summer Rental| url=https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/summer_rental| access-date=May 10, 2026| website=Rotten Tomatoes}}</ref>

==References== {{reflist}}

==External links== * {{IMDb title|id=0090098|title=Summer Rental}} * {{AFI film|id=58380|title=Summer Rental}} * {{Mojo title|summerrental|Summer Rental}} * {{cite web|url=https://www.tcm.com/tcmdb/title/4252/summer-rental |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160305043125/http://www.tcm.com/tcmdb/title/4252/Summer-Rental/ |url-status=dead |archive-date=March 5, 2016 |title=Summer Rental |publisher=[[TCM db]] }}

[[Category:1985 films]] [[Category:1985 romantic comedy films]] [[Category:1980s adventure comedy films]] [[Category:American romantic comedy films]] [[Category:1985 English-language films]] [[Category:Films scored by Alan Silvestri]] [[Category:Films about vacationing]] [[Category:Films directed by Carl Reiner]] [[Category:Films set on beaches]] [[Category:Films set in Florida]] [[Category:Films shot in Florida]] [[Category:Films shot in Georgia (U.S. state)]] [[Category:Paramount Pictures films]] [[Category:American adventure comedy films]] [[Category:1985 American films]] [[Category:English-language adventure comedy films]] [[Category:English-language romantic comedy films]] [[Category:Films about landlords]]