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Summer Rental

  • 1985
  • PG
  • 1h 27m
IMDb RATING
6.3/10
19K
YOUR RATING
POPULARITY
3,734
3,921
John Candy in Summer Rental (1985)
Official Trailer
Play trailer1:25
1 Video
86 Photos
Quirky ComedySlapstickComedy

An overworked air-traffic controller takes his family on a beach vacation but is soon beset by series of mishaps.An overworked air-traffic controller takes his family on a beach vacation but is soon beset by series of mishaps.An overworked air-traffic controller takes his family on a beach vacation but is soon beset by series of mishaps.

  • Director
    • Carl Reiner
  • Writers
    • Jeremy Stevens
    • Mark Reisman
  • Stars
    • John Candy
    • Richard Crenna
    • Rip Torn
  • See production info at IMDbPro
  • IMDb RATING
    6.3/10
    19K
    YOUR RATING
    POPULARITY
    3,734
    3,921
    • Director
      • Carl Reiner
    • Writers
      • Jeremy Stevens
      • Mark Reisman
    • Stars
      • John Candy
      • Richard Crenna
      • Rip Torn
    • 63User reviews
    • 29Critic reviews
    • 38Metascore
  • See production info at IMDbPro
    • Awards
      • 3 nominations total

    Videos1

    Summer Rental
    Trailer 1:25
    Summer Rental

    Photos86

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    Top cast59

    Edit
    John Candy
    John Candy
    • Jack Chester
    Richard Crenna
    Richard Crenna
    • Al Pellet
    Rip Torn
    Rip Torn
    • Scully
    Karen Austin
    Karen Austin
    • Sandy Chester
    Kerri Green
    Kerri Green
    • Jennifer Chester
    Joey Lawrence
    Joey Lawrence
    • Bobby Chester
    Aubrey Jene
    • Laurie Chester
    John Larroquette
    John Larroquette
    • Don Moore
    Richard Herd
    Richard Herd
    • Angus MacLachlan
    Santos Morales
    • Cortez
    Lois Hamilton
    Lois Hamilton
    • Vicki
    Carmine Caridi
    Carmine Caridi
    • Ed
    Francis X. McCarthy
    Francis X. McCarthy
    • Hal
    • (as Frank McCarthy)
    Pierrino Mascarino
    Pierrino Mascarino
    • Maitre D'
    Harry Yorku
    • Pirate Musician
    Dick Anthony Williams
    Dick Anthony Williams
    • Dan Gardner
    Bob Wells
    Bob Wells
    • Stan Greene
    Scot Samis
    • Russ
    • Director
      • Carl Reiner
    • Writers
      • Jeremy Stevens
      • Mark Reisman
    • All cast & crew
    • Production, box office & more at IMDbPro

    User reviews63

    6.319.3K
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    Featured reviews

    dtucker86

    Long live the Candyman!!

    John Candy stands alone as one of our true comic geniuses. I was so saddened when he passed away so young. He left the world a truly sadder place. We were all robbed of a priceless national treasure. This man was a true comic giant, but he was also a fine actor. He made you CARE about the characters that he played. John reminded me of Charlie Chaplain in so many ways. Chaplain could make an audience laugh and cry without using one single word. John Candy did that in Planes Trains And Automobiles and it was one of the finest acting jobs that I have ever seen in a movie. Lee Strassburg would have been so proud. Its in the scene where Steve Martin bawls him out in a motel room, he tells him basically what a pain in the ass he is. There is a hurt look on John's face that I will never forget as long as I live. He made you FEEL the hurt and the pain in his heart. John Candy lost his father at an early age and was haunted by that death all of his life. I guess it is true that some of our greatest comics have tears in their hearts. In Summer Rental John gives what I would consider one of his "typical" performances. He is a loving family man who just decides to get away from it all. Richard Crenna and Rip Torn are both wonderful character actors and both give Candy able support. I can tell that everyone who made this film had a ball doing it. It sure comes through in the finished product. Carl Reiner is a true giant of comedy and I am so glad that he directed this film. He and Candy worked so well that it is a shame that they never made another film together. This is one of those films that doesn't carry an important social message, the idea is that you should just leave your brain and social conscience at the door of the cinema and just relax and have a good time watching a true comic giant at work. I truly believe in my heart that John was one of God's gifts who was put here to make us laugh. Considering the current state of our world and the current state of "comedy", almost 10 years after his untimely death, I think we need John Candy now more then ever before.
    7Ed-Shullivan

    Boy do I really miss John Candy films. RIP John, you were on top of the comedy world when we lost you prematurely

    The world is a happier place with a John Candy film to watch, and still after decades he continues to entertain us even with a mediocre story line such as summer rental.

    John Candy is the embodiment of the complete comedian, his delivery is second to no one, his physical comedy makes us want to reach out and hug him, and his one liners deliver that "Gotcha'" moment every time.

    Summer Rental is a film I have seen several times now and anyone over the age of 12 can enjoy the story line of the lovable underdog coming out victorious over the big and rich bully played perfectly by Richard Crenna. Adding to the films entertainment is the versatile actor Rip Torn who plays Scully the sea captain who is the owner of a rundown restaurant and a fleet of broken down sailboats.

    This is a simple story line, easy to follow for even a 12 year old, with the inspirational Chester family played by John Candy, Karen Austin, and their two children played by Kerri Green and Joey Lawrence who find a way to come together as a tight knit family beginning with their adventure on the high seas in the regatta against the wealthy Richard Crenna.

    As in any John Candy film there are scenes he steals that are both memorable and unfortunately knowing there will be no more John Candy films. RIP John.

    I give it a 7 out of 10 IMDb rating.
    cjewell1

    Classic Early John Candy

    I thoroughly enjoy watching this movie every time they show it on Comedy Central or USA or TNT. This movie is classic John Candy all the way. Candy has scenes, no matter how many I times I watch, that make me laugh so hard I fall from my chair. Like when he kicks all the people out of his house wielding a crutch. Sure the story may be weak and a little corny with the whole boat race but it ranks up there among my favorites.

    It has some other memorable moments including Rip Torn's character of Scully. My of my favorite parts is when he is teaching Jack (played by Candy) to sail. They are on the boat late at night and they are both drunk. Scully announces to jack, "Here's and little ditty me mother used to sing to me", at which point he breaks into "The Theme from Love Boat" and Jack joins in with him. And then there is the scenes between Scully and Angus when Scully refers to Angus as a "dumb Swede" even though he is a Scot.

    It is a good rainy day rental.
    8utahdesertkat

    Good, clean, family fun ...

    John Candy's wit and humor shines through as Jack Chester, the over worked air traffic controller who reluctantly takes a vacation to the beach with his family. The laughs keep coming as Jack and his family spend the summer at the beach with many mishaps occurring throughout the movie. The movie is about family and new friends pulling together, working side by side, believing in a dream and achieving an impossible goal. We've watched this movie many times, but we still laugh and feel good when the movie ends. The standing joke at our home, when we eat dinner out at a restaurant that passes off breaded fish as an expensive seafood item with a fancy name, is "Look - it's Scully's Catch of the day"! This movie is good, clean, family fun - entertainment for the entire family!
    6CuriosityKilledShawn

    Feels like something's been cut out

    At 86 minutes and half a dozen subplots not being wrapped up or developed in any way at all. For example the subplot involving John Laroquette is never given the chance to become anything. His whole presence in the movie is totally pointless and I suspect there was a whole 'Candy's wife may be cheating on him' plot that was cut out because it just too similar Chase/D'Angelo in Vacation.

    We never know what happens to Richard Crenna or Rip Torn after the Regatta and we never know how the rest of the Summer Rental went. It's like the writers knew there was no plot, chucked in this Regatta crap and thought that would be a good place to end the film when it's over. And what was wrong with the popcorn Candy and Crenna eat? I found that pretty weird.

    Although I have already made comparisons to Vacation I still feel like this film is good enough without being a copycat movie. It's seems more realistic and doesn't have any slapstick humor. Candy feels more like a real guy who needs a real vacation. We want him to relax but still can't help laughing when everything goes wrong. My fave scene is when he returns home to find it transformed into some kind of free-for-all Funhouse.

    But for a film set in Florida there is a huge lack of nice scenery and the photography isn't so cool. I wonder why Kerri Green (who starred in The Goonies the same year) never made another mainstream movie tho. Joey Laurence did so why not her?

    If you like comedies, but hate the scatological humor that most present day comedies have, then this is a good enough escape. I miss John Candy and wish he made more movies before he died.

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    Storyline

    Edit

    Did you know

    Edit
    • Trivia
      This was one of three John Candy films released during the "Summer" of 1985. The others were Volunteers (1985), where Candy re-teamed with Splash (1984) co-star Tom Hanks, and Brewster's Millions (1985), which starred Richard Pryor.
    • Goofs
      When Richard Crenna's character, Al Pellet, buys the house that John Candy's character is renting for the summer he tears up Candy's check and says "I want you and your entire family out by Saturday, Midnight, or else...". When purchasing a property with a renter who has a legal contract, the purchaser of that property is legally obligated to honor all current rental/lease contracts. In this situation Pellet's only option is to honor the summer rental contract. Otherwise, he would be subject to legal action.
    • Quotes

      Jack Chester: Get the hell out of here now!

      Fat Man: You get out of here fella. I'm trying to watch the Smurfs.

      Jack Chester: You're trying to watch the Smurfs?

      Fat Man: Yeah.

      Jack Chester: Did you see the one where Papa Smurf took a crutch and smashed the shit out of a guy with a red hat? Did you see that one? You want to see that one?

      [Fat Man runs away]

    • Crazy credits
      Pictures of the family are shown during end credits
    • Alternate versions
      There are many scenes that were cut from the movie that mostly dealt with the development of John Candy's character and the family before the vacation. There is about 5 minutes snipped out of the first 15-20 min of the film. They include:
      • Jack Chester pulling over to the side of the highway, telling the kids that the car is not moving until he has five seconds of silence.
      • Also on the way to Citrus Cove, Florida, they get fast food. The dog farts at this time, causing the family to stick their heads out the window.
      • When they arrive at the "wrong" house, they shows snips here and there through the course of their stay of Archie "the dog" chewing the leg off the couch.
      • Then, after Jack Chester unloads the trailer, there is another deleted scene involving Bobby and Jennifer about who gets the color TV.
      • Also, before they leave the house, Dan Gardner, "the owner" of the wrong house, they are staying at tells them that it is their house and not the Chesters', you see both of their expressions as to what they are felling at that moment when he and Jack Chester are in disagreement.
      • When the family leaves to go to the right house, Jack Chester says, "Have a nice summer". Following that, the two owners that own the house laugh and the couch breaks (a result of Archie's gnawing on the couch leg) and they fall backwards.
      • Finally, the scene where they arrive at the Barnacle for their dinner, there is a scene added to fill in for the edited scene where Laurie says, "This place sucks," instead of showing that they added a very brief scene of Rip Torn's character "Scully" approaching their table.
    • Connections
      Featured in The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson: Carl Reiner/George Miller/Teresa Ganzel (1985)
    • Soundtracks
      Turning Around
      Written by Jimmy Buffett, Mike Utley & Will Jennings

      Performed by Jimmy Buffett

      Courtesy of MCA Records, Inc.

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    FAQ18

    • How long is Summer Rental?Powered by Alexa

    Details

    Edit
    • Release date
      • August 9, 1985 (United States)
    • Country of origin
      • United States
    • Languages
      • English
      • Spanish
    • Also known as
      • ¡Malditas vacaciones!
    • Filming locations
      • John's Pass, Florida, USA
    • Production companies
      • Brillstein Company
      • Paramount Pictures
      • St. Petersburg Clearwater Film Commission
    • See more company credits at IMDbPro

    Box office

    Edit
    • Gross US & Canada
      • $24,689,703
    • Opening weekend US & Canada
      • $5,754,259
      • Aug 11, 1985
    • Gross worldwide
      • $24,689,703
    See detailed box office info on IMDbPro

    Tech specs

    Edit
    • Runtime
      1 hour 27 minutes
    • Color
      • Color
    • Sound mix
      • Mono
    • Aspect ratio
      • 1.85 : 1

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