''Summer Solstice'' tells a story set in coastal

Maine Maine () is a state in the New England and Northeastern regions of the United States. It borders New Hampshire to the west, the Gulf of Maine to the southeast, and the Canadian provinces of New Brunswick and Quebec to the northeast and ...

, a reflective

coming-of-age Coming of age is a young person's transition from being a child to being an adult. The specific age at which this transition takes place varies between societies, as does the nature of the change. It can be a simple legal convention or can ...

tale starring George Fivas as Joshua Ballard, a brilliant but aimless and misunderstood college student who finds solace in composing music and writing. But when his anguished state of mind leads him to cross paths with contemplative lighthouse keeper Seth Arden (

Joe Estevez Joseph Estévez (born February 13, 1946) is an American actor and director. He is the younger brother of actor Martin Sheen and the uncle of Emilio Estevez, Charlie Sheen, Renée Estevez, and Ramon Estevez. Life and career Early life Estevez ...

) and his niece Andrea Bettencourt (Brook Jenell Slack, voiced Jelly Otter in

Disney The Walt Disney Company, commonly known as Disney (), is an American multinational mass media and entertainment conglomerate headquartered at the Walt Disney Studios complex in Burbank, California. Disney was originally founded on October ...

's ''

PB&J Otter ''PB&J Otter'' is an American animated musical television series. It premiered on Disney Channel's preschool block (Playhouse Disney) on March 15, 1998. A total of 65 episodes were produced during the course of its three-season run, with the fina ...

'' from 1998 to 2000), the encounter leads Joshua to transcend a personal crisis through an odyssey of self-discovery, and accept the compassion of his friends, old and new, which ultimately saves his life.

Academy Award The Academy Awards, better known as the Oscars, are awards for artistic and technical merit for the American and international film industry. The awards are regarded by many as the most prestigious, significant awards in the entertainment ind ...

nominee and Golden Globe winner

Karen Black Karen Blanche Black (née Ziegler; July 1, 1939 – August 8, 2013) was an American actress, screenwriter, singer, and songwriter. She rose to prominence for her work in various studio and independent films in the 1970s, frequently portrayi ...

(''

Five Easy Pieces ''Five Easy Pieces'' is a 1970 American drama film directed by Bob Rafelson, written by Carole Eastman (as Adrien Joyce) and Rafelson, and starring Jack Nicholson, Karen Black, Susan Anspach, Lois Smith, and Ralph Waite. The film tells the s ...

'' and ''

The Great Gatsby ''The Great Gatsby'' is a 1925 novel by American writer F. Scott Fitzgerald. Set in the Jazz Age on Long Island, near New York City, the novel depicts first-person narrator Nick Carraway's interactions with mysterious millionaire Jay Gatsby ...

'') plays a stern university professor. Joshua's college friends are played by Lindsay Pulsipher ( HBO's ''

True Blood ''True Blood'' is an American fantasy horror drama television series produced and created by Alan Ball. It is based on '' The Southern Vampire Mysteries'', a series of novels by Charlaine Harris. A reboot is currently in development. The ser ...

'', A&E's '' The Beast'') and Nathan Rollins. The screenplay is based on a story by playwright, composer,

physicist A physicist is a scientist who specializes in the field of physics, which encompasses the interactions of matter and energy at all length and time scales in the physical universe. Physicists generally are interested in the root or ultimate cau ...

, and

mathematician A mathematician is someone who uses an extensive knowledge of mathematics in their work, typically to solve mathematical problems. Mathematicians are concerned with numbers, data, quantity, structure, space, models, and change. History On ...

Jeffrey Gold. The film features the lighthouse

Pemaquid Point Light The Pemaquid Point Light is a historic U.S. lighthouse located in Bristol, Lincoln County, Maine, at the tip of the Pemaquid Neck. History The lighthouse was commissioned in 1827 by President John Quincy Adams and built that year. Because of po ...

and surrounding coastal areas and towns of

and music by popular

native,

Tim Janis Tim Janis is an American composer with 10 ''Billboard'' charting CDs, over one million albums sold, five television specials, and a constant touring presence. Career On 30 November 2012, Janis produced "The American Christmas Carol" concert f ...

(known for his numerous specials on the American Public Broadcasting Service). The film was directed by George Fivas, a published scientist and a founder of the

jazz Jazz is a music genre that originated in the African-American communities of New Orleans, Louisiana in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, with its roots in blues and ragtime. Since the 1920s Jazz Age, it has been recognized as a m ...

and

popular music Popular music is music with wide appeal that is typically distributed to large audiences through the music industry. These forms and styles can be enjoyed and performed by people with little or no musical training.Popular Music. (2015). ''Fu ...

group, Apollo.

Releases

After a limited theatrical release in 2005 (notably, during which time, the film played at the historic

Waldo Theatre The Waldo Theatre is a historic movie theater and performance venue at 916 Main Street in Waldoboro, Maine. Built in 1936 as a movie theater to a design by New York City architect Benjamin Schlanger, it was hailed at the time as one of the best- ...

located in the region featured in the film), Echelon Entertainment released the film on DVD, as of 2010, under the label: Singa Home Entertainment. It was later released by

Netflix Netflix, Inc. is an American subscription video on-demand over-the-top streaming service and production company based in Los Gatos, California. Founded in 1997 by Reed Hastings and Marc Randolph in Scotts Valley, California, it offers a fi ...

in 2006. In 2010, it was officially selected for the newly expanding Columbia Gorge International Film Festival held in

Vancouver, Washington Vancouver is a city on the north bank of the Columbia River in the U.S. state of Washington, located in Clark County. Incorporated in 1857, Vancouver has a population of 190,915 as of the 2020 census, making it the fourth-largest city in Was ...

. Because it was the film's first screening in a film festival, it was considered a world premiere and won the Best World Premiere Excellence in Filmmaking Award.

Awards

Best World Premiere Excellence in Filmmaking Award, Columbia Gorge International Film Festival, Vancouver, Washington, USA, 2010

Historic crossroads

The lighthouse at Pemaquid Point, prominently featured in this film (

), is the lighthouse featured on the

State Quarter of 2003, and is a popular U.S.

National Historic Landmark A National Historic Landmark (NHL) is a building, district, object, site, or structure that is officially recognized by the United States government for its outstanding historical significance. Only some 2,500 (~3%) of over 90,000 places listed ...

among many artists and lighthouse enthusiasts.

Reviews

Critical and public reviews of this film seem to be generally positive, but have ranged across the board, from very negative to very positive to often mostly positive, but mixed. Some reviews have cited production shortfalls from apparent budget limitations and minor storytelling flaws, but have praised the film's sincere portrayals, heartfelt themes, scenic landscapes, and the beauty of

' music.

References

External links

*
The official ''Summer Solstice'' website
{{Webarchive, url=https://archive.today/20120718161817/http://rsvpapollo.com/summersolstice.html , date=18 July 2012 2003 films 2003 romantic drama films American independent films American romantic drama films American coming-of-age films Films about suicide Films about writers Films about music and musicians Films about mathematics Films set in Maine Films shot in Maine Films shot in Utah Seafaring films Films about rebels Films set in lighthouses 2000s English-language films 2000s American films