Topic summary

Summer of Sam

Summer of Sam

Summer of Sam is a 1999 American historicalcrime drama film directed and co-produced by Spike Lee, co-written by Lee, Michael Imperioli, and Victor Colicchio, and starring John Leguizamo, Adrien Brody, and Mira Sorvino, with Michael Rispoli, Bebe Neuwirth, Patti LuPone, Anthony LaPaglia, and Ben Gazzara appear in supporting roles. Set in the Bronx in 1977, the film follows a group of residents in an Italian-American neighborhood whose lives are impacted by the serial murders committed by David Berkowitz. The murder investigation and other contemporary events, such as the New York City blackout of 1977 and the New York Yankees' winning season, provide a backdrop to the narrative.

Principal photography of Summer of Sam took place in 1998 on location in the Bronx borough of New York City.

Summer of Sam premiered at Cannes on May 20, 1999 before being released by Buena Vista Pictures Distribution in the United States on July 2, 1999. The film was a box-office disappointment, grossing $19.3 million against a $22 million budget.