Parents' Guide to Summer '03

This nostalgic coming-of-age comedy is quite funny and well cast, and freshman writer-director Becca Gleason has a knack for evocative images and details. Summer '03 revels in the humor of inappropriateness, starting with Grandma's sweetly intoned parting shots involving anti-Semitism, homophobia, insensitively revealed secrets, and what amounts to a sexual dare to a 16-year-old girl. Yes, it's a comedy. And we watch Jamie grow up, one mistake at a time. We cringe at her poor choices and stumbles, but Gleason and King make each one understandable. The film feels rooted in a specific time and place. Gleason and cinematographer Ben Hardwicke catch moments that seem stolen from memory, such as a dark-night ride on the back of a bike or seconds of peace below the surface of a pool. That solid footing in reality makes the film's more farcical elements play even more effectively.

The cast is well chosen, with Oscar nominee Squibb sprinkling just enough sugar on her poison and Ruffin effective as the nice guy we're hoping isn't doomed to finish last. And it's a delightful showcase for veteran actress Andrea Savage as Jamie's put-upon, self-medicating mother. In one of her best roles so far, Savage steals scenes with her wine-drinking, still-caring incredulity as simply ridiculous things happen to her family. Jamie, meanwhile, has her misadventures. But, refreshingly, they're not the end of the world for this teenage girl who's just figuring it all out. Smarter and more heartfelt than the average teen sex comedy, Summer '03 is a promising feature debut for Gleason.