Good afternoon, Arrowheads! Today I have a very special treat for y’all: a review for a Christian movie to release on June 29th, Summer of ’67! Written and directed by Sharon Wilharm, the film is based on real-life events and focuses on the lives of three women in the late 1960s as their sweethearts are fighting in the Vietnam War. This movie was an absolute pleasure to watch, so without further ado, let’s turn back time and visit the Summer of ’67!

Summer of ’67 is a film based on real life events, focusing on the lives of three women: Milly, Kate, and Ruby Mae, as they face their love interests leaving their hometown to fight in the Vietnam War. The story begins in 1965 with Milly and her new husband, Gerald, getting married and having to live with Gerald’s unsatisfiable mother, much to Milly’s dismay. Because he can’t find a better job until he finishes his service, Gerald decides to enlist not long after their first child is born, leaving behind his son and wife who has just discovered she’s pregnant for the second time.

At Milly and Gerald’s wedding reception, Kate met Gerald’s younger cousin, Peter, who had just moved to town. Peter has hopes of enlisting after he graduates, while Kate despises war. The two end up dating, and Gerald reveals that Peter enlisted without telling Kate, creating a rift in their relationship. After he leaves for his tour, Kate experiments with the hippie lifestyle as an act of rebellion.

Ruby Mae is the housekeeper for Milly and Kate and is strong in her faith. She has hopes that she’ll find love of her own one day, and then meets Reggie, a man who cleans the church she attends. Their relationship is love-at-first sight, although their romance is cut short when Reggie reveals he’s been drafted.

Whose, if any, relationship will survive the war?

For fear of spoilers, I won’t reveal anything else about the plotline. Instead, I’ll overview the positive and negative points from the film:

Positives:

• The Characters: The acting was first-rate and believable. I think both Milly, her mother-in-law, and Ruby Mae had the best characterization, as their personalities really shined through. You’ll root for sweet Ruby Mae and love to dislike Milly’s hateful mother-in-law. The dialogue was also expertly written and helped accurately portray the emotions the characters were experiencing.
• The Time Period: As far as I can tell, the time period is portrayed with spot-on accuracy. It was fun to see all the 1960s décor and watch how the Vietnam War impacted both young and old. I also liked how the film portrayed both the war from the hippies’ perspective and that of the soldiers who received backlash from participating.
• Faith Content: I adored the fact that the characters, despite their circumstances and all the hardships they suffer, always remind one another that God is in control and to not lose their faith. Clinging to their faith in the midst of all they go through in the movie portrays a powerful message of God’s faithfulness and promise that all will be healed in His time.

Negative:

• The Audio: The only negative aspect I found in Summer of ’67 was that at times the music was louder than the dialogue and it was hard to hear what the characters were saying. However, I did watch the movie on my laptop, so I’m not sure if it was just the lack of good speakers causing this or not. This may not occur on other media players.

Overall, I’m meriting Summer of ’67 4.5 stars. I’d like to thank the writer and director for the film for providing me with a private screening link for review purposes. A positive review was not required for the screening link access; the thoughts in this review are all my own and I highly recommend checking out the movie! The film will be released in Nashville the week of June 29^th.

Want to Learn More? Click here to watch the Trailer! 

Summer of ’67 Social Media:

Website | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | Pinterest

What are some of your favorite Christian movies? I’d love to hear from y’all! 🙂

-Allyson 😀