Summer Rental

"Life is a beach."

1985 1h 27m EN

😐

6.1

MID

🥫

19%

ROTTEN

😬

METACRITIC

⭐

6.3

IMDB

★6.1TMDB · 245🥫19%Rotten Tomatoes●38Metacritic★6.3IMDB · 18,832

Comedy

Synopsis

Spoiler shield

Jack Chester, an overworked air traffic controller, takes his family on vacation to the beach. Things immediately start to go wrong for the Chesters, and steadily get worse. Jack ends up in a feud with a local yachtsman, and has to race him to regain his pride and family's respect.

“Life is a beach.”

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Where to watch · US

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Cast

John Candy
Jack Chester
Richard Crenna
Al Pellet
Rip Torn
Scully
Karen Austin
Sandy Chester
Kerri Green
Jennifer Chester
John Larroquette
Don Moore
Joey Lawrence
Bobby Chester
Aubrey Jene
Laurie Chester

Credits

Behind the camera

Director: Carl Reiner
Writers: Mark Reisman, Jeremy Stevens
Languages: English
Countries: United States of America

Want more? Switch to Cinephile mode in the header for DP, composer, budget, box office, production companies, keywords, and release history.

Did you know?

Fun facts 🍿

1 / 8

RUNTIME

Did you know

87 minutes exactly — the "classic feature" runtime most directors aim for.

MoodPlayr · trivia#01

2 / 8

ERA

Did you know

41 years old — old enough to be someone's favourite childhood film.

MoodPlayr · trivia#02

3 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Directed by Carl Reiner, shot by Ric Waite. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.

MoodPlayr · trivia#03

4 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Original score by Alan Silvestri. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.

MoodPlayr · trivia#04

5 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Editor Bud Molin shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.

MoodPlayr · trivia#05

6 / 8

CAST

Did you know

John Candy and Richard Crenna and Rip Torn carry the top of the cast.

MoodPlayr · trivia#06

7 / 8

FACT

Did you know

Marketing tagline: "Life is a beach.".

MoodPlayr · trivia#07

8 / 8

WILD

Did you know

IMDB entry: tt0090098 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.

MoodPlayr · trivia#08

Cinephile deep dive

The take

Carl Reiner directs. Ric Waite behind the camera. Alan Silvestri scores. Bud Molin cuts. Runs lean at under 100 minutes. Produced in United States of America. Dialogue in English.

Trivia

Things worth knowing

187 minutes exactly — the "classic feature" runtime most directors aim for.
241 years old — old enough to be someone's favourite childhood film.
3Directed by Carl Reiner, shot by Ric Waite. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.
4Original score by Alan Silvestri. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.
5Editor Bud Molin shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.
6John Candy and Richard Crenna and Rip Torn carry the top of the cast.
7Marketing tagline: "Life is a beach.".
8IMDB entry: tt0090098 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.