Last Summer in the Hamptons is the eleventh feature by the director whose ironic and deeply human view of life was previously seen in films like Can She Bake a Cherry Pie and Sitting Ducks. This film is an amusing comedy of manners in the spirit of Chekhov, Renoir and Woody Allen, that is carried by a large group of actors who manage to present playful, eccentric roles. The story is set on a luxury rural estate in East Hampton, where three generations of a large self- satisfied theatre family is led by the strong matriarch Helena. The group, more a commune than a biological family, mobilises its joint creative energy for the annual summer production, that is about to take place for the last time, because economic conditions force Helena to sell the cherished property. Several comic situations result from the unannounced arrival of Oona, a young Hollywood star who is far from popular with the rest of the family. Oona is a beautiful yet pretty naïve and insecure actress who is in the midst of a personal and professional crisis. She is intrigued by the magic of – live – theatre and wants to become a serious, even legendary actress. The group of relatives and friends sees everything unfold with trepidation. Much of the film consists of intimate encounters in which the characters bare their hearts and reveal their dreams and frustrations. The actors play their characters with a big wink at their own careers and background.
