Vicente (rapper Residente, i.e. René Pérez Joglar), lives in Las Cruces, New Mexico, and his daughters, Violeta and Eva, who usually live with their mother in California, visit him over the course of four summers with different actors playing his children in each section. “In the Summers” (2024) charts the growth of each individual and the health of their relationships Even if a little predictable, Columbian-American queer writer and director Alessandra Lacorazza’s feature debut is a poignant, riveting autofiction story that shows and does not tell audiences how its flawed, human characters feel, and it is impossible not to let it emotionally affect you.
I wanted to watch “In the Summers” long before its theatrical release but was never in the mood for another inevitable sad daddy daughter movie. It is a thread that invades every aspect of life. Even when the portrait is critically acclaimed, it still feels like a waste of time because it is so omnipresent. Also the film has to balance treating the father like a human being, not demonizing him, without excusing and minimizing the deleterious effect on his children. Lacorazza does so by focusing on environmental and personality details.
In the first section, Dreya Castillo as the youngest version of Violeta denotes her character’s personality in the way that she stands back, holds herself apart, is ready to spring into fight whereas Luciana Elisa Quinonez as the youngest version of Eva, the younger of the two sisters, is still a kid and just thrilled to be there without being guarded or concerned. Lacorazza opens with Vicente eager to meet them, preparing and waiting on them. This guy presents as a good, intelligent and patient father albeit he goes a little hard as the overcompensating fun dad, but he is also patient and gentle when Violeta makes a mess during a cooking lesson, which is pivotal in the final act. Violeta is also developing into her own person independent of her parents’ influence so when Vincente introduces his daughters to Carmen (Emma Ramos), a short-haired childhood friend, representation matters, and under her father’s roof, she feels comfortable enough to express her identity in ways that she could not at home. Vicente’s home is geared for children, especially the pool. This trip is more about serving them than assuaging Vicente’s feelings until an innocuous moment with a stranger unleashes another side of Vicente. He gets verbally hostile with women, who seem to be his triggers regardless of their intention and make him feel attacked as a parent—not a good portend for two young girls who will inevitably grow up.
During the subsequent sections, ask yourself who is waiting, who is giving the presents, what is the state of the house, is it appropriate for children, what does Vicente get angry about, where does he direct his anger, how long does Vicente’s bad moods last, whose comfort is prioritized, whose discomfort is permissible if it brings another comfort, are the activities age appropriate and safe? Who are these visits for? Of course, “In the Summers” is not just a father daughter movie, but about the two sisters. Eva is clearly feminine whereas Violeta is not. The time around the pool and other barren places that they transform into playgrounds brings them together so when there is a fork in the road in terms of the direction that they will go, Eva’s insistence on joining Violeta and sharing the responsibility during her first act of identity building is a wordless act of acceptance and love that should not be taken for granted as a given. Eva could have teased her sister for being different or just continued to do her own thing, but she engages. Even as the ties with their father frays, their bonds to each other strengthens, which makes the movie innovative—sisters who mostly do not fight, and whose relationship grows stronger as their father falls apart.
Shout out to Kimaya Thais who plays Violeta in the second act and gets her first crush. She reminds me of a sweeter, more innocent yet charming Julian Dennison as she instinctually gravitates towards Camila (Gabriella Surojawan). The second act is a crucial turning point for Violeta and Eva. For Violeta, it is a declaration of independence, and for Eva, it is a moment when she freezes. In many ways, Eva is punished for being a cis woman and looking like her mom even though she is a sweet, obedient kid who openly loves her daddy. Violeta can openly be rebellious, aggressive and defiant in ways that are unavailable to Eva who is still trying to follow rules. There is a nighttime scene that does not translate well to a smaller screen and appears inscrutable.
The third act holds a lot of unexpected moments in terms of family composition and what lessons are derived through adulthood about being the kind of a woman who gets attention from Vicente and thus men. It is the most heartbreaking section of “In the Summers” because it includes a moment meant to be consoling but may be the start of a lifetime of alcoholism or self-medicating through observing and modeling Vicente’s behavior and being in spaces not meant for children. This section may prove hard to watch because of the layers of child neglect that unfolds in a short amount of time. At this point, viewers will want to call their off-screen Mom and tell her to stop sending her babies to that man.
If you can hang in there, the final act is less unremitting and occurs when they are adults. Vicente’s influence, good and bad, shows up in unexpected ways in the adult daughters. Eva (Sasha Calle who plays Supergirl in “The Flash” and is not the only actor in the movie with ties to the DCU) is a skater girl who is emotionally distant with everyone but Violeta (Lio Mehiel, who is just as riveting as they were in “Mutt”), who is comfortable with being awkward but has also lost an ability to connect on a more meaningful level with others. The unanswered question is whether Vicente went through a temporary rough patch or if he is the kind of parent who is only comfortable with young children who love without condition, i.e. accountability. He is eager for a second chance, but the visiting pair find a way to be with him and not make themselves vulnerable to his mood. There is a barrier that none of them want, and the less wounded of the sisters is the one who learned the value of distance earlier and has the capacity to act as the intermediary and peacemaker. It is also amazing how a phrase’s intention lands so different for the listener, and even a good time can wound.
Lacorazza’s use of blue as a symbol of an unsustainable dollop of heaven on Earth is just one of the ways that she conveys moments of safety and love for the camera: Carmen’s car, sledding on sand dunes, the sky over manmade spaces that seem otherwise barren. Between the pitch perfect ensemble cast, especially the girls and women who acted as one person in a way that most media fails to do with the exception of “This Is Us,” and Lacorazza’s willingness to pour her heart and soul into her first film, “In the Summers” finds a way to make a well worn story feel fresh.
