Written and directed by Kenneth R. Frank, thirteen-year-old Grace confronts her own mortality as her family spends summer at her grandfather’s house during his illness. Starring: Raquel Sciacca, Dawson Sciacca, Christina Elise Perry, Chris Mollica, Jerry Colpitts, Paolo Kossi, Lydia Gladstone, Ryan Umbarila and Didrianna Foreman.
With coming-of-age films today, there tends to be a lot of focus on discomfort and awkwardness, or even heavily leaning on a cringeworthy feel, to highlight the difficult experience of adolescence but refreshingly, Kenneth R. Frank goes the old-school route. Frank creates a wholesome, quiet, humble style, which throws it back to classic film while not losing its grasp on the present. A key example of how he achieves that style is the very noticeable lack of technology, which is a rare find these days and great to see, as it does allow the film to remain more grounded and focused. Staying away from that over-used teen angst but still keeping in enough of the awkwardness.
There’s an old-fashioned simplicity to the way that How I Spent My Summer Vacation moves, which to avoid any confusion, is absolutely a compliment. It creates the space for an atmosphere which is earnest and sweet, and for it to genuinely feel like it’s coming from the perspective of its leading lady, Raquel Sciacca’s Grace. Keeping things more contained and minimal gives it that feel of youth, there’s a dash of curiosity and Frank does a great job of capturing the fluidity and fragility of that age. How easily things can change as they take in the influences of their environment.
It was an interesting choice to have Grace fixated on her health to flow nicely into the story of her ailing grandfather. Young people can become dangerously obsessed, so giving her the opportunity to face those ideas of illness and mortality, at the perfect time to resolve her fears and neuroses was a really great foundation for the story. One of the reasons why it works so well is it doesn’t try to unnecessarily intensify itself, to stereotypically throw dangers her way to force her to face her fears, they’re dealt with naturally and calmly. While still allowing her to have moments of anxiety and irrational panic. It’s another lovely example of Frank’s humble style.
Part of making that style convincing is the performances and thankfully, Raquel Sciacca and Dawson Sciacca were very well cast. Obviously, part of that being that their chemistry as real life siblings definitely helped bring their characters to life. They’re sweet to watch together and they capture that mix of love and irritation that any brother-sister relationship has. Raquel as Grace portrays her intelligence, curiosity and capability, in spite of her fears, and she leads How I Spent My Summer Vacation impressively, as she’s consistent and engaging throughout.
Dawson as Richie is a mix of adorable and sad, he’s a great character and demonstrates how aware children can be of the impression others are taking from them, causing insecurities and confusion. There are some really lovely moments where Grace helps Richie with his self-confidence. Paolo Kossi is another highlight, the relationship that he builds with the children as their uncle is surprisingly touching. How they recognise his uncertainty of his own future while dealing with his father’s illness is captivating to watch. He brings a charming, relaxed and generous personality, very similar to Chris Mollica’s Tom who personifies a fairly ideal dad character. Having that mutual respect with your kids, yet pushing them in the right direction when needed, being such a calm, supportive presence.
Although, there is the occasional bit of dialogue that misses the mark on the kids’ young ages, feeling a touch too mature. The score can be heavy-handed, lacking a smoother finish. The visual can also feel as though it needed to step back a little bit, leaning on the contrast heavily at times. There are some rough edges here and there but they’re very minimal issues.
How I Spent My Summer Vacation is a sweet, charming, humble coming-of-age tale. Taking things back to a simpler style, focusing on the character without as much outside influence, letting it flow naturally and earnestly. It’s a refreshing change of pace, having Raquel Sciacca as the lead was a great piece of casting, she gives an engaging and convincing portrayal. It’s wholesome and really taps into that classic family feel, something you don’t often find these days.
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