Last Summer In The Hamptons (1995)

Three generations of a large theatrical family come together for one last weekend at their East Hampton family estate when the matriarch (Viveca Lindfors) decides to sell it because they can no longer afford to keep it. A popular Hollywood actress (Victoria Foyt) manages to snag an invitation and proceeds to use the weekend to further her career. Co-written (along with Foyt, his wife at the time) and directed by Henry Jaglom (A SAFE PLACE). Has there ever been a more pretentious director than Jaglom? The irony of a pretentious director making a movie about pretentious theatrical artists isn't lost on me. Intended as a comedy but it doesn't feel like Jaglom gets that he's no different than the people he's poking fun at. HAMPTONS feels like a Woody Allen, who had the ability to shoot arrows at pretentious people without being pretentious himself (usually), movie without the laughs. Although the screenplay is credited to Jaglom and Foyt, the dialogue seems mostly improvised. I hope it was because I'd hate to think someone actually wrote this drivel. That being said, the film is very watchable in the way that movies that are train wrecks can be. As the aging actress, Lindfors brings authenticity to her role which is more than Foyt, who's unconvincing as a major movie star, is able to do. With Roddy McDowall, Melissa Leo, Roscoe Lee Browne, Martha Plimpton, Holland Taylor, Diane Salinger, Andre Gregory, Jon Robin Baitz and Kristoffer Tabori.