By Meena Kar
Sep 5, (THAINDIAN NEWS) Jennifer O Neill starrer ‘Summer of 42′ was aired on TCM on Saturday. The film was released back in 1972 and went on to become one of the biggest hits of its time. Though the film deals with a very modern and controversial problem, the American audience could relate immediately to the film almost 40 years later.

The film delves deep into the world of adolescence and teenage infatuation and give the subject a practical and realistic approach. In the lead role is Gary Grimes who plays the role of Hermie. He is seen falling in love with a mysterious woman named Dorothy played by Jennifer O’Neill. Dorothy is shown to be a married woman whose husband is in World War II. Hermie, on the other hand is a young boy who has just stepped into adolescence. He is seen surrounded by friends who are obsessed with the idea of sex and the film portrays realistically the curiosity of the boys of the age.

Though there are some hilarious sequences in the film where the teenage boys have their first brush with the opposite sex, the subject of the film is quite serious and dark. The loneliness of the soldier’s wife gradually leads to a friendship between her and Hermie. As the news of the husband’s death reaches Dorothy (Jennifer O’Neill), she is shown withdrawing into a shell. Hermie tries to relieve her of the loneliness and ends up having an intimate relationship with her. The woman, however, realizes that it is immoral and goes away from the area. The film is in the form of flashback as Hermie recalls the ‘Summer of 42′.