The Summer I Turned Pretty

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Can’t get past the name to watch it.

Thanks to this thread I watched it. I found it very sweet, no real mean girls, the mom’s friendship is very moving and it did make me cry.
I was interested the entire time and the name does sort of go along with the story line.

I told DH which show I was watching. And the title came out of my mouth weird. So I stoped and felt like I had to explain to him. “Yes it sound a little weird. But she’s this girl who was sweet and nice, just an average girl; she and her family and friends go to the beach every summer for 2 months. And then this one summer, she keeps having people tell her “You just really grew up! You have gotten so pretty!” So, it’s this summer where everything changes.”

Some people are pretty! Some people change into that one year. I think it works.

I am beautiful in my way, but I have never been “pretty.” Maybe, maybe on my wedding day (still feel I should have done my makeup completely differently). I take no offense.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I watched it while traveling, it was good fluff for that. I do wish there were more teen shows that weren’t all pretty, excessively rich people. I also wish they made Jeremiah more substantive-the only thing he seemed to have going for him was his looks. They kept calling him Belly’s best friend, but they really didn’t give any indication that there was any depth to their relationship.

It does seem like every teen show Netflix puts out (and this one on Amazon) “explores” the class divide. And, yes, sometimes, I feel like it’s just an excuse for drama or a storyline.

The *way* this book/movie handles it is pretty good though. It’s not all “rich people are bad jerks” and “poor people are jealous.” It seems like people all around learn lessons about each other, and it works.

[Anonymous]

Have not watched, but the title reminds me of my personal experience as a teen in the early 80s.

I went to the beach with a friend as an oblivious 4-eyed greasy haired 14 year old. My friend told me to ditch my glasses, curled my hair and introduced me to makeup. I started showering daily and caring about my looks because I had a stupid crush on her older brother. I got my first kiss 😘 on the beach. When I returned to school that Fall, all beautified but blind, no one recognized me! It was a massive image transformation, but ditching my eye glasses negatively impacted my grades. I didn’t get contacts until 2 years later.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Geez, you guys really need to lighten up.

It’s based on a YA trilogy about a girl who turns 16 one summer and suddenly begins dating and navigating relationships with boys. It also touches upon her relationship with her mother and older brother.

If we could all get behind Red Panda as empowering, then I think we can get behind this.

As a Gen X’er, I could relate to this. I remember when I blossomed. Lighten up.

Plus: the beach house is gorgeous in a laid back, classic way.

NP: For me, it's not the concept. I'm totally good with coming of age stories like this one! It's the title. I agree with the PPs who said it's off-putting.

Kind of reminds me of Mindy Kaling's Sex Lives of College Girls or whatever that was called. I really liked the series (including the way it explored the characters' sexuality), but I felt the title was misleading (too narrow) and off-putting.

[Anonymous]

All of you saying you're watching with young teens are OK with how it's normalizing marijuana use? Even the moms are smoking FFS. I made my DD turn it off. She can read the books instead.

[Anonymous]

All of you saying you're watching with young teens are OK with how it's normalizing marijuana use? Even the moms are smoking FFS. I made my DD turn it off. She can read the books instead.

I was NOT okay with it and annoyed my daughters with multiple about it. Nor was all of the drinking okay. I mean, the parents did nothing when Belly and her friends were drinking margaritas except mildly disapprove when she accidentally tackled the white mom?

But I dared not post that here because the general consensus is that it is okay.

[Anonymous]

*multiple comments

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

All of you saying you're watching with young teens are OK with how it's normalizing marijuana use? Even the moms are smoking FFS. I made my DD turn it off. She can read the books instead.

I was NOT okay with it and annoyed my daughters with multiple about it. Nor was all of the drinking okay. I mean, the parents did nothing when Belly and her friends were drinking margaritas except mildly disapprove when she accidentally tackled the white mom?

But I dared not post that here because the general consensus is that it is okay.

This is PP. Thank you. I went ahead and dared.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:All of you saying you're watching with young teens are OK with how it's normalizing marijuana use? Even the moms are smoking FFS. I made my DD turn it off. She can read the books instead.

Yeah, not cool with me

[Anonymous]

Did anyone else think it is was implied the moms had some kind of relationship in college or after college? I kept thinking that was implied. Especially when laurel said I was love once but it wouldn’t have worked out? And Susannah said we know bisexuality existed?

I BINGED the whole thing and my teen thought it was stupid and awful.

[Anonymous]

Title is absolutely terrible.

[Anonymous]

I hated the ending. Spoilers if anyone cares…

1. The boys convincing their mom to do the cancer trial was expected, but it would’ve been powerful to see them mature to a point that they could respect their mom’s wish to die with dignity. Instead we get the same tired trope with Belly hinting at the end that miracles are possible.

2. Belly and Conrad. Ugh. He’s going off to college and dating a girl who JUST turned 16? Good luck with that.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I watched it and found every one of the characters completely loathsome (except for Cam, who was written off early on).

Op here.

I found Belly annoying. She started off cool and I had high hopes for her in the first episode where she gives Conrad grief for smoking weed. I thought she would be confident and cool. But she turned out to be boring, immature, and self-centered. No clue how she’s the heroine in a book series.

I also thought she wasn’t pretty or interesting enough for all the attention she received. Her friend was way more confident and interesting.

Her older brother was similarly insecure despite his false bravado. He seemed very shallow.

No clue why they felt compelled to have a bisexual character. The insertion of that scene seemed rather gratuitous and a big departure from the storyline/crush.

I liked the Asian mom. She was interesting. The white mom made me cry.

Conrad seemed genuine and interesting. He just seemed much older than Belly, and I couldn’t for the life of me figure out why he liked her.

Does the book do a better job making Belly more interesting?

The entire point of LGBTQ+ representation in media is about normalizing it. Their existence is not gratuitous and it doesn’t have to be a big deal or major plot point. He’s bi; the end. Coming out stories are important, but so are stories about AFTER coming out and seeing a bi teen live his life with acceptance by his friends and family.

[Anonymous]

I liked it although it’s different from the book. Did anyone think Conrad looked like young Leonard Dicaprio?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I liked it although it’s different from the book. Did anyone think Conrad looked like young Leonard Dicaprio?

Actually, he's a dead ringer for a brunette Michael Pitt.