The Summer I Turned Pretty

[Anonymous]

I don’t think she is in love with her. She wants her to work it out with her husband and even when they were drunk and high they both went off with their respective crushes. I didn’t read the books either. I would be sad if they couldn’t just have a loving, genuine friendship though. There’s no need for them to be inlove with each other.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

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.

Very good point about normalizing! Our sexual orientation is one of many characteristics and aspects of our identity. To share the fact without “centering” it is powerful in its own right. Just like hetero characters.

I’m not sure it fit this story though. He was in love with Belly and never strayed from it when any other girl flirted with him. Then at a party, he flirts with and initiates a kiss with a dude. It throws the viewer off because it contradicts his feelings for Belly. If he kissed lots of guys and girls that would’ve made more sense but instead he strayed from his feelings for Belly once and that was with a guy.

Yep. It didn’t make sense.

Although I think his friend teased him at one point and called him a slut.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote: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.

So my mom died when I was 24. She never did chemo, because it only gave her a 5% chance. I accepted it. I mean I didn't ask her for more. But it has been 15 years and every day the thought is always in my mind "what if" and I WISH beyond anything I had just asked her to try. So I don't know, I don't think I was more mature for not asking her. She certainly didn't die with dignity just because she refused treatment. She died in a horrible horrific manner.

NP and just wanted to say I am sorry for your loss and send you a virtual hug.

Thank you.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

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.

Very good point about normalizing! Our sexual orientation is one of many characteristics and aspects of our identity. To share the fact without “centering” it is powerful in its own right. Just like hetero characters.

I’m not sure it fit this story though. He was in love with Belly and never strayed from it when any other girl flirted with him. Then at a party, he flirts with and initiates a kiss with a dude. It throws the viewer off because it contradicts his feelings for Belly. If he kissed lots of guys and girls that would’ve made more sense but instead he strayed from his feelings for Belly once and that was with a guy.

Yep. It didn’t make sense.

Although I think his friend teased him at one point and called him a slut.

Right.. I think that's the vibe that they were going for... it's just that they only showed one other instance of him kissing somone and it was a guy. Going back to another poster's comment, it does seem gratuitous for that reason.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:No. It's a godawful title that sets us all back 70 years.

Are you from the snowflake generation or just an annoying millennial?

[Anonymous]

I am 42 F but still enjoyed this is a light and fluffy romance. My detest for love triangles was offset by the fantasy of the show's luxurious upper-crust beach setting. Don't we all just wish for a rich and carefree summer to paper over life's grim realities for a brief moment?

Belly clearly makes youthful mistakes but realizes her selfishness at the end. Hopefully she has grown a bit over the summer.

I enjoyed the close friendship between Laurel and Susannah. But I found it hard to believe such a friendship could really exist given their divergence in both wealth and race. As an Asian, I loved seeing Laurel represented on-screen. Something I never saw growing up.

But I must confess that I could not believe that Laurel could really sustain a true friendship with a wealthy white woman, even if Susannah was a lovely person inside. Wondering what others think about the credibility of this relationship. Or is that just supposed to be a part of the fantasy of this show?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Anyone else watching it on Prime?

I want their beach house.

My daughter and her friends love it. But, it's basically a version of the Kissing Booth (also not that great). No new ground paved here. But, who cares? It's not directed at me and it has my daughter reading (the books). The author has a winning formula for teen girls.

[Anonymous]

I thought it was cute and it had me wishing I was still young

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I thought it was cute and it had me wishing I was still young

Yes! I remember those days so clearly. I loved being a teenager.

Now I'm 47. 🤪😓

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

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.

I thought he was a mix between young matt damon and young leo dicaprio.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I am 42 F but still enjoyed this is a light and fluffy romance. My detest for love triangles was offset by the fantasy of the show's luxurious upper-crust beach setting. Don't we all just wish for a rich and carefree summer to paper over life's grim realities for a brief moment?

Belly clearly makes youthful mistakes but realizes her selfishness at the end. Hopefully she has grown a bit over the summer.

I enjoyed the close friendship between Laurel and Susannah. But I found it hard to believe such a friendship could really exist given their divergence in both wealth and race. As an Asian, I loved seeing Laurel represented on-screen. Something I never saw growing up.

But I must confess that I could not believe that Laurel could really sustain a true friendship with a wealthy white woman, even if Susannah was a lovely person inside. Wondering what others think about the credibility of this relationship. Or is that just supposed to be a part of the fantasy of this show?

You enjoy teen romances? Ew and cringey.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I thought it was cute and it had me wishing I was still young

Yes! I remember those days so clearly. I loved being a teenager.

Now I'm 47. 🤪😓

Y’all are just sad. Enjoy today.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I am 42 F but still enjoyed this is a light and fluffy romance. My detest for love triangles was offset by the fantasy of the show's luxurious upper-crust beach setting. Don't we all just wish for a rich and carefree summer to paper over life's grim realities for a brief moment?

Belly clearly makes youthful mistakes but realizes her selfishness at the end. Hopefully she has grown a bit over the summer.

I enjoyed the close friendship between Laurel and Susannah. But I found it hard to believe such a friendship could really exist given their divergence in both wealth and race. As an Asian, I loved seeing Laurel represented on-screen. Something I never saw growing up.

But I must confess that I could not believe that Laurel could really sustain a true friendship with a wealthy white woman, even if Susannah was a lovely person inside. Wondering what others think about the credibility of this relationship. Or is that just supposed to be a part of the fantasy of this show?

Enjoyed seeing Laurel, too. It seems like she's white in the book. As a MC Asian American woman, I anecdotally don't have any lifelong friendships with wealthy white women.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote: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.

During that scene between Laurel and Belly when Laurel said she'd once had a relationship that had so many fireworks she knew it would burn both of them, I just assumed she was referring to Susannah.

Read into it what you will. I don’t see it that way. You don’t think Laurel has had any other people in her life??
Why would she come that close to “fireworks” and have to walk away, and then remain best friends for 20 years.

Fireworks was someone else.

Laurel and Susannah have been friends since they were kids / younger teens. I re-iterate, that doesn’t seem like fireworks entered that friendship arc. Just a long-lasting loyalty. Which laurel’s husband (right?) suggests has been her real love. Friendship, in this world, being a potentially more lifelong partnership than marriage.

OP here. I mean yes, if this was a real life conversation between a mom and daughter I wouldn't assume anything, but it just seemed like a checkov's gun trope, since this was based on a YA novel. YMMV. I haven't read the books so I have no idea if anything other than a friendship between Laurel and Susannah ever gets discussed.

Home sick, just watched this and came to see them commentary here.

The show hubby's very strongly at a love relationship between Susannah and Laurel. In fact, it's a little over the top each time LGBTQ is mentioned, like stating that the gay debutante raised money for LGBTQ causes, the two moms share a long knowing look.

[Anonymous]

^hints, not hubby's! Wtf autocorrect