Synopsis: When her best-laid plans for a summer full of fun go comically awry, an imaginative young girl creates her own vacation adventures in Judy Moody and the NOT Bummer Summer. Based on the beloved, bestselling book series by Megan McDonald, Judy Moody and the NOT Bummer Summer is an irresistible and delightfully funny treat for adventure-loving kids and adults. This summer, third grader Judy Moody is planning the most super-duper, double-rare summer vacation ever with best friends Rocky and Amy. Except that it turns out Rocky is going to circus camp to learn to tame lions, and Amy is headed off to Borneo with her mom to save a lost tribe while Judy stays home with her pesky little brother Stink and second-best friend Frank Pearl. Just when she thinks things are as rotten as they can be, her parents announce that they will be going to California and Judy will have to stay behind with her Aunt Opal, who sheâs never even met! It looks like Judyâs best summer ever has just become her way worst summer ever.
But feisty, fearless and ever-funny Judy Moody never gives up! With help from some unexpected sources, sheâs headed for a summer full of surprises in this charming and spirited family film. Get ready, get set, get MOODY!
Release Date: June 10, 2011 MPAA Rating: PG-13
Genre(s): Children and Family, Comedy
Film Review
Production
When you are a kid summertime is the most exciting thing that can happen. It is a time for fun, and adventure’s to be had with your friends. For Judy Moody, this summer is not turning out how she had hoped. Her best friends are going out of town to really cool places like Circus Camp and she is left at home with her brother Stink and kinda-crazy aunt Opal, as her parent’s are going to California without her for a vacation. The one friend who is sticking around for the summer, Frank, is not her favorite and lacks that certain amount of excitement Judy is craving in a best pal. What is a girl to do? When you are a character like Judy you are bound to come up with an idea; even if it really came from someone else’s mind, she will act on it without question. So Judy creates the Dare Chart, and via email (and postcards–a nice old-time effect), she is able to keep track of who completes the most dares over the summer between her traveling friends and herself. The first person to earn 100 thrill points wins.
While her friends are off scoring points faster than ever Judy finds her thrill points are harder to get than ever. Her best laid plans never seem to go right. The scary roller coaster ride is foiled by Frank’s appetite for sugary snacks, the late-night graveyard walk thwarted by aunt Opal’s inability to drive, or get directions, and the riding an elephant experience ended in catastrophe, for the station wagon. There is still hope, thanks to her little brother Stink and his club of Bigfoot hunters. Judys’ summer may not be how she planned but it ends up being an eventful one nonetheless. You cannot always plan what happens, or how much fun it will be, and Judy learns this over the course of the summer. Sometimes the best things happen when you do not plan for them, and thrill points can be earned with a little creative thinking.
Judy Moody and the Not Bummer Summer is definitely a movie made for children. The subject matter is light, the laughs filled with good-hearted childishness, and the characters a tad over-the-top to keep the interest of a young child. The entire film moves quickly, keeping up with an avid imagination of a kid via playful camera techniques and (my favorite) little sound effects scattered around to mimic the images and/or action on screen. For example, when Stink tries to teach aunt Opal to drive (in his bedroom with a makeshift steering wheel and gas/brake pedals) an effect kicks in when she hits the gas that sounds just like a car engine racing down the street. These small details keep the attention of the younger viewer and also give an adult something a little more to focus on then the trials of a young girl attempting to have a fantabulous summer break. All in all, Judy Moody and the Not Bummer Summer lives up to its title, by not being a total bummer.
Costumes
Judy Moody has a great big personality, and her clothes are definitely an extension of her character. Costume Designer Mary Jane Fort has succeeded in creating the “look” of Judy Moody quite well. Judy is all about color, just take one look at her disheveled and knotty bright red hair. Her clothing in the film is no less vibrant. Matching a purple short with a gold sequin star on the front with yellow polka dot shorts, orange sneakers, and gray knee high multi color polka-dot socks is nothing new for Judy. Throwing on a green and white striped shirt with her orange flower shorts, and two mismatched sneakers, a perfect summer outfit choice. Judy is unique, and her clothing represents this uniqueness perfectly.
Cast and Crew
- Director(s): John Schultz
- Producer(s): Kathy WaughMegan McDonald
- Screenwriter(s): Jordana Beatty (Judy Moody)Heather Graham (Aunt Opal)Preston Bailey (Frank)
- Story: Parris Mosteller (Stink)
- Cast: Kristoffer Winters (Dad)Garrett Ryan (Rocky)Jaleel White (Mr. Todd) Ashley Boettcher (Jessica Finch)Taylor Hender (Amy)Cameron Boyce (Hunter/Werewolf)Janet Varney (Mom)John PaceShawn MaurerCynthia Kay Charette
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- Cinematographer: Richard Gibbs
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