Summer of My German Soldier (1978)

Wow! Such a good movie.

Boring

a film so unique, intoxicating and bizarre that it not only demands another viewing, but is also forgivable as a satirical comedy where the jokes eventually take the back seat.

It's the kind of movie you'll want to see a second time with someone who hasn't seen it yet, to remember what it was like to watch it for the first time.

I did not read the original book, so I can't say if the movie stuck to it or not, but I'm always looking for continuity bloopers in films. Every movie has at least one, and it's fun to look for them.Here's a blooper for you: when Anton decides not to escape on the freight train and he is surprised by Patty, there is a scene where they stand facing each other while the train passes by in the background. Just for a moment, on one of the freight cars, a plaque, about 1 foot by 2 feet, is visible. On it is a series of colored horizontal lines of varying lengths. This plaque is actually a laser-readable bar code, which contains the serial number of the freight car, its dimensions and capacities, and the name of the railroad it belongs to. A laser would read each plaque as the train rolled past a freight-yard checkpoint.These plaques were invented by IBM in the late 'sixties and were introduced in 1970. They are the ancestors of the Universal Product Code, the bar codes we all know and love today, introduced in 1974.But, this movie is set in 1943 or 1944. Oops!

When I was in 7th grade(back in 1977), I was asked to read the novel that this was based on as part of my English class studies. I can remember being very touched by it and excited when a TV version came out a year later.Kristy McNichol was a popular TV actress when this film was produced and was already playing a daughter in a dysfunctional family on the hit TV series "Family". It was clear that she had the range and ability to pull off this part. I recall her as being a bit "stiff" at times, but over all she does a good job. She carries the movie well.Esther Rolle is fantastic as the domestic who appears to be the only one in the household that seems to truly care for her. Barbara Barrie as the somewhat frightened and slightly neurotic mother is also good, as is young Robin Lively (who would eventually appear as the black widow Lana Milford in "Twin Peaks")as the sweet younger sister who seems to be the focus of the parent's affection. Bruce Davidson is also appropriately appealing as the German soldier of the titleThe best performance, however, belongs to Michael Constantine. It is truly powerful and merited more recognition than it got at the time. The bitterness and coldness he expresses makes the scenes in which he appears difficult to watch, but makes it much easier to understand the quiet desperation of the rejected daughter. Constantine gives everything the right intensity and seems to have a good understanding of the underlying psychological motivations.The film differs from the book only in some small ways. It is wonderful and inspiring to watch, and I hope that it gets released again on to video or DVD.

This is an incredibly moving story, based on Bette Greene's teen novel. The entire cast is wonderful - Kristy MacNichol, Bruce Davison, Esther Rolle. Just brilliant. I saw this when I was about 12, and read the book and the sequel. Have managed to catch it on TV a couple of times since. Such a heart-wrenching story, the kind they don't know how to make any more. More's the pity.

The extrodinary television movie concerns a young Jewish girl in Georgia who aids an escaped German POW and the resulting devestation it brings her family, primarily in her relationship with her father. Esther Rolle as the family domestic and Martin Balsam as the aloof father are fantastic. Hard to believe a film of this calibre was produced for television; it certainly sets a high standard.