Summertime Love
Summer in Italy is a beautiful time. Elio lives with his family in a sprawling house in Italy. Every summer, his father, a professor of fine arts, takes in a student to help him. Oliver is the graduate student who helps him this time around. Elio is still growing up and starting the mature, and little does he know, him and oliver are going to develop a special relationship.
***Warning: Spoilers***
This is a classic coming of age movie in modern times. As we inch forward in our acceptance of several things, it is great to see stories like this told and delivered in wide release. The teen years are a time for discovery for any given person. The movie explores this theme immensely. We witness the inner struggle of Elio as he discovers his sexuality, not only with gender preference, but with age as well.
This whole journey is relatable, no matter what orientation you prefer. At some point, we all, if not most, have tried courting someone. For Elio, he is trying to experience sex for the first time with his girlfriend. A wrench in the form of Oliver gets thrown into the mix. Not only is he the same sex, he’s about a decade older than Elio. We get to see the signals and development between the two. Even for Oliver, this is a new experience.
A beautiful relationship in a beautiful country. Their story unfolds in the lush landscape of Italy. Although they may not be in some of the more famous scenes of the country, it is beautiful nonetheless. Sprawling man-made structures, wide open fields of nature. There is a lot to admire about this country and its inhabitants.
The movie portrays Summer perfectly. What better to do than laze around with friends and family in this beautiful environment. Play some volleyball, go swimming, go to the disco, go swimming some more, it feels like you are experiencing this with the characters. The perfect setting for this story.
This all culminates to a tremendous monologue at the end of the film. As the summer comes to an end, so does the relationship between Elio and Oliver. Winter has come, and one day Elio receives a call that he never wanted. Although it is Oliver on the other end, he’s got unfortunate news for Elio, because he’s engaged to another person. Elio’s dad finds him skulking around, so he gives him one of the best speeches I’ve heard in a movie in a while, speaking about how special relationships can be.
This may not be for everyone. The themes and imagery may be only for mature audiences. Once you get past that, you’re in for an experience. Enjoy the summer with these characters and experience the pay off of that amazing monologue at the end.