Starring: Michael Ontkean, Leslie Hope, Wilford Brimley, Corey Sevier, Katie Stuart Directed By: Michael Anderson Average Rating: Audience Rating: G (General Audience) Binding: VHS Tape Format: Closed-captioned, Color, HiFi Sound, NTSC Label: Walt Disney Home Video Number of Items: 1 Release Date: December 22, 1998 Running Time: 101 minutes Theatrical Release Date: October 30, 1998
Description: Based on the award-winning novel by Wilson Rawls, Disney's classic coming-of-age adventure offers a humorous and heartwarming story that spans generations. Beautifully filmed, SUMMER OF THE MONKEYS is an unforgettable tale about Jay Berry Lee, a 12-year-old boy growing up on a farm who dreams of buying the pony he loves. When his dog Rowdy wants to investigate a strange noise in "the bottoms" -- a place Jay is forbidden to go -- he reluctantly follows. Incredibly, they discover a band of four runaway circus monkeys who prove to be clever and elusive troublemakers. Once Jay learns there is a handsome reward for their return, the chase is on for a summer of fun, thrills, and danger. Along the way, Jay learns a lot more about monkeys and what's really important in life than he ever imagined! Including wonderful performances by veteran actors Wilford Brimley (COCOON, THE NATURAL), and Michael Ontkean (SLAP SHOT, POSTCARDS FROM THE EDGE), SUMMER OF THE MONKEYS is a classic story of life-changing experiences your whole family will love!
Amazon.com: Twelve-year-old Jay Berry Lee has one goal this summer: to buy his own pony. He plans to work long hours in his grandfather's general store to earn the money for it. But business is slow in this Great Plains farm town circa 1910, and his dream seems unreachable until the day he discovers a group of escaped circus monkeys. Despite his father's warnings and his mother's anger over his irresponsibility, Jay Berry tries everything in his power to capture the comical monkeys and claim the handsome reward offered by their owner. During his efforts, he learns important lessons about tenacity, charity, prioritizing his values, and, yes, monkeys.
Based on the award-winning novel by Wilson Rawls, Summer of the Monkeys brings together a snug ensemble of capable actors. The most recognizable cast members include Wilford Brimley (Cocoon) and the mild-mannered Michael Ontkean (Twin Peaks). Corey Sevier handles the role of Jay Berry Lee with the right blend of preteen adrenaline and emotion. Under the direction of Michael Anderson (Around the World in Eighty Days) the characters treat this moderately paced period piece with great care. Both the story and the dialogue are sensible without being sentimental, a quality that should appeal to all family members. Its clean, upbeat style may remind adult viewers of Disney's wilderness family classics of the 1970s. --Liane Thomas
Summer of the Monkeys This is a great family movie! It has a great message for children on how to take care of family and how sometimes it takes sacrifice.
More Like BUMMER of the Monkeys! My friend and I have a tradition. We get together on the weekends, go to the video store and rent whatever monkey movies we can find. Having already watched Most Valuable Primate, Most Vertical Primate, Most Extreme Primate, King Kong, Mighty Joe Young, Spymate and a few even more forgettable than any of those, we saw Summer of the Monkeys on the shelf and said "hey why not".
From the moment the movie started, I knew we had grabbed the wrong movie. This is a movie where a young boy who loves horses gets a gang of trained circus chimps instead. After he has a bit of "monkey trouble" he begins to get along with his new ape overlords. Things are going great until young boy decides he needs that horse. After some crying and montages, young boy makes the most stupid mistake a kid with a bunch of chimps could make.
HE SELLS THE CHIMPS FOR A HORSE!??!?!?
Sure, King Kong and Joe Young didn't fare all too well in the end, they weren't sold back into slavery in favor of an inferior species!
Ridiculous. What hurts most is the lack of respect.
Monkeys Around With The Book (A Little) Set in the 1800s on the sunkissed prairies of Canada, Summer of the Monkeys follows the story of Jay (Corey Sevier), a young boy who dreams of getting enough money to buy a pony named Annie. When Jay finds four chimps (played by Henri, Antoinette, Jacques, and Dominique) who have fallen off a wrecked circus train and become lost, he realizes that if he turns them in he can collect a big reward -- money enough to buy Annie. Conflict enters the picture when Jay gets attached to the silly simians, and doesn't want to return them to the circus. But then his sister falls ill, and family needs money for her operation.
The movie is not as good as the book, and there is a lot less on the horse plot than equestrians will hope... still, it's a solid Disney movie.
A Great Movie. I liked this movie. Great for children.
My daughter LOVES this movie. I haven't had a chance to watch yet but my daughter loves this movie. She watches it all the time. When I couldn't find it in stores, I knew I'd be able to find it on Amazon.com. Thanks Amazon!!!
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