White Water Summer poster & wallpaper
Get movie widget Recommend it Add to Favorites

Kevin Bacon, Sean Astin, Jonathan Ward, K.C. Martel, Matt Adler ... see more see more... , Caroline McWilliams , Charles Siebert , Joseph Piassarelli , John Ward , Kasey Martel

Also released under the title The Rites of Summer, this film follows the adventures of pampered city boy Alan Block (Sean Astin) when his parents ship him off to a wilderness camp. Once there, Alan an... read more read more...d the other three campers must attempt to live up to the tough expectations of their guide, Vic (Kevin Bacon), who is determined to push the kids as far as he can--and maybe farther. ~ Iotis Erlewine, Rovi

Flixster Users

48% liked it

6,733 ratings

Critics

29% liked it

7 critics

PG, 1 hr. 30 min.

Directed by: Jeff Bleckner

Release Date: January 1, 1987

Invite friends to see

DVD Release Date: December 4, 2001

Stats: 179 reviews

report incorrect info

Photos

Lobby Card White Water Summer
Upload a Photo | View All White Water Summer Photos

Your Rating


clear rating

Flixster Reviews (179)

  • moviefan1725
    June 16, 2010
    moviefan1725
    Filmed in 1985, and dumped into a handful of theaters 2 years later, grossing less that one million dollars at the box office, this is probably the least known Kevin Bacon movie ever. Bacon plays a driven outdoorsman who takes groups of young men up into the mountains to learn ho... read morew to survive. He also happens to be a boderline sociopath. When one kid, played by Sean Astin, continually challenges Bacon's leadership, things take a dangerous, even violent turn. A strong support cast of young actors makes for believable characters that involve you in the story. There's also tremendous cinematography of the wilderness and mountainsides. A lively, if very dated, 80's soundtrack keeps things moving, and keep the goings on from becoming TOO heavy handed. Bacon gives a strong performance, but it's also the weak link in the chain, because we never really know if his character is trying to teach the boys to survive on their own wits...or flat out insane. But for anyone who is a fan of the outdoors, the visuals are more than enough to sustain you for the ride.
  • ileo
    December 8, 2007
    ileo
    A great film, especially with Bacon playing a bad person. Hehehe
  • jam233
    November 1, 2009
    jam233
    It's hard to pinpoint any one thing that made this film not work completely. Probably a combination of a lot of smaller things. The acting is fine, the score was good. There are some things that don't fully make sense though. I didn't lose interest at all, but I never found the f... read moreilm as enthralling as it was intended to be.
  • JaredsBaby
    July 2, 2008
    JaredsBaby
    I thought back in the day Sean Astin was a pretty decent actor and I loved watching his performance in this early career movie
  • theturdkingofohio
    April 11, 2008
    theturdkingofohio
    I remember that huge bridge and their leaving Austin because he was a coward. Bacon was such a hard-but. This film is better than any other one's with Bacon coming to mind right now, though.
  • StaisilD
    September 11, 2007
    StaisilD
    The direction and cinematography are both excellent. The mountain backdrop through much of the film is a spectacular sight, and every location shown is photographed beautifully. White Water Summer is about Alan's summer camp experience in the mountains with three other boys and V... read moreic (Kevin Bacon), their psychotic New Age camp counselor who's wacky methods are supposed to teach the boys about real living. The story is told in flashback format, narrated by a much older Astin revisiting the those couple of days or weeks in the mountains. On the trip with Alan is Mitch (Jonathan Ward), probably Alan's only friend along the way, and two smart ass jerks, Chris (Matt Adler) and George (K.C. Martel). They each have their various learning experiences hiking in and around the mountains. But, things get out of hand along the way when Vic pulls some nasty business on his recruits, and Alan starts to suspect Vic is way out of line. Although in some spots it may seem like a silly teen adventure film, it is more about rites of passage and growing up.
  • grimm667
    August 21, 2007
    grimm667
    i'm still not sure what this prick's problem was, but it served him right to get his leg broken. and it made the kids better people for stepping up in the situation.
  • garysobekmusic
    May 1, 2007
    garysobekmusic
    God, this movie is awesome and crazy all wrapped in one. If you ever wondered what the Bake would do if he snapped... this is it... creepy...
  • nzcru
    March 24, 2007
    nzcru
    Kevin Bacon is such an ass in this movie! It's great! Loaded with recognizable 80's sitcom faces! Sean Astin isn't a hobbit in this one.
  • baldpurplemonkeydust
    June 16, 2006
    baldpurplemonkeydust
    I just watched this movie again yesterday. I love this one! It's cool the way Sean *explains* things during the movie. It really adds to the emotion and understanding. Way enjoyable@

View All White Water Summer Reviews

Critic Reviews

David Nusair
May 10, 2011
David Nusair, Reel Film Reviews

...an innocuous drama revolving around the exploits of several campers and their seemingly amiable guide... Full Review

Clint Morris
April 27, 2003
Clint Morris, Moviehole

Bacon is the perfect nasty...thrills aplenty

Scott Weinberg
August 28, 2002
Scott Weinberg, eFilmCritic.com

Most stunning is how abruptly the film ends, but I suppose that's to be expected when a production simply runs out of money. Full Review

Chuck O'Leary
October 9, 2005
Chuck O'Leary, Fantastica Daily

No review available.

Rebecca Murray
March 10, 2003
Rebecca Murray, About.com

No review available.

Philip Martin
November 25, 2002
Philip Martin, Arkansas Democrat-Gazette

No review available.

Brian Webster
August 30, 2002
Brian Webster, Apollo Guide

Click to read the article Full Review

Critic ratings and reviews powered by RottenTomatoes.com

Fresh (60% or more critics rated the movie positively)

Rotten (59% or fewer critics rated the movie positively)

Cast

More Like This

Click a thumb to vote on that suggestion, or add your own suggestions.

  • A Perfect Getaway
    A Perfect Getaway (67%)
  • North Shore
    North Shore (100%)

More Movies like White Water Summer

Facts

Submit a Fact | View All
    • Vic: It's not a vacation, it's a chance for you to learn something!
Submit a Fact | View All

White Water Summe... : Watch Free on TV

Movie Quizzes

Create a Quiz |

All Quizzes

Video Clips

No video clips yet. Want to upload one?

Meet Other Fans

Add White Water Summer to favorites

Recent News

No recent headlines. Got one?

Recent Lists

Make a List |

View All Lists

Most Popular Skin

No skins yet. Interested in creating one?