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That Summer

That Summer

201780 minUnratedMidcredits score: 58th percentile of all films
Director
Göran Hugo Olsson
Starring
Edith 'Little Edie' Bouvier Beale, Andy Warhol, Edith Bouvier Beale, Lee Radziwill

Albert and David Maysles' classic GREY GARDENS immortalized the estate of Edith and Little Edie Beale, relatives of Jacqueline Bouvier Kennedy, who lived in alarmingly poor conditions. But there is more to the story: it was Lee Radziwill and Peter Beard who first brought the Maysles to the Beales, when the two set out to make a film about Radziwill's childhood. The reels of that first contact were shelved for 45 years. This documentary recovers the lost footage. Anchored in Beard's recollections and artistic vision, we are returned to "that summer" in 1972, a seductive dream world and collage of radically unconventional creative personalities—Warhol, Bacon, Jagger, Capote—practicing the art of living amidst oppressive forces of class expectation and prejudice.

Where to watch

Where can I watch That Summer?

As of October 24, 2026, MovieCove lists That Summer streaming on AMC+, Sundance Now via Prime Video and Tubi (free) and to rent or buy on Apple TV and Prime Video.

Your rating, lists and review

Highlights

What stands out about That Summer?

That Summer earns 2 badges, led by Crowd Pleaser and Wistful.

  • Reception
  • Craft and mood

Reception

Is That Summer worth watching?

That Summer's Midcredits score is the 58th percentile of all films, from 1.6K ratings across 5 sources. 50% liked it (rated it 7 or higher out of 10).

Midcredits score

How well it was received

58th percentile

Better received than 58% of films

23rd percentile among Documentary58th percentile among 2010s
Acclaim (how much people like it)62nd
Approval (how many liked it)52nd

65 /100

62nd percentile of all films

25th percentile among Documentary62nd percentile among 2010s

Critics 62 · Audience 65

Critics and audiences broadly agree.

Rating distribution

A broad spread centered near 6.4 — solid but not unanimous.

Approval

How many liked it

50% liked it

52nd percentile of all films

22nd percentile among Documentary52nd percentile among 2010s
50% rated it 7–1050% rated it 1–6

Critics 84% · Audience 62%

On Rotten Tomatoes, a bigger share of critics approved than audiences.

Reach

How many have seen it

48th percentile

1.6K ratings across platforms

75th percentile among Documentary52nd percentile among 2010s
TMDB popularity, last 37 days to Oct 26Down 3% in 30 days

Box office

Opening weekend$6K
Domestic gross$35K
Worldwide gross$45K

42nd percentile earner in its genre.

What reviewers say

Common ground

That Summer offers unearthed archival footage of the Beales and their celebrity circle, but its value depends on the viewer's appetite for more of the same story.

Fans praised

  • treasured footage of Big and Little Edie Beale
  • fascinating companion piece and prequel to Grey Gardens
  • nostalgic meditation on cultural and historical memory

Detractors panned

  • exploitative intrusion on troubled lives of reclusive relatives
  • pointless vanity project of rich dilettantes
  • no fresh insight or reason to revisit Grey Gardens

What stands out

CharactersDivisive72

Big and Little Edie as fascinating, eccentric, and tragically vulnerable

AtmosphereDivisive70

evocative time capsule of 1970s Hamptons and decaying Grey Gardens

Emotional impactDivisive65

aching meditation on loss and change vs. ghoulish exploitation

CinematographyDivisive55

grainy 16mm footage praised as nostalgic by fans, panned as headache-inducing by detractors

OriginalityDivisive50

footage from abandoned project yields fresh angle but limited novelty

Plot and storyDivisive40

loosely assembled archival footage lacks coherent narrative structure

PacingDivisive35

meandering and unedited, feeling more like home movies than a film

Watch experience

What is That Summer like to watch?

Conclusions only — categories and positions, no plot detail.

Quiet and reflective: browse every movie of this kind

Watch this when you are in a patient, quiet mood.

It is gentle, takes its time and leaves you wistful. Skip it when you want things to move fast.

ToneFeelDemandwhat the answer rests onexact position · filled zone: the category

What it asks of you

Patience.

What it feels like

Quiet and reflective.

Moods
MelancholicWarmElegiacContemplative
Heaviest: throughout
Register
WarmMelodramatic · 9% of films: Heightened emotion, played large.
Told as
Episodic · 13% of films: Loosely connected incidents rather than one driving plot.Frame story · 5% of films: A story told inside another — someone is recounting it.
ToneThe film holds its material with compassionate observation, treating its eccentric subjects warmly without mockery or ironic distance.
The rideA steady, reflective tone dominated by nostalgia and pathos, with no sharp shifts.
StructureThe film is structured as a frame story: present-day reminiscence by Peter Beard frames the 1972 home-movie footage, which is itself an episodic collection of moments.

How it leaves you

what you carry away

Wistful.

Wistful · 8% of filmsThought-provoking
Why it leaves you this wayThe film leaves a longing gaze at a lost era and the eccentric people within it, prompting reflection on class, memory, and the ethics of observation.
How it ends · evidence
Bittersweet ending

Story archetype

where it sits among all films
Monster — 21% of films. A threat menaces the hero's world and must be defeated.Rags — 3% of films. A rise from lowliness to fortune, status, or recognition.Quest — 10% of films. A journey toward a defined objective, with companions and obstacles.Voyage — 4% of films. Into a strange world and back again, changed.Comedy — 11% of films. Confusion and cross-purposes resolved into harmony.Tragedy — 9% of films. A flaw or fixation drives the protagonist to ruin.Rebirth — 13% of films. A stalled or darkened life reopened and renewed.Mystery — 7% of films. A question drives the story — who did it, what happened, what is real — until it is answered.No archetype — 22% of filmsPredator — 6% of films. A creature or killer hunts the protagonists (Jaws, Alien).Tyrant — 6% of films. A human villain holds power over the hero's world (Die Hard).Invasion — 2% of films. An external force attacks the home or world (Independence Day).Oppressive state — 2% of films. A government, its agencies or a secret faction inside them is the monster (V for Vendetta).Corporate villainy — 1% of films. A company or its bosses are the monster (Erin Brockovich).Institutional injustice — 1% of films. A court, prison, police force, school or church is itself the enemy (Spotlight).Class system — under 1% of films. The gap between rich and poor, or a rigid hierarchy, is the monster (Parasite).Technology turns — under 1% of films. Technology people rely on becomes the threat (The Terminator).Inner demon — 1% of films. The monster is within — addiction, illness, a dark double.Underdog triumph — 2% of films. Rise through competition or contest (Rocky).Social ascent — under 1% of films. A climb in class or status (Pretty Woman).Fame and fortune — under 1% of films. An artistic or showbiz rise (A Star Is Born).Rise and fall — under 1% of films. Wealth or power gained, self lost (Scarface).Hidden worth revealed — under 1% of films. The protagonist's true value finally recognized.Treasure hunt — 1% of films. Retrieve an object of value (Raiders of the Lost Ark).Rescue — 4% of films. Retrieve or save a person (Saving Private Ryan).Mission — 5% of films. Accomplish or destroy a defined objective (Mission: Impossible).Journey home — under 1% of films. The goal is getting back (Finding Nemo).Pilgrimage — 1% of films. The journey itself transforms; the destination is symbolic.Portal fantasy — under 1% of films. Transported into another world (The Wizard of Oz).Fish out of water — 2% of films. Displaced into an unfamiliar social world (Elf).Survival ordeal — 1% of films. Trapped in a hostile environment, fighting back (Cast Away).Time displacement — under 1% of films. Unstuck in time (Back to the Future).Descent — 1% of films. A night-journey into an underworld or subculture (After Hours).Romantic comedy — 4% of films. Lovers kept apart by confusion, united at last.Comedy of errors — 3% of films. Mistaken identity or misunderstanding drives the plot.Farce — 2% of films. Escalating absurd chaos and coincidence (The Hangover).Buddy comedy — 1% of films. A mismatched pair forced together (Rush Hour).Comedy of manners — 1% of films. Social codes and class satirized (Clueless).Hubris — 1% of films. Pride or ambition invites the fall (There Will Be Blood).Obsession — 2% of films. A fixation consumes the protagonist (Black Swan).Corruption arc — 2% of films. Step-by-step moral decay (The Godfather).Doomed love — 2% of films. Love destroyed by circumstance (Brokeback Mountain).Crushed by fate — 3% of films. Destroyed by forces beyond the protagonist's control.Redemption — 3% of films. Moral reawakening of a hardened soul (A Christmas Carol).Healing — 5% of films. Recovery from grief or trauma (Good Will Hunting).Liberation — 2% of films. Breaking free of a confining life (Room).Second chance — 2% of films. A stagnant life re-opened to love or purpose (Groundhog Day).Puzzle — 1% of films. A clue-by-clue puzzle you can try to solve before the reveal (Knives Out, Clue).Investigation — 5% of films. A long pursuit of the truth that may never be fully solved (Zodiac, Memories of Murder).Enigma — 2% of films. The mystery is what is real, or what is actually happening (Mulholland Drive).
Every story archetype, clockwise from the top
  • Monster 21%: Predator 6% · Tyrant 6% · Invasion 2% · Oppressive state 2% · Corporate villainy 1% · Institutional injustice 1% · Class system under 1% · Technology turns under 1% · Inner demon 1%
  • Rags 3%: Underdog triumph 2% · Social ascent under 1% · Fame and fortune under 1% · Rise and fall under 1% · Hidden worth revealed under 1%
  • Quest 10%: Treasure hunt 1% · Rescue 4% · Mission 5% · Journey home under 1% · Pilgrimage 1%
  • Voyage 4%: Portal fantasy under 1% · Fish out of water 2% · Survival ordeal 1% · Time displacement under 1% · Descent 1%
  • Comedy 11%: Romantic comedy 4% · Comedy of errors 3% · Farce 2% · Buddy comedy 1% · Comedy of manners 1%
  • Tragedy 9%: Hubris 1% · Obsession 2% · Corruption arc 2% · Doomed love 2% · Crushed by fate 3%
  • Rebirth 13%: Redemption 3% · Healing 5% · Liberation 2% · Second chance 2%
  • Mystery 7%: Puzzle 1% · Investigation 5% · Enigma 2%
  • No archetype 22% (this title)

No archetype fits — true of 22% of films: ensemble pieces, satire, slice-of-life.

Why this archetypeThat Summer is a non-narrative documentary composed of home-movie footage and reminiscences, not a narrative that follows a plot archetype.

What it's about

7 groups · 53 themes
Bonds — 27% of filmsSelf — 22% of filmsPower — 7% of filmsMorality — 16% of filmsSurvival — 15% of filmsSociety — 9% of filmsIdeas — 5% of filmsRomantic love — 15% of filmsMarriage — 2% of filmsFamily bonds — 21% of filmsParenthood — 2% of filmsFriendship — 9% of filmsLoyalty — 4% of filmsIdentity — 14% of filmsComing of age — 5% of filmsAging — under 1% of filmsSelf-worth — 7% of filmsAmbition — 7% of filmsPurpose — 9% of filmsMemory — 3% of filmsObsession — 3% of films. A fixation consumes the protagonist (Black Swan).Power — 2% of filmsCorruption — 3% of filmsGreed — 3% of filmsClass — 3% of filmsOppression — 4% of filmsFreedom — 5% of filmsJustice — 13% of filmsDuty — 2% of filmsRevenge — 4% of filmsGuilt — 3% of filmsRedemption — 6% of films. Moral reawakening of a hardened soul (A Christmas Carol).Forgiveness — 1% of filmsSacrifice — 4% of filmsBetrayal — 5% of filmsDeception — 9% of filmsSurvival — 17% of filmsWar — 1% of filmsViolence — 4% of filmsMortality — 2% of filmsGrief — 6% of filmsTrauma — 7% of filmsMental illness — 1% of filmsAddiction — 1% of filmsIllness and disability — under 1% of filmsCommunity — 14% of films. Consequences reach a town, institution or group.Isolation — 5% of filmsPrejudice — 3% of filmsDisplacement — 1% of filmsFaith — 3% of filmsTradition vs change — 2% of filmsFame — 3% of filmsLegacy — 4% of filmsFate — 1% of filmsFree will — under 1% of filmsTruth — 4% of filmsHope — 5% of filmsNature — 2% of filmsArt — 4% of filmsTechnology — 1% of filmsSelfLegacySociety
Every theme, clockwise from the top
  • Bonds 27%: Romantic love 15% · Marriage 2% · Family bonds 21% · Parenthood 2% · Friendship 9% · Loyalty 4%
  • Self 22%: Identity 14% · Coming of age 5% · Aging under 1% · Self-worth 7% · Ambition 7% · Purpose 9% · Memory 3% (this title) · Obsession 3%
  • Power 7%: Power 2% · Corruption 3% · Greed 3% · Class 3% (this title) · Oppression 4% · Freedom 5%
  • Morality 16%: Justice 13% · Duty 2% · Revenge 4% · Guilt 3% · Redemption 6% · Forgiveness 1% · Sacrifice 4% · Betrayal 5% · Deception 9%
  • Survival 15%: Survival 17% · War 1% · Violence 4% · Mortality 2% · Grief 6% · Trauma 7% · Mental illness 1% · Addiction 1% · Illness and disability under 1%
  • Society 9% (this title): Community 14% · Isolation 5% · Prejudice 3% · Displacement 1% · Faith 3% · Tradition vs change 2% · Fame 3% · Legacy 4% (this title)
  • Ideas 5%: Fate 1% · Free will under 1% · Truth 4% · Hope 5% · Nature 2% · Art 4% · Technology 1%

Society

Legacy · 4% of filmsMemory · 3% of filmsClass · 3% of films
Observes its theme: Presents its theme neutrally, declining to judge.Community stakes: Consequences reach a town, institution or group.Ensemble lead
How it treats its themeThe film meditates on what remains of a vanished aristocratic world and the indelible impression left by the Beales as captured on film.
StanceThe film presents the Beales and their milieu without moralising, letting the footage speak for itself.

The world

ContemporaryRuralDomesticRealistic
JazzOrchestral classicalSupportive music · original score · Goran Kajfes
SettingEast Hampton, Long Island, and Grey Gardens in the summer of 1972
MusicKajfes's jazz-inflected score complements the archival feel without overpowering the visuals.

Cast and crew

Who is in That Summer?

Cast

Edith 'Little Edie' Bouvier Beale
as Self
Andy Warhol
as Self
Edith Bouvier Beale
as Self
Lee Radziwill
as Self

Crew

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