Family comedies built around vacation disasters, generational misunderstandings, and escalating mishaps once served as reliable crowd pleasers during holiday weekends. ‘
Summer’s Last Resort‘, premiering Friday, July 3 on Tubi, revisits that tradition with a modern streaming debut.
Produced by Blue Ice Pictures, with Lance Samuels and Andras serving as executive producers, ‘Summer’s Last Resort’ centers on a blended family dynamic that grows increasingly complicated as Summer, played by Violet McGraw, discovers that her free-spirited mother Milly (Sophia Bush) has begun dating Glenn Winters (Jerry O’Connell), who also happens to be Summer’s vice principal. Tim Rozon joins the cast as Captain Otto, while Clara Alexandrova portrays Glenn’s daughter, Sadie, whose brand of chaos complements Summer’s determination to derail the relationship.
Set in the Carribbean but filmed on-location in South Africa, the movie reunites writer Emily Andras and director Melanie Scrofano, whose creative partnership on ‘Wynonna Earp’ helped establish a loyal fanbase.
Rather than relying on nostalgia alone, this production positioned itself as a contemporary family comedy inspired by the films that shaped the genre. “I had so much fun reading Emily’s script. It gave me nostalgia for all my favorite sorts of family adventure-movies I grew up watching,” says Bush, citing classics among the likes of ‘Home Alone’ and ‘Family Vacation’.
The story is not simply a collection of comedic mishaps. This cast described an experience shaped by fond collaboration and recognizable family interactions.
“I’ve gotten so close with these guys,” McGraw said. “I don’t think it ever occurred to me that I was working. It was like ‘we’re just on a fun vacation.'”
O’Connell approached Glenn Winters from a fairly relatable standpoint. As the father of teenage daughters, he recognized the awkward reality of trying to connect with teenagers while knowing almost every interaction risks embarrassment.
“I’m a father of teenage girls, and so much of dealing with teenage girls is a cringe-factor,” O’Connell said. “Like ‘what you’re saying is making me cringe, Dad.’ Just as an adult, I feel like everything I do has a cringe-tinge to it. You just embrace the cringe.”
His Glenn Winters-esque follow-up: “That should be the Dad’s Dating App. Cringe, not Hinge.”
Bush also hopes audiences experience the film together rather than individually.
“I just hope everyone gets to pile on the couch, have their favorite snack and just laugh together,” she said.
‘Summer’s Last Resort’ is now streaming on Tubi.
