RETRO MOVIE REVIEW: CORVETTE SUMMER, 1978

CORVETTE SUMMER, 1978. Written by Hal Barwood and Matthew Robbins. Directed by Matthew Robbins. Starring Mark Hamill (STAR WARS SAGA, 1977-2019; BATMAN THE ANIMATED SERIES, 1992-1994) and Annie Potts (GHOSTBUSTERS, 1984; DESIGNING WOMEN TV SERIES, 1986-1993).

CORVETTE SUMMER was one of the last installments of the car craze films of the 1970s. Some of the most notable car films that rolled through theaters and drive-ins during the 70s were stylish cinematic spectacles like VANISHING POINT, 1971; GONE IN 60 SECONDS, 1974; DIRTY MARY CRAZY LARRY, 1974; EAT MY DUST, 1976, and the list goes on… The 70s was the decade of epic car chases, wild crashes, and crazy stunts. All of which were performed live, with real souped-up automobiles driven by highly trained people. From muscle cars to VW Bugs, dark themed or comedy, a car film in the 70s was a commercial commodity.

CORVETTE SUMMER rounds out the 1970s by flipping the concept of an epic car chase on its head by having a teenage motor head chasing a car. Mark Hamill plays Kenny, a talented high school auto body student obsessed with renovating a smashed 1973 Chevrolet Corvette Stingray that was found in a wrecking yard. Leading the charge with his fellow students, the Corvette is completely refurbished with grand style. It’s a motor heads dream; eye catchy and powerful. The students get the opportunity to show of their achievement by taking turns cruising the Corvette on the main drag on a Friday night. That’s where the car gets stolen.

It’s a crushing blow to Kenny who had obsessed about renovating the Corvette during his senior year. Graduating wasn’t as important as the cat to him. He is further disenfranchised because the police can’t do anything about it and his only mentor, his auto body teacher, tells him to forget about it and get on with his life. Kenny won’t have it, though. He’s determined to find his beloved Corvette and starts his search, ultimately getting a tip that the car might be in Las Vegas. Kenny, with his thumb out, hits the road. That’s where he meets Vanessa (Annie Potts), an aspiring prostitute with the wherewithal to drive her own customized private brothel on wheels. It’s a tricked out van with a waterbed in the back. As it turns out, they both have just graduated from high school and she’s out to make a fortune in Las Vegas selling herself. Kenny wants nothing to do with her and has no aspirations other than finding the Corvette.

After several mishaps – dead-end leads, getting robbed, and having to live in a U-Haul trailer for a spell, Kenny finally runs across the Corvette while working at a car wash. After a ridiculous bicycle/car chase, Kenny finds the chop shop where the Corvette is stored. The baddy that operates the shop has a mind to kill Kenny to get him out of the way, but as it turns out, the baddy is a former student of Kenny’s auto body teacher. You see where this is going? Yeah, Kenny’s mentor is involved with a car theft racket and he tells the baddy to spare Kenny. There’s another catch, Kenny has to work for the baddy to show that there’s no hard feelings. After putting up with con men, thieves, corrupt mechanics, and perverts, while searching for the Corvette, Kenny has wised up. He plays ball, buying his time until he can steal the Corvette back.

The really great thing about the film is Mark Hamill’s performance. He was fresh off STAR WARS IV: A NEW HOPE, which made him the darling up and coming new young actor in Hollywood, when he landed this role. Hamill went from playing the naïve golden haired farm boy destined to save the galaxy to a greasy, dirty, car obsessed motor head, with no prospects. That’s quite a departure from what is usually expected from a hot commodity in Hollywood. Hamill really shows his acting chops displaying a wide range of emotion along with great comedic timing. Add Annie Potts to the mix and you have great romantic chemistry.

This is not just another car movie; it’s a hero journey with romance, action, and comedy. And, I do believe it is my favorite Mark Hamill film. Check it out!