Summer of Sam (1999)
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A community in the Bronx is gripped by fear and internal tension as a serial killer strikes during the summer of 1977.
The story
Set in the Bronx in 1977, the film follows a group of residents in an Italian-American neighborhood whose lives are impacted by the serial murders committed by David Berkowitz. The narrative is framed against contemporary events like the New York City blackout of 1977 and the New York Yankees' winning season. As the "Son of Sam" killings continue, tension rises within the community. The story explores the personal lives of residents, including a philandering hairdresser named Vinny and his wife Dionna, as they navigate their own marital struggles and the pervasive atmosphere of fear created by the active manhunt.
Full plot (contains spoilers)
In the summer of 1977, New York City is terrified by the "Son of Sam," David Berkowitz, who is driven to murder by hallucinations involving a neighbor's dog. In a Bronx Italian-American neighborhood, Vinny, a hairdresser, cheats on his wife Dionna with a woman named Chiara. After Vinny narrowly escapes a murder committed by Berkowitz, he feels God spared him to reform his life, though he struggles with his secret desires and an affair with his salon owner, Gloria. Meanwhile, Vinny's friend Ritchie returns to the neighborhood with a punk persona and begins dating Ruby. As the community becomes paranoid, Joey T and his gang suspect Ritchie is the killer. After a series of escalating conflicts, including a drug-fueled orgy and the dissolution of Vinny and Dionna's marriage, Joey T lures Ritchie out. Vinny, pressured by his friends, helps lure Ritchie out but warns him to run. Ritchie is brutally beaten by the gang, only to be rescued by his stepfather, Eddie, who reveals that the real Son of Sam has already been arrested.
- First release year
- 1999
- Runtime (minutes)
- 142
- Production countries
- United States
- Original languages
- English
- Directors
- Spike Lee
- Writers
- Victor Colicchio · writer; Michael Imperioli · writer; Spike Lee · writer
- Cast and characters
- John Leguizamo · Vinny; Adrien Brody · Ritchie; Mira Sorvino · Dionna; Jennifer Esposito · Ruby; Anthony LaPaglia · Joey T; Michael Rispoli · null; Bebe Neuwirth · null; Patti LuPone · null
- Genres
- historical crime drama; crime thriller
- Themes
- community tension; guilt; lust; scapegoating
- Tone and mood
- tense; cynical; fearful
- Premise and plot tags
- historical crime; serial killer; Italian-American culture; punk subculture
- Source material / true-story basis
- Based on the real-life crimes of David Berkowitz (the "Son of Sam")
- Reception
- The film received mixed reviews from critics and was a box-office disappointment, grossing less than its budget.
- Reported review scores
- Metacritic · score: 67 · scale: 100 · review count: 27
- Production trivia
- Adrien Brody broke his nose during the climactic fight scene.; The film was Lee's first to feature a predominately white cast.; The real CBGB club was used as a filming location.
Film metadata comes from the open sources listed in Credits & Contact. Catalogue details may be incomplete.
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