Having trouble deciding between a movie-filled “staycation” and a seaside vacation? No worries, The Help has arrived to assist you in all of your summertime activities. This week’s Trip Back in Movie Time finds us in the year 2011, where Cowboys and Aliens, along with a suspicious chimp, were creating their own weird version of fireworks, Tom Hanks and Julia Roberts were getting educated and acquainted and the Spy Kids had all the time in the world for snooping and surfing. While it isn’t easy being “blue,” The Smurfs did their part to blend into the seaside scenery. Under the Dark of the Moon, the Summer of 2011 was Transformed and shining brightly!
Hope our latest flashback brightens your summer days…
Meg the Movie Buff Goes to Hollywood
Originally Published in the Sun by the Sea Summer 2011 edition
The Change-Up from spring to summer has finally occurred, as the sleepy little town by the sea springs brightly to life, bringing peace and joy to all, including The Cowboys and Aliens, who, realizing the error of their ways, seek only to spread the (shore) love. They wisely seek The Help of the beach-loving Transformers: (who replace the) Dark of the Moon with the light of the sun. Meanwhile, the Zookeeper is put in charge of leading the seagulls to a place far removed from shore goers’ favorite foods. Waking to greet the sunrise, our summer cast dons their glitziest shades as they temporarily trade the big screen for a beach day.
Before trading the sand for the stars, please check your local listings for release date changes.
Lacking a college degree, sensible Larry Crown (Tom Hanks, opens July 1st) loses his job and enrolls in a junior college where he softens the heart of a cranky professor (Julia Roberts) from high atop The Giant Wheel.
Following a trail of footprints in the sand leading into the third installment Transformers: Dark of the Moon (opens July 1st), is Sam (Shia LeBeouf) and his new girlfriend (Rosie Huntington-Whiteley), who face danger alongside Major Lennox (Josh Duhamel) as they duke it out, 3-D style, with the shape-changing robots.
The romantic life of a Zookeeper (Kevin James, opens July 8th) gets a little help from sun-kissed skies, starry nights, and the animals he tends to (including the voices of Cher, Sylvester Stallone and Adam Sandler).
Following a bit of Middle Ages-era chaos and a mix of live action and CG animation, The Smurfs (opens July 29th) and a sorcerer are magically transported to New York City. They are quickly “adopted” by a married couple (Neil Patrick Harris and Jayma Mays) who take on the task of getting them back home (but not before a day of cotton candy and tea cup rides).
The Cowboys and Aliens (opens July 29th) command absolute attention when amnesiac/gunslinger Jake (Daniel Craig) arrives in the small pioneer town Absolution and encounter Col. Dolarhyde (Harrison Ford), a former enemy he has no memory of, and gold digger Ella (Olivia Wilde). Together they dodge fireworks and firearms as they fight the alien abductions taking place all over town.
With Sky Ships looming overhead, the Rise of the Planet of the Apes (opens August 5th) occurs when a scientist (James Franco) creates Caesar (Andy Serkis), who transforms into a rebellious chimp leading the world’s CGI-inspired apes to overthrow their oppressive humans.
The Change–Up (opens August 5th) from potent Mai Tai’s to potential Merry Go Round rides happens when a ladies’ man (Ryan Reynolds) trades bodies with a married man (Jason Bateman) as catastrophe quickly ensues.
Peeking through Sunny’s Lookout Lighthouse, an awkward college graduate (Emma Stone) finds The Help (opens August 12th) she needs when she secretly interviews a few courageous African-American maids about their difficult experiences with their white employers during the early 1960’s.
The Spy Kids: (have ) All the Time in the World (opens August 5th) for Boogie Board Races when they encounter a former spy/full-time mom (Jessica Alba) who must return to work to fight the Timekeeper (Jeremy Piven) determined to stop time.
Our Idiot Brother (Paul Rudd, opens August 26th), completely clueless when it comes to important matters like sand castles and surfboard safety, alternates his time between his three ill-tempered sisters (Elizabeth Banks, Zooey Deschanel and Emily Mortimer) after he loses his job and his girlfriend.
As the Spy Kids: (spend) All the Time in the World pier-hopping, out-of-work Larry Crowne wisely utilizes his free time catching both sunrays and summer flicks. Meanwhile, The Smurfs try to explain the benefits of a day at the beach followed by a night surrounded by (movie) stars to Our Idiot Brother. Watching The Rise of the Planet of the Apes over a moonlit sky, our summer cast catches every cool sea breeze, happily realizing they have everything they need for the ultimate, entertaining summer by the sea…🍿🍿
SEASIDE STATE OF MIND 