
A fun little sex education for you.
We all know the 69 joke and the sexual position that turns people on. Now, I guess somebody suggested they make a movie about it. But “Summer of ‘69” isn’t a documentary or biopic; this is a teen coming-of-age comedy with Jillian Bell making her directorial debut, and it’s a funny, gross, wacky, and sweet one. A nice combination that can work wonders as long as they don’t overshadow one another.
I’ve tried to call tell you people to see “Booksmart” and “Joy Ride” in theaters before, and you have no idea what most of you were missing. They were raunchy chick flicks that knew which movie-goers to speak to, and delivers with big laughs and heart. I’m pretty sure if this movie was in theaters, it would get overshadowed by some of the bigger new movies like “Thunderbolts,” “Sinners,” or “A Minecraft Movie.” So, I guess, at this point, it makes sense that Hulu would distribute it.
We meet Abby (Sam Morelos from “That 90’s Show”), a socially awkward high school student, who finds out that her childhood crush Max (Matt Cornett) has broken up with his girlfriend. She also wonders why he would end up with her because of where her sexual fantasies head off into. With some guidance from her school mascot friend-The Saint Bernard (Fernando Carsa)-she decides she must perform what may be Matt’s favorite sexual position-69. It’s almost like if “Sixteen Candles” was R-rated.
That’s when Abby turns to the exotica dancer Santa Monica (Chloe Fineman) for guidance. Let’s call her “(her) sexual godmother.” And she can pay her through her gaming money from the livestreams she does. It’s funny because I did praise “Anora,” which was about a stripper being involved with Russian gangsters and the large sum of money she would receive as compensation for her troubles. And plus, there is a scene later in the film when Santa is called a hooker. And there is a strong distinction between a hooker and a stripper.
Diamond Dolls, the strip club she works at, also includes her her boss Betty Spaghetti (Paula Pell), and fellow strippers Angel (Liza Koshy) and Destiny (Nicole Byer), who all acknowledge that club is going out of business. At this point there are two options: either the sexist sleaze ball Rick Richards (Charlie Day) buys it or Santa raises the money by helping Abby whom she thinks is rich from her livestreams.
I think we can agree I made the right call to kinda skip the Netflix comedy “Kinda Pregnant,” which also featured Bell, last Winter. I’m glad I also made the right choice to watch her directorial debut of “Summer of ’69,” and she also Hitchcocks herself in it as a cashier. I met her a while ago, and while her material is be vulgar and funny, she’s also a nice person. And she reflects her personality and comedic style in this movie.
It doesn’t take the kind of jumps that some of the best (and sometimes under-appreciated) teen comedies have taken, but it still delivers with attitude and timing. I admire the chemistry between Morelos and Fineman in the ways that they have their own insecurities but still manage to connect, especially when they do their own riffs on “Risky Business.”
You see I like chick flicks, as long as they’re smart and versatile, and have the strong respect for both opposite sexes. I’ve made that clear before and I’ll continue to do so, because these young women in “Summer of ’69” are smart and funny, and they have their intentions. One wants to have sex and the other wants to save her strip club. And so, we’re given a dirty and clean teen comedy.
Now Streaming on Hulu

