A.J. Johnson, Adrienne-Joi Johnson, Duane Martin, Glynn Turman, Jada Pinkett Smith ... (see more) , Joe Morton , Larenz Tate , Markus Redmond , Mary Alice , Morris Chestnut , Phyllis Yvonne Stickney , Suzzanne Douglass , Vanessa Bell Calloway

This sophomore effort by Matty Rich seems surprisingly run-of-the-mill, considering his first film was the low-budget success story Straight Out of Brooklyn. Set in Martha's Vineyard during the summer of '76, this feels very much like an updated, African American version of Summer of ... (read more) This sophomore effort by Matty Rich seems surprisingly run-of-the-mill, considering his first film was the low-budget success story Straight Out of Brooklyn.

Set in Martha's Vineyard during the summer of '76, this feels very much like an updated, African American version of Summer of '42. Larenz Tate is the shy teen from New York who, along with his politically radical parents, vacations with wealthy Republican relatives. When not confiding in his wooden doll, he learns a little about life and even more about sex. Inkwell, by the way, is the name of the beach where the African American population of Martha's Vineyard owns homes.

Clumsily written and executed, this is sweet enough on the surface, but too slick to feel genuine. Also released as No Ordinary Summer. --Rochelle O'Gorman

R, 112 min.
Directed by: Matty Rich
Release Date: Apr 22, 1994
DVD Release Date: Apr 08, 2003