Almost Summer

During a California beach party, high school students show their support for the two juniors running for student body president. Campaign manager Bobby DeVito takes bets for his candidate, Grant Michelson, while staring longingly at Grant's opponent, his own ex-girlfriend Christine Alexander, as she cuddles with her new boyfriend, football quarterback and current senior class president Kevin Hawkins. Bobby's sister, Donna, pines for a virtually unknown junior named Darryl Fitzgerald, who also has a crush on Christine.

The next day, Bobby and his friend, Dean Hampton, learn that Christine had Grant suspended from school and is now running unopposed. With two weeks left until the students vote, Bobby and Dean are desperate to find a replacement candidate since they have a lot of money bet against Christine. While Bobby is working in the attendance office, he meets Darryl, who comes in to get a note because he was late. Bobby decides Darryl's anonymity makes him the perfect contender to run against Christine. Darryl protests until Bobby points out that being a candidate is the perfect way to get popular girls such as Christine to notice him. Minutes later, at the school assembly to introduce the candidates, Darryl delivers a heartfelt speech and makes a favorable impression on his classmates. Later that day, Christine and Kevin argue when they realize that his failure to secure a college football scholarship derails their plans for the future. A short time after, Donna and her friend are window shopping and she sees a beautiful prom gown in the window and her friend questions why she is interested in the gown. Donna excitedly tells her that whoever is elected senior class president gets two tickets to the senior prom and when Darryl wins, she wants to be ready.

Bobby grooms his candidate for the election by having Darryl's hair artfully cut, showcasing his talent with dominoes, having him learn the names of influential classmates and insisting he familiarize himself with the issue of illegal search and seizure, since the topic has become important to high school students across the city. With Bobby's relentless assistance, Darryl becomes a skillful campaigner and begins to enjoy his growing popularity. When Bobby and Darryl are hanging out one evening at Darryl's pool, Bobby tells him how much Donna likes him. Darryl, however, thinks it is not a good idea to get involved with her because she is working on his campaign, and admits that he likes Christine.

Dean is having issues with his girlfriend, Nicole, who aspires to become a professional singer. He surprises her with a visit to tell her about his plans after the prom for the both of them, only to see she is going out a date with a record producer. Afterwards, Nicole tries to reason with Dean, but he is bitter towards her.

Sometime later, Christine challenges Darryl to a debate, then accuses him of being Bobby's puppet when he declines. Donna overhears the conversation and runs to Bobby in the cafeteria to let him know. Before she can say anything, to her shock, Bobby admits that he told Darryl how much she likes him. Enraged, she throws a tray of food at him, but it hits another guy, which results in a food fight in the cafeteria. That afternoon, when Darryl reports to Bobby that he accepted Christine's offer of a public debate, Bobby angrily insists Darryl cannot beat Christine. Darryl retorts that he needs to prove that he can rise to the challenge and does not need Bobby's help to win.

At the debate, when the candidates are starting, Dean rushes into the room and informs the gathered students that police are on campus and they got Duane Jackson. The students run into the hallway in time to see several policemen manhandling Duane and order him to open his locker. One officer searches the locker and finds a plastic bag of marijuana. While Duane denies the drugs are his and the policemen prepare to arrest him, Darryl speaks up and quotes California law, shouting that the policemen's actions are illegal. The police officers abandon the arrest and leave as the students cheer Darryl.

On election day, Donna watches Darryl soliciting votes and he admits to her how much he wants to win, while she looks at him questioningly and confused. Meanwhile, Bobby and Christine call a truce. Though they tenderly reminisce about their past relationship, she confirms she is still going to the prom with Kevin the next night. Soon after, Kevin declares Darryl the winner of the election. Darryl catches Christine and she concedes the victory. He then excitedly runs to Donna and asks her if she is going to the prom with him, but she declines, telling him that he has changed.

Later, Darryl visits Bobby and apologizes for not properly acknowledging Bobby's contribution to his victory. Assuring him all is forgiven, Bobby rushes Darryl out his back door, then answers the front door and pays off the men he hired to pretend to be policemen harassing Duane. When the men leave, Bobby turns around and sees Darryl, aware that he witnessed the transaction. Darryl is crestfallen when he learns the bust was a setup to enable him to win the election. Bobby defends his actions, saying that he had to prevent Christine from winning and insists that Darryl wanted to win the election. At school the next day, Darryl explains to his classmates that the police raid had been staged, in lieu of giving an acceptance speech. He admits he wanted to be class president more than anything but knows he cannot accept the office because he did not really earn it. Darryl runs out of the auditorium and drives away without hearing his classmates chanting, "We want Darryl!"

That evening, Donna visits Darryl at his home dressed up for the prom in the gown she saw at the store, and tells him they are going. He protests, but she informs him everyone knows how much courage it took to admit the truth, so the students still support him. In a happy and touching ending, at the prom, Darryl is in tears at the support of his classmates and is happy to be with Donna, Dean is reunited with Nicole, and Bobby and Christine leave their dates and are drawn together and kiss.

The best-known actors to star in the film were Bruno Kirby as Bobby DeVito and Tim Matheson in the role of Kevin Hawkins. The film features three professional skateboarders: Bryan Beardsley, Ty Page, and Mark Bowden. Also of note is the scene between two future characters (Hayward and Coolidge) of the TV series The White Shadow, when Dean Hampton (Thomas Carter) tries to convince basketball star Scottie (Byron Stewart) to run for president.

Outdoor scenes were filmed at Verdugo Hills High School in Tujunga, California.

The film was released regionally in the United States in Dallas and Oklahoma City on April 21, 1978.[1] The film's nationwide release was delayed until September 22, 1978.[2]

The film was rated PG by the Motion Picture Association of America, but earned a B — "objectionable in part" — rating from the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops' Office for Film and Broadcasting; the latter body observed that "the film presents in uncritical fashion a suffocatingly materialistic and amoral environment, has offensive jokes at the expense of people with physical disabilities, and flaunts a gratuitous bit of nudity."

Most of the soundtrack was written by Mike Love of the Beach Boys and performed by a studio band assembled by Love known as Celebration.

The title song, which became a mid-level hit single (U.S. #28, Canada #30),[7][8] opens with the lyrics "Susie wants to be a lady director, and Eddie wants to drive a hearse; Johnny wants to be a doctor or lawyer, and Linda wants to be a nurse" — reflecting a total lack of world-changing idealism on the part of the teenage characters.

• List of American films of 1978

• Almost Summer at the American Film Institute Catalog
• Almost Summer at the TCM Movie Database
• Almost Summer at Letterboxd
• Almost Summer at AllMovie
• Almost Summer at Box Office Mojo
• Almost Summer at IMDb