Best Summer Ever

• Shannon DeVido as Sage
• Rickey Wilson Jr. as Tony Michaels
• MuMu as Beth
• Jacob Waltuck as Cody
• Emily Kranking as Nancy
• Bradford Hayes as Coach
• Eileen Grubba as Kate
• Holly Palmer as Gillian
• Ajani A.J. Murray as Kevin
• Lawrence Carter-Long as Officer Gorinsky
• Maggie Gyllenhaal as TV Reporter
• Peter Sarsgaard as Camera Man
• Benjamin Bratt as Daphne's Dad
• Phil Lussier as Phil
• Eric Folan as Eric
• Terra Mackintosh as Principal Donna
• Sophia Bratt as Daphne
• Christine Bruno as Midge the Mechanic

Best Summer Ever consists of eight original songs, written by Mumu and Peter Halby. The score was composed by Jamie Lawrence.[3]

The film premiered at the Martha's Vineyard Drive-In in October 2020.[4] The film was shown online at the 2020 South by Southwest festival and was named an official selection at the 2021 SXSW festival as well, winning the special jury and screenwriting awards.[4] In March 2021, it was announced that Freestyle Digital Media acquired North American distribution rights to the film.[5] It was released on DVD and digital platforms on April 27, 2021.[6]

The film has an 89% rating on Rotten Tomatoes based on 19 reviews.[7]

Calum Marsh of The New York Times named it an NYT Critic's Pick and wrote, "This is the kind of movie that vibrates with the energy of the people who made it, whose enthusiasm radiates from the screen. The actors and filmmakers seemed to have had an extremely good time bringing “Best Summer Ever” to life. Watching it made me happy."[8]

Leslie Felperin of The Hollywood Reporter also gave the film a positive review and wrote, "...it’s hard not to get swept up in the cast and crew’s joyful insouciance. Plus, the cheeky showtunes, co-written by onscreen villain MuMu and executive producer Peter Halby, are a hoot."[2]

Joe Leydon of Variety gave the film a positive review, calling it "An Irresistibly Appealing Musical Comedy Brimming with Inclusivity and Exuberance."[1]

David Oliver of USA Today gave the film a positive review, writing "Imagine a world where people with disabilities didn't have to talk about their disabilities. A world where they're just people...'Best Summer Ever' is a feel-good musical and a big win for disability inclusion."[9] USAToday also named it as one of their ten favorite movies at SXSW 2021.[10]

Kristen Lopez of IndieWire graded the film a B and wrote, "By not acknowledging differences, Best Summer Ever takes a generic premise and makes it feel spunky and fresh.[11]

Leslie Combemale of the Alliance of Women Film Journalists also gave the film a positive review and wrote, "Both realistic and aspirational, Best Summer Ever is the sort of movie that may be fun and frothy, but it’s also needed in order for bigger studio films to consider more inclusive casting."[12]

• Best Summer Ever at IMDb
• Best Summer Ever at Rotten Tomatoes