Summer Magic [VHS]
This classic 1963 Disney film features child icon Hayley Mills  as Nancy Carey, a teenage girl whose family moves from Boston  to the New England countryside as a result of their father's untimely  passing.  Nancy writes to the kindly Mr. Poppem (Burl Ives) and  single-handedly convinces him to rent the family a charming, if run-down,  house for a mere $60 a year. Ever the optimist, Nancy brims with  excitement at the family's new life, but this "perfect world" has its  problems--notably an absentee landlord who knows nothing about the Carey  family's rental agreement.  Through hard work and Mr. Poppem's continuing  generosity, the Careys fix up the house and find life in the rural Maine  town quite satisfactory.  Things become tense when their cousin Julia arrives  for an extended visit, but eventually Nancy and Julia grow from one  another's experiences and become good friends. You'll never guess what  happens when the absent landlord returns unannounced during the family's  Halloween housewarming party!One section that may sit poorly with modern audiences features Nancy and  Julia discussing how to emphasize one's femininity at the expense of hiding the real you--an indication of how much American thinking has changed in a  relatively short period of time.  Nevertheless, this is a charming tale  featuring toe-tapping ragtime music, wonderful songs by Richard M. Sherman and Robert B. Sherman including "Summer Magic"  and "The Ugly Bug Ball," and the incomparable talents of Mills and Ives.  Take a trip down memory lane and don't forget the kids. (Ages 7  and older)--Tami Horiuchi