Summer of 69 ends on a happy note, with Abby finally realizing her worth and becoming the fully confident version of herself, while also making actual friends. The film follows Abby, a high schooler who has been eager to get with a boy named Max, whom she’s had a crush on for basically her whole life. But don’t be mistaken, in this sex-positive film with no actual sex, Abby doesn’t get a makeover that transforms her life; she finds a mentor at a strip club, the easiest place to find someone to teach you your real worth. Santa Monica is a stripper at the Diamond Dolls, which is about to get shut down or worse, sold to an absolute prick of a man named Rick Richards. Together, will these two women be able to solve their problems, will Abby never get with the man of her dreams, and will Monica be out of a job? Before I get into the explainer, no, this movie is not set in the year 69. It is very much set in the present day with smartphones and “Glitch,” a streaming platform for video gamers. I suppose you can figure out what the title means now. So without further ado, let’s get straight into Summer of 69.
Spoiler Alert
Why Does Abby Have Hallucinations?
You know how they say if you’re not doing very well, you should get a therapist? Well, this very unserious movie basically makes Santa Monica Abby’s therapist. Look, you don’t have to go from looking like Mia Thermopolis before princess-dom to after princess-dom to get the boy of your dreams. Sometimes, all you need to do is meet a significantly older woman who will teach you everything about sex but also make you understand what friendship really is. When Abby and Monica go to the sex shop, Abby gets a little out of it, and while we as an audience get to watch the very colorful scenario that plays out in her head, Monica has no idea why she suddenly zones out. This is because Abby has some sort of hallucinations in her head when things get too overwhelming or even when she’s possibly too happy. This is because she does not believe in herself; she even streams with a mask that covers her face, and she has no friends at school. She only talks to the mascot, who goes by Bernie, and basically sells her information.
When Abby spends more time with Santa Monica, she realizes that she can actually be an interesting person. While Monica first says they shouldn’t have small talk, soon enough, when Abby notices that she’s got beef with their school, she wants to help sort things out for her. While on the outside Monica seems to be confident—I mean, she is a stripper—she actually feels like she’s wasted her potential, and the idea of buying the club for her and her girlies makes her feel like she will finally be doing something significant with her life. The reason she doesn’t want to be back at the school during the reunion is that she feels like a failure. But if she ends up buying the club, she can present herself as a business owner.
Abby saves Monica from some disgusting men when she’s late to a private party, but that means Abby misses out on her stream. But missing out on the stream costs her followers and money. The big problem is Abby promised to give Monica the 20,000 dollars she needs for the club, but without the streams, she can’t even make that money over time. To make matters worse, after Abby and Monica have finally become good friends and spent some time together during a fun girls’ night, where they watch “Risky Business” together, because it’s the movie that was Monica’s sexual awakening and holds sentimental value for the two of them. Monica tells Abby that she thinks she’s not ready for her big night, which is a party the next day. This comes after she gives her a gorgeous dress she bought for her, but Abby sees it as her telling her she’s not worth it. This is when Abby blurts out that the whole reason Monica is being nice to Abby is for the money, and the worst part is, she doesn’t have it. The two end up fighting and Abby goes back home dejected and alone. The thing Abby really needs is a friend, and that’s what Monica was for her, but will she manage without her?
How Does Abby Help Monica?
Monica ends up going to the reunion anyway, because Abby got her her mom’s suit to make her look like a boss lady. The reason Monica felt so threatened was because she thought her ex-classmate, Robin, had her life sorted, and she’d be embarrassed meeting her. But it turns out Robin’s life isn’t as picture-perfect as Monica imagined it to be. In fact, her husband has been visiting the strip club, and Robin also hasn’t sold a house in the last 3 years as a realtor. I suppose this becomes like a bonding moment for the two women, and Monica tells Robin about the Abby situation. Robin tells Monica that she just needs to be there for Abby as a friend, and she might’ve made a mistake, so all she really has to do is apologize.
Interestingly, on the other hand, the party, which was meant to happen at Max’s, gets moved to Abby’s house instead, and it turns out Max is also interested in her, but not in the way she thought. Max actually likes Abby for who she is and isn’t desperate to have sex with her like Bernie made it seem. In fact, he’s also inexperienced like her, because his ex-girlfriend was a Jesus girl and was waiting for marriage. Abby’s over the moon to find out that the guy she likes not only likes her back but also follows her on “Glitch.” But Max gives Abby a genius idea to possibly save the club. Abby decides to put on a show for all the 18-year-olds at her house by taking them to the club and also live-streaming a performance, basically a fundraiser. She dresses up like Tom Cruise from “Risky Business” and gives the performance of a lifetime. Finally, Abby’s a confident young woman who is able to make friends and possibly never suffer hallucinations again.
In Summer of 69’s ending, with the funds gathered from the people at the club, on the stream, and then Robin’s husband because Robin wants to help her friend out (plus her husband is a frequent customer of the establishment), they’re able to save the club from being sold to (P)Rick Richards. Abby and Max finally kiss because they like each other, and they will probably get to know each other before they do their thing, when they’re both ready. Sure, the friendship between an 18-year-old and a much older stripper is a little bit unusual, but it’s still a true friendship. Abby also uses Monica’s advice to pinch herself in the thigh to make sure what she’s experiencing is real, to feel in the moment. I suppose this will be enough for Abby to know what’s real and what’s not, because she made a friend. Also, it must’ve been interesting to come back to your Indonesian daughter hanging out with a blonde woman who’s wearing your suit, while your house is entirely wrecked. But, I guess it’s okay because Abby took her mum’s advice, and I think her grandma’s china is perfectly fine, so everything’s good.
