After one frame of John Travolta in bathing briefs with a sweet look on his face, fans will figure they've died and gone to Malibu heaven. In fact, there are many such frames. But Travolta's grinny appeal and Lily Tomlin's skill as a character actress are both short-sheeted in this bedtime tale. It's a post-teen Summer of '42 with a tough (but innocent) kid and an older, richer woman falling for each other, on the beach, naturally. John and Lily look disturbingly like brother and sister and seem awkward in the sack—which is unfortunate since they spend a lot of time there. While the premise is affecting, so little happens in the plot scripted and directed by Tomlin's producer pal Jane Wagner that their romantic reversals become tiresome, and the movie is a major disappointment. (R)
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