A Contemporary Memoir
When life suddenly has a deadline, how will you spend your remaining days? “Last Summer of Nathan Lee” is an evocative film that follows the journey of Nathan Lee (played by the talented Harrison Xu) and his friends after he receives the devastating news of his terminal brain cancer.
In this unconventional coming-of-age story, we confront the delicate choices we face when our future is abruptly torn away.
Nathan, accompanied by his loyal best friend Dash (portrayed by the talented Matthew Mitchell Espinosa) and his girlfriend Lorelai (played by the brilliant Natasha Tina Liu), navigate the intricacies of high school life, test the boundaries of friendship, and explore their own sexual identities (much like any group of teenagers). In the face of impending death, these young individuals exhibit maturity and depth of conversation about the meaning of existence that often eludes many adults. Nathan decides to seize every fleeting moment and live life to its fullest; he holds his head high and proclaims that it is not just about the time we have, but the people we share it with that truly matters.
In a nostalgic ode to youth and the transitional period into adulthood, Nathan and his friends fervently pursue experiences that solidify their bonds and transform friends into chosen families. Shot in a mockumentary style using smartphones, the film feels like an intimate, modern-day memoir.
Instead of dwelling solely on the tragedy of a life cut short, “Last Summer of Nathan Lee” serves as an uplifting étude on the beauty of life itself.
An Inspiring Coda
At the heart of the film lies a profound truth voiced by Nathan early on: the desire to be remembered. This sentiment holds personal significance for the film’s director, Quentin Lee, who drew inspiration from the loss of a high school friend. Driven by the memories that resurfaced during the isolating period of the COVID pandemic, Lee embarked on the creation of this movie.
“It sort of…
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