Best Summer Ever is a 2020 American musical film directed by Michael Parks Randa and Lauren Smitelli and featuring Maggie Gyllenhaal, Peter Sarsgaard and Benjamin Bratt. Gyllenhaal and Sarsgaard, along with Ted Danson, Mary Steenburgen, Jamie Lee Curtis, Amy Brenneman, and Dominique Dauwe served as executive producers.
Plot
The film begins with aspiring dancer Tony Michaels practicing for a dance at Lakeview Dance Camp. As the camp season comes to an end, he and his girlfriend, Sage, bid each other farewell, but not before she gives him sunflower seeds to plant in a special place. Tony gives her his eagle necklace to remember him by. However, Tony, who is actually a high school football player, is burdened by the responsibility of winning the upcoming Homecoming game for his coach, who is also his father figure, as well as his school. Sage is constantly on the move with her two mothers, Kate and Gillian, who work as drug dealers selling medicinal marijuana. Tony plants his seeds in a memorial for his late parents.
Sage dreams of settling down in a new home and aspires for a normal life. After her family's trailer breaks down when they head for a new spot to sell marijuana, Sage senses a golden opportunity to get an education at Mount Abe High School. When she arrives, Sage is greeted by Nancy, a bubbly cheerleader who becomes her friend. Unfortunately, Beth, the conniving captain of the cheerleading squad, hears of Sage's arrival after trying to seduce Tony to become her Homecoming King. Beth taunts Sage for her Vermont heritage, but Sage tells Nancy and the other girls at school of her summer with Tony, who tells his fellow jocks of his special time with Sage.
Unfortunately, Beth, realizing that Sage and Tony know each other and jealous of Tony's relationship with her, devises a scheme that involves driving a wedge between the two lovers. Beth injures Nancy by deliberately fracturing her arm and lies to Sage that Nancy was killed in an accident so Sage can take her place at the cheerleading pep rally. Meanwhile, Cody, the school quarterback who holds a grudge against Tony for taking his spot as the football star, swipes Tony's phone and hands it to Beth.
At the pep rally, Beth humiliates Sage in front of the whole school. The jocks run in, and Sage realizes that Tony is actually the football star. Outside the gym, Beth blackmails Tony to join her for Homecoming, threatening to put photos of him dancing on blast if he doesn't comply. Later, Tony confesses to Sage that he was lying to her to get through the summer to cope with his reputation and he has to win Homecoming, which his school hasn't done in twenty-five years. Crushed, Sage leaves the school and vents her frustrations. She fakes sick to stay home, but reluctantly goes back under her mother Kate's encouragement.
Tony asks Sage for another chance and takes her to the tool shed in his backyard, telling her that his coach became his father figure after his parents passed away, football isn't the only thing he's passionate about, and he's afraid of being honest with his coach. Sage tells Tony of her family's drug dealing and that they're trying to steer clear of the law before showing him her flower garden. As Homecoming approaches, Sage prepares Tony for a dance, while at school, the latter and the athletes prepare for the Homecoming game. Meanwhile, Beth uses Cody's phone to track down Sage, discovering the marijuana her family is growing.
At school, Coach confiscates Tony's phone after catching him looking at a video of Sage. He hands it back and reminds Tony that winning Homecoming is his responsibility. That night, Tony proposes that he and Sage run off together.
The next day, Tony runs into Beth, who threatens to post the photos she took of the weed if he doesn't go along with her offer. Not wanting to turn Sage over to the police, Tony takes Beth's side. Later, Coach, having discovered that Tony went to Lakeview for the summer, reprimands him for doing so. Tony argues with him over his chosen future and attempts to kick the ball, but ends up starting a fight instead. Tony runs into town to vent his frustrations, then discovers that Sage had torn up her garden, giving him an idea.