WESTWOOD, N.J.—A film that explores a life-changing summer for one youngster growing up in small-town America is the focus of a new movie by a borough native, featuring scenes shot in Westwood and nearby Bergen County towns. The film is scheduled for nationwide release Friday, Sept. 4.
Michael W. Gray, a Westwood native and now a Ho-Ho-Kus resident, said the film marks his directorial debut.
Gray is writer, producer, and director of “American Summer,” an independent film that follows one memorable summer in the life of Mikey, played by Steve Guttenberg, as he meets a special girl, earns a spot on a travel baseball squad and wonders whether his father will return home after going missing while serving in the U.S. Army.
Blue Harbor Entertainment acquired the U.S. distribution rights, Gray said.
“My film is a slice of life in small-town America that a lot of us have experienced growing up,” Gray told Pascack Press recently. He said Westwood residents should “know that the heart and soul of my childhood in Westwood is included in American Summer.”
“I’m not trying to teach or preach in this movie,” he added. “It’s a story that can be enjoyed across generations.”
Gray said scenes showing a Westwood residence, the downtown and the interior of Five Dimes Brewery will appear in the movie. Other scenes were shot in Ho-Ho-Kus and Allendale.
Westwood’s role as a filming location comes as the borough has worked to make itself more accessible to movie and television productions.
In 2024, Westwood was designated a Film Ready Community by the New Jersey Motion Picture and Television Commission, becoming the only municipality in the Pascack Valley and one of three in Bergen County to complete the state certification process.
The Film Ready New Jersey program trains municipalities on the basics of motion picture and television production, including permitting, public safety coordination and standards for attracting filmmakers. The designation also allows certified communities to promote themselves as filming destinations through the state’s location database.
Westwood has hosted several productions, including scenes for the Robert De Niro and Bobby Cannavale feature Ezra, which filmed at locations including Conrad’s Confectionery and the former Jack’s Cafe.
Gray was raised in Westwood, living on Dogwood Court with his late parents and two sisters, Alyssa and Ann. His parents, Bob and Miriam Gray, bought their Westwood home in 1966.
Gray now lives in Ho-Ho-Kus with his wife, Stephanie, and four children, Erica, Skylar, Derrick and Jake. Erica and Derrick were extras in the movie.
Derrick also did voiceover work and served as a production assistant, while Jake played a character Gray described as a “nice bully” named Derrick.
The film stars Guttenberg, Christie Brinkley, Logan Gray, Mia Talerico, and Dan Lauria. It also features former Major League Baseball players Lee Mazzilli and Luis Sojo.
According to the film’s website, “American Summer” is a coming-of-age family story blending humor, baseball, summer romance, and a puppy who helps save the day.
Guttenberg, a veteran actor whose career includes the “Police Academy” franchise, “Three Men and a Baby,” “Cocoon,” “Diner” and “Short Circuit,” brings decades of film and television experience to “American Summer.”
Brinkley portrays adult Kelly in “American Summer.” Best known for her groundbreaking modeling career and more than 500 magazine covers, Brinkley has also worked as an actress, appearing in films, television and stage productions, including “National Lampoon’s Vacation” and the Broadway production of “Chicago.”
Gray said Blue Harbor Entertainment is handling the nationwide release. He expects the film initially to play in major theater chains before eventually becoming available for purchase or rental on cable and streaming platforms.
Ticket information and theater listings are expected to be posted at americansummermovie.com.
Gray also said he hopes a New Jersey opening or premiere can be arranged, possibly with some cast members in attendance, although nothing had been scheduled as of press time.
The film is rated PG for suggestive material, some language, and brief smoking.
Asked what time period the story is set in, Gray declined to name a decade. He said the movie could feel contemporary or from the past, depending on the viewer. One hint, he added: audiences will not see many electronic devices.
Gray said he is especially proud of the film’s cross-generational appeal. By Aug. 9, he said, the promotional trailer had drawn approximately 3 million views, and social media promoters anticipated that number could climb significantly before the September release.
The idea for the film dates back about 15 years, Gray said, when his late father wondered aloud why more movies were not made to appeal to both children and adults.
Gray said he took that as a challenge and began developing what became “American Summer.”
“I wanted to write a story that can build interest across the generations,” he said. “Maybe there’s something we can all sit together as a family and watch together.”
Gray said that theme also connects to the kind of community life he remembers from Westwood — people coming together around volunteer service, youth sports and local events.
That includes EMTs, firefighters, coaches and residents who give their time to community events such as Westwood’s summer concert series and holiday festivals, he said.
Gray is a television and film producer working through his company, Relentless Filmz. He helped produce the mixed martial arts documentary “Fightville,” which appeared on Showtime and streaming platforms, as well as “A Birder’s Guide to Everything,” starring Sir Ben Kingsley. His films have also appeared at Slamdance and South by Southwest.
Gray has produced and directed hundreds of hours of branded content through former production company Gotham Point Films and consulting firm Evoke Content Group.
He produced the cigarette-pollution public service announcement “We Hope. We Hope,” distributed by the Surfrider Foundation, Alliance for a Living Ocean, Clean Ocean Action and Keep America Beautiful.
— With some reporting by staff writer John Snyder