James Cotton

Summers Run: an American Boyhood James Cotton

Eleven-year-old Claude Kinkade considers himself an orphan of sorts. His father, Major Blake Kinkade, died in the Gulf War. Claude's mother, Daisy, travels to Las Vegas to pursue a singing career. Left with relatives on a Pennsylvania farm, Claude begins a journey of his own.

In Pennsylvania Claude meets his illustrious cousin, Nathean Summers, the family's golden boy. Nathe first appeared before the cameras in 1954 at age eight. His meteoric rise toward stardom sputtered; by the late 1960s his films were forgotten. After a turbulent career in publishing, he returns to the family farm to recover remnants of his boyhood and begin life anew in Summers Run.

Claude's and Nathe's lives entwine as they forge their futures together. They form a Little League team for the farm boys of the township. Soon they encounter Standing Ovation, the legendary bull of the neighborhood; Parsimonious Murphy, the reluctant recluse; and Tim Hathaway, the deaf orphan who wants to shine in center field.

More than a story of Americana or baseball on a country diamond, more than fly-fishing or film acting, Summers Run mirrors the larger issues of decisions, expectations, and the dreams and realities found along the back roads.