The 1982 short science fiction film All Summer in a Day is based on the Ray Bradbury short story of the same title.

The film expands on the story, creating more named characters and a number of other nice touches.

As in the story, a group of nine-year-old children live on a planet of constant rain. This continual rain stops for only two hours once every seven years. In the story the planet is identified as Venus but in the movie it is not identified with a specific name. The seven-year appearance of the sun is predicted by scientists.

The main character is Margot, played by Reesa Mallen. She is different from the other children, having come from Earth when she was old enough to remember seeing the sun, which she longs to see again. Margot is shy, quiet, and artistic. One of the nice touches in the film is that Margot has a secret shrine to her home on Earth. Only one classmate, Paula, played by Tammy Simpson, is Margot’s friend. In the story she had no friends.

William, the class bully, played by Keith Mitchell (later Coogan) takes a dislike to Margot. He accuses her of lying about seeing the sun and is verbally abusive. Margot tries to ignore his cruelty until William pulls a brutal prank which changes everything.

The setting is absolutely right. The film was shot at the decommissioned Fort MacArthur military base in San Pedro, California. The thick cement-walled buildings create a suitably gloomy atmosphere. Costuming is also nicely done and the acting is well above average. Most outstanding is a beautiful ending which continues where the story leaves off. A friend of mine once said that many Bradbury stories are like a window opening on a story already in progress, and in some the window closes but the story continues. “All Summer in a Day” is exactly such a story, and the filmmakers created the perfect ending.

This is one of the best filmed adaptations of a Ray Bradbury story ever. It could scarcely have been done better. This film is timeless and (except for a rather old-fashioned TV used in a video call) will never be outdated. It should be shown to all schoolchildren, in the fourth or fifth grades would be the right time. Highest recommendation for all ages.