The Truth About Spring (1965)

I first saw this movie as a young teen and loved it then. It would be great if mca would release it for distribution/sale in DVD format. It is a rare occasion when you get a film that is entertaining without the violence, nudity and language these days. Hayley and John Mills are great together as father and daughter. This is a great story about a daughter and father realizing that it is time to let go of each other with a little romance thrown in with pirates and the hunt for buried treasure. Appealing to all ages but especially to young teens in my generation. I keep watching the TV guide hoping that it will be programmed so that I can sit down with my grandchildren to watch it again. What about a sequel " The truth about fall"!

I saw this on tv many times while growing up in the 70s. Strange it has never been released on home video of any kind and even stranger it doesn't show up on tv or cable or satellite much these days. The film stars father and daughter John and Haley Mills about a crusty old 'sea captain' with a teen daughter whose plum for leaving the nest. The girl has grown up basically as a Tomboy crew cut and all, plying the sea lanes in and around the Florida Keys and living a sea-going nomads life with her father, but is now physically looking more like a woman. She's rounding out and is about 17 or 18 years old, Mills's true age in 1964. A young man called Ashton(played by James MacArthur) comes into their lives and he is taken with and falls in love with Spring(Haley's character). As all birds do young Spring must leave the nest which means Spring and Tommy(John Mills) have to separate. This is touching as the only life this girl has known has been living on one derelict boat after another in and out of the Florida Keys. After pondering her decisions, Spring decides to accept Ashton's marriage proposal and Tommy gives his blessing as he approves of Ashton.The movie is well photographed with bright rich easy colors and could almost pass off as any of the Disney movies Haley Mills is best remembered for. Very family friendly even though modern day pirate action is supposed to denote a touch of menace to the picture. Tommy and his cohorts are much too lovable for any 'Yo Ho Ho'. A cast of well-known British character actors add to the fun of this 'pseudo' pirate adventure ie: Harry Andrews, Niall MacGinnis, Lionel Jeffries as Tommy's cronies. This is a fun-for-all tale of a girl coming of age and for me it reminds of the tv show Flipper. It takes place in the same area that Flipper does(Florida Keys vicinity) and was released around the same time Flipper premiered on t.v. in the mid-60s. Yep a good fable about coming of age for the children to sit down and watch.

Hayley was 18 years old when she filmed The Truth About Spring. They had to cut her hair to make her appear grown up. Hayley plays Spring Tyler. She has spent her entire life on a boat growing up away from civilization. Her real life Father Sir John Mills plys Tommy Tyler her Dad. All is well on the small boat until she meets Ashton. Ashton is the handsome young lawyer who spends a week on the boat with Spring and Tommy. Tom boyish Spring does not understand the new emotions she feels for Ashton. Ashton is played by James McArthur. A delightful movie which should be on DVD and video. Unfortunately it rarely is aired on television anymore. It was last seen on A&E.

This is an excellent movie/ good clean movie that is well suited for the average pre teem and early teen years. young girls will enjoy the comedy and the romance.The acting is good and the story interesting and entertaining/ if you are able to locate this movie i highly recommend it as a gift for young girls