¨Las Bicicletas Son Para El Verano¨ is a play written by playwright/actor/director Fernando Fernán Gómez that in 1977 achieved Prize Lope De Vega Del Ayuntamiento de Madrid ; its cinematic adaptation was this good and largely considered film . En 1984 Lola Salvador Maldonado signs the script of this enjoyable cinematographic version with producer Alfredo Matas and filmmaker Jaime Chávarri . Summer 1936 , the Spanish Civil War outbursts , Madrid is besieged and there stands out the following slogan : ¨They will not pass , Madrid to be the tomb of fascism¨. In Madrid, the family formed by Don Luis (Agustin Gonzalez) , his wife Dolores (Amparo Soler Leal married to producer Alfredo Matas) and their children , Luisito and Manolita share the risked and troublesome lives along with the maid (Patricia Adriani) and neighbours (Alicia Hermida , Guillermo Marin) , among others . Luisito, in spite of failing exam , he wishes yearning a cycle , but his daddy wants to buy it when the war situation gets better . However , the violent happenings force him to delay the purchase and the delay is too long , like the war itself . As the cruel war is lasting too much , as it is to last much longer than expected . Meanwhile , Luisito (Gabino Diego) aspires , not unlike his father , to be a writer . However , the war dashes these hopes and dreams and leaves him as the head of his family , having to abandon his education and childhood . In addition , the outspoken , aspiring-actress Manolita (Victoria Abril) , like her brother , at the outset of the story her life seems full of promise . There also appears the neighbour Doña Antonia (Alicia Hermida) , at the beginning of the play she seems jealous of the other family's wealth , however , this soon changes and the two families come to rely on each other for food and support , she is very conservative and disapproves of Julio's love for Manolita . As Julio (Carlos Tristancho) is one of the sons of Don Luis's neighbour , Doña Antonia . Yet despite Julio's very traditional background he falls in love with Manolita . Although she does not return his affections , he asks to marry Manolita saying that he will love her and provide for her as he has a stable job .
The movie , and the play it was drawn from , show how daily life of the middle and lower classes and how to be conducted during the war , including their strategies for survival , as well as citizens doomed to a life of subservience at the hands of the Franco regime . Unexpected things happen , but townsfolk find ways to survive . Above all , it is a story of survival and adaptation . ¨Bicycles Are for the Summer¨ is a Spanish play written by Fernando Fernán Gómez in 1982 that deals with the effects of Spanish Civil War on citizens of Madrid . It was released as a theatrical exhibition in the same year , and a popular film directed by Jaime Chávarri . The play was premiered with big hit in Teatro Español Madrid in 1982 , with Agustín González , Berta Riaza , María Luisa Ponte , Enriqueta Carballeira and this cinematographic rendition exhibited in 1984 with screenplay by Lola Maldonado , being efficiently produced by Alfredo Matas and compellingly directed by Jaime Chávarri who maintains only Agustín González from the original theatrical , and adding Amparo Soler Leal , Victoria Abril and Gabino Diego, among others . The agreeable cast is pretty good . Although mediocre acting by Gabino Diego , in his film debut , as Luisito who wants his father to buy him a bicycle , despite having failed his exams . Magnificent interpretation by Agustín González as Don Luis who provides most of the comic relief in what would otherwise be a solely tragic story , he provides encouragement and optimism to his family and neighbours throughout the tale , despite the suffering they undergo . Ampáro Soler Leal gives an excellent performance as Doña Dolores who is even more conservative than her liberal husband , whilst she is easily persuaded by her hubby , she often disapproves of the direction her daughter's career is taking at the beginning of the yarn and enjoys her traditional way of life . Alicia Hermida is very well as the really traditional and conservative neighbour as well as Don Simón finely played by veteran Guillermo Marín . Other actors who give brief but fine interpretations are the followings : Aurora Redondo , Emilio Gutiérrez Caba , Patricia Adriani , Laura del Sol , Miguel Rellán and Marina Saura.
This motion picture was decently directed Jaime Chavarri . His first professional movie was ¨Los Viajes Escolares¨ (1974) , with an autobiographical touch but it was misunderstood by most critics . Later he worked with the notorious producer 'Elías Querejeta' in prestigious documentary titled ¨El Desencanto¨ (1976)) and Alfredo Matas in a successful costumer titled ¨Bearn¨ (1983) , adapted from the novel by Llorenç Vilallonga . With the last mentioned film he also had success in terms of the numbers who saw the film . He also directed intense dramas such as ¨Dedicatoria¨ and ¨A un Dios Desconocido¨ . To change the genre he also filmed the musical , ¨Las Cosas del Querer¨ (1989) , being followed by ¨Cosas Del Querer 2¨ (1995) , along with a Tango film as ¨Tangos Are for Two¨ . And adapted from the theatre play by Fernando Fernán Gómez in his most popular film titled ¨Bicicletas Son Para Verano¨ . His last picture was a biography about ¨Camarón¨ (2005) .
