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(More customer reviews)It's movies like 'Camp' that remind me what I love most about movies. It doesn't preach an agenda and doesn't make me feel like a fool for feeling sentimental. It has a little bit of cynicism but a lot of great music. There are no drugs, no guns, no car chases and no fake breasts. What 'Camp' does, and does very well, is tell a story. Simply and completely. 'Camp' took me into a world I was both familiar and stranger to, and made me feel better for taking the journey. While there will be little chance the film will find the same kind of mainstream hit 'Chicago' or 'Moulin Rouge' became, 'Camp' should become a favorite with discerning movie musical fans and help re-usher in this dormant too long genre.
While summer camp often means nature trips, cookouts and wacky hijinks to most young people, Camp Ovation in upstate New York caters to those who are more artistically inclined. Over the two months campers attend, they will put on a new show every other week, be it drama, musical or something more avant-garde, going through the process of auditioning, creating their own sets and costumes, rehearsing and presenting a new show for an audience, then beginning anew the next day. Many of the kids at Camp Ovation are outsiders within their own worlds. Ellen (Joanna Chilcoat) is reduced to begging her older brother in order to have a date to her junior prom, while Michael (Robin DeJesus) gets beaten up at his prom for daring to arrive in drag. Fritzi (Anna Kendrick) is so starved for any attention, she spends her entire year waiting for camp so she can be the 'assistant' to Ovation's number one drama diva, Jill (Alana Allen). Our first clue things will be different this summer arrives in the form of Vlad (Daniel Letterle). He's cute, talented and seemingly the only straight male in the entire teenage camp populace. Ellen, Michael and Jill will all fall for Vlad, even if he has no idea who Stephen Sondheim is. Each year, Camp Ovation has one artist in residence to help run the shows and inspire the nascent talent. This year's guest director is Bert Hanley (Don Dixon), a once promising writer who had been the toast of Broadway with his first musical, but never delivered a follow-up show. The story follows these kids as they deal with each other over the course of the summer. Hearts are broken, lifelong friendships are created, and there's that one ambitious actress who makes Eve Harrington look undemonstrative.
From the opening credits, in which the company performs the rousing, gospel-esque 'How Shall I See You Through My Tears' to the end, when they dance through their own rendition of 'The Want of a Nail,' it is this group of talented youngsters who make the movie come alive. For while most of the cast are cinema neophytes, they have a warmth and energy which make them feel familiar and comfortable. The film feels almost like a documentary, for what little over-acting does appear is saved for the sequences of the stage performances. And it is these stage performances that are the best part of "Camp." These kids are simply amazing, their voices powerful and seductive!
Residing somewhere between 'Meatballs' and 'Fame,' 'Camp' is the brainchild of actor turned writer Todd Graff, who based the story on his own experiences at the Stagedoor Manor camp (where the film was shot) as a youngster in the 1970s, where he was a camper and later a counselor during his teen years.
Making his directorial debut here, Graff has assembled a first rate team around him, ensuring the film's success as a work of art. Oscar winning composer Michael Gore, Tony winning choreographer Jerry Mitchell, 'Rent' musical director Tim Weil and 'Hedwig and the Angry Inch' composer and lyricist Stephen Trask have all infused their individual talents together to create an extraordinary cinematic experience. I cannot stress how incredible I think this film is. It's everything "Fame" SHOULD HAVE been. 'Camp' gets an A+ for effort and an A+ for execution. Bravo!
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Camp (2003)An extremely talented young cast shines in this "energetic musical romp" (Los Angeles Times)about a drama camp where the outcasts of today hone their skills to become the stars of tomorrow. Packed with romance, laughs and "genuine showstopping musical numbers" (The Washington Post), Camp is a "Blast of exuberant fun" (Rolling Stone)!Every summer, talented kids with big voices and even bigger dreams flock to Camp Ovation. But this year, a sexy new guy, Vlad (DanielLetterle), is not only stealing the show he's stealing the heart of every girl he encounters. And as the biggest day of camp approaches, the young performers must overcome backstabbing, unrequited love and Vlad's unpredictable libido to pull off the greatest show of their careers!
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