User reviews

This movie has an amateurish air to it, with more than its share of sloppy edits, plot dead-ends, and those little acting moments that take the viewer out of the story. The story and setting are so entertaining, however, that it manages to overcome its shortcomings and remain a memorable experience. The characters are realistic and fun, and the song choices are consistently good (especially "Turkey Lurkey Time" which is otherwise unavailable on film, far as I know). The original songs (from the people who brought you "Fame") are also good--occasionally terrific.

It's interesting to me that among a cast of newcomers and unknowns, the worst performances are from the adults--especially Don Dixon (Bert). The kids fare much better in general, and their musical performances are their real strengths (unsurprisingly). A surer hand on the direction and script could have tightened Camp up considerably, but even as messy as it is, it's still well worth seeing.

There are two words in the universe that would make a straight man want to see this movie; Anna Kendrick. In her autobiography "Scrappy Little Nobody" she originally thought the only people who would've bothered with this movie were closeted homosexuals who believe this movie helped them come out. But if you're not 100% homophobic, there could still be something in the movie you might find worthwhile.

Ahh, life before Camp Ovation; While the campers perform the song "How Shall I See You Through My Tears," we have a montage of some of the other campers before getting the chance to do so. We have Vlad Baumann rehearsing a speech in his mirror, Michael Flores going to the junior prom in drag, and not only having his invitation torn up by the prom committee, but getting the living crap kicked out of him by a bunch of jocks, and Ellen Lucas trying to convince her brother to take her to the junior prom after failing to get a date (although I can't imagine why). But going to this summer camp for the performing arts gives all these kids and more a chance to not only perform, but to be themselves,... or so it may seem that way. Kendrick plays Fritzi Wagner a would-be actress who also tries to be a toadie to the popular Jill Simmons (Alana Allen). Shaun (Steven Cutts) wants to convince his shy little brother Petie (Kahiry Bess) that he can make it as a black man in the performing arts. Another camper named Jenna (Tiffany Taylor) was able to talk her parents into letting her go to Camp Ovation as opposed to a fat camp, on the condition that she goes with her jaws wired shut.

At the first audition, we see Vlad perform a cover of "Wild Horses" by The Rolling Stones, with the camp background band playing to the very note, and one of the female counselors is convinced he's straight. Evidently the lesson is if you want to be viewed as straight, just perform an old Rolling Stones song during your audition. Even with that, he ends up striking a friendship with Michael. He doesn't insult the guy for being gay, but he does tell him that if he were straight he have girls hitting on him left and right, using his Latino heritage to pass himself off as a Latin Lover. Vlad himself seems to have his heart set on Ellen, and they seem like they're going to hit it off, until Jill swoops in and takes him away from her for a little nookie.

The camp is supposed to be supervised by Bert Hanley, a playwright who had a big hit named "The Children's Crusade," back in the day, and hasn't been able to do anything else but drink ever since. Other counselors include a dance instructor who makes a speech during one of his lessons which is reminiscent of Debbie Allen's speech in Fame, which one of the kids snarks about until that teacher makes him eat his words, and a Cuban refugee director who evidently feared that the avant-garde play "Midnight Sun" would cause reprisals from their "Revolutionary Armed Forces." His maniacal tirades are one of the things that bring Vlad and Ellen closer to one another, and so are Jill's insults over her appearance. But how long can that last?

After Jill chastises Fritzi for washing her underwear, she gets a pep talk from Bert, then sabotages her performance from "Company," by spiking her drinks with a well-known household cleaner. She yanks Jill off-stage in the middle of singing "The Ladies Who Lunch" and makes that song her own! You will forget Elaine Stritch after this, in fact, you'll forget Alana Allen after this! Later when Bert hears Vlad casually perform one of his songs, he interrupts him and the rest of the campers and tells them they're wasting their time trying to make it in show business. After he leaves the porch, Vlad goes into the counselor's office and chastises him for trashing the campers. "They"? Did you think I wasn't talking to you too?" No Mr. Hanley, I think he knew it. But it's after this exchange while the camp administrator is passed out drunk that this golden boy he despises discovers some of his other work, and he rallies the other campers to perform some of it, in order to prove that they and he are both worthy.

The highlight of this movie was Kendrick's show stopping performance of "The Ladies Who Lunch," which she literally steals from Alana Allan. At a close second is the cast's cover of "Century Plant" by Victoria Williams. Others might disagree with me and put Williams' song at the top, and it's hard not to imagine why.

If you grew up in the New York Tri-State area like I did, you've seen as many ads on TV and in newspapers for Broadway plays as you have for movies. So, whether you're straight, gay, or bisexual, you'd be exposed to some of the references to the various plays here. There are some truly funny scenes during the movie. During the auditions, one of the counselors draws a picture of himself committing suicide next to a piano while another anonymous girl sings "Tomorrow" from "Annie." Another is when Ellen is with Petie with her own rendition of "And I Am Telling You I'm Not Going" from "Dreamgirls," and the boy gets spooked and runs off stage. Even Todd Graff, who wrote and directed this movie found the scenario hilarious.

Those who see this movie for Ms. Kendrick should know that it's really not her movie. In fact her part is barely a B-Story, despite her outstanding musical number. The movie itself is based on Graff's own life at a camp known as Stagedoor Manor while he was on a break from his membership in the Short Circus on "The Electric Company." Because of this, it makes me wonder if the gay kids could've been that openly gay in the 1970's. I even thought of making the title of my review "This Movie is So Gay." Regardless, the musical performances are what makes this movie great even if you don't like the story lines. I think there's still a good chance that you will.

After a string of musical flops, the career of Bert Hanley is at rock bottom, which leads him to take up a position with a musical summer camp. When he arrives to teach he finds a diverse group of boys and girls who have come together to put on one musical every two weeks, leading up to one final show at the end of the camp. He is angry at the children's naïve ease of acceptance of the musical lifestyle and their apparent comfort with who they are, feeling that they are not helping themselves for when they go out into the real world. However will their energy for the music win him over or just frustrate him?

I can understand why this film didn't make a massive splash when it hit UK cinemas – basically I saw a trailer for it then the next time I saw it, it was on DVD! It is very different from your average teen movie as well as being different from many musicals (not always a massive genre in themselves). I will be the first to admit that this film has weaknesses but I enjoyed it from the opening song, through to the final show – there was barely a moment where I was bored or uninterested. The basic plot is a mix of minor story lines around an array of characters – various romances happen, lessons are learned, eyes are opened and friendships made. It all sounds rather ordinary and, in a way, I suppose that it does do just what you expect it to. However, pretty much every other aspect of the film comes together to lift the film to be better than the script suggested it would be.

Primarily, if you hate musicals, then avoid this for it is a big part and, for me, it served as a superb foundation. The overall soundtrack is really good and is an enjoyable mix of music but it is the actual musical numbers that really lift the film. They are really enjoyable – both the well known ones and the new songs; they fit in well with the narrative and act as good bits of punctuation. The narrative could have been stronger but the musical numbers mean that even if the narrative causes a slight dip, then the songs are there to provide a lift.

The characters are very well drawn, even if they don't use them that well. The fact that we have so many diverse teenagers who seem at ease with who they are is perhaps rather difficult to swallow but it certainly helps make the film feel a bit different from the usual. At first I was a bit put off by how the gay characters all seemed to be of the 'flaming' variety, but as the film went on I got over this and got to know their characters and not just their characteristics. More impressively, the whole cast (mainly teenagers) are really good – they cope with the demands of the narrative (and the limitations as well) but they are very impressive when it comes to the musical numbers. One time tutor at one of these camps himself, writer/director Graff does a really good job with the direction here – it never feels as low budget as I imagine it must have been and he frames many shots in involving ways.

Overall this is a standard teenage movie with all the hurts, lessons, romances and friendships that you would expect from the genre but it manages to rise above many of the genre by having different (if unrealistic) characters, roundly good performances and frequent musical numbers that never let the fun level of the film dip for too long.

Camp was definitely the movie of the year that I would go see again and again and buy the soundtrack the minute I saw it on the shelf. A delightful memoir and tribute to what it's like to be young and hopeful about a career in the arts.

This movie is beyond words when it comes to being a unique feel-good movie. At some points, however, I felt like the kids were almost unbelieveable as angsty teenagers. The plot seemed a little disjointed too; Vlad's character continually reveals more complexity and conflict up until the very end, and I felt like I was just getting to know him when the movie finishes. However, they pale in comparison to the excellent musical numbers and sheer emotion that reaches beyond the kids' ages.

Graff made a gem of a movie. For anyone who's into musical theatre, or was when they were younger, can relate to this movie. If you haven't, you see a pretty picture of a movie, with spectacular musical numbers ("Ladies who Lunch," "Turkey Lurkey Time," "Want of a Nail"). My only qualms with it are the gay stereotypes seemingly sticking here, and a couple other inconsistencies of character. But nothing much. See this film; it's a great release and will keep you inspired for a while.

Does Stephen Trask (HEDWIG AND THE ANGRY INCH) ever write a note of bad music?

This is a wonderful movie. Admittedly, the pace is not perfection. But the music is great, the jokes are funny and most importantly it portrays a specific milieu. And movies that bring the audience into a milieu they might not know exists are almost always interesting. I've seen this movie once and I'll see it again.

Ignore the critics who want to tell you what the movie isn't and what it should be. They'll only keep you from enjoying a good movie. Todd Graff has something to say. This is his movie and it works. One magazine reviewer noted that the kids in this movie emerge as full-blown professionals. Well -- they are! Most of these kids have never done anything before. That's part of what is being said here. There's all this talent that no one has ever seen. There are kids who are this good. Todd Graff found them.

New York junior and high school students go to a summer camp for kids interested in musical theatre. Lead actor is attractive Daniel Letterle (as Vladimir "Vlad" Baumann). With highlights and good muscle tone, Mr. Letterle arouses interest in most of the other kids. Gay is the norm at "Camp Ovation", so Letterle stands out. The unpacking of his football lets everyone know he's straight. Honest. Letterle's roommate is cross-dressing Robin De Jesus (as Michael Flores), who was rejected and beat up at his prom for showing up in drag. Lead actress is chunky but pleasant Joanna Chilcoat (as Ellen Lucas), who hopes to land a boyfriend...

This stereotypical "comedy about drama" will mostly appeal to younger teenagers who enjoy high school musicals...

Letterle's character is written (by director Todd Graff) with some unexpected depth; the mystery of his medication is withheld, he plays the slowly sexual teasing of his roommate perfectly, and an honest portrait of a young attention-seeking actor emerges. Other interesting stories are the "All About Eve" part played by Anne Kendrick (as Fritzi Wagner) and the washed-up musical writer Don Dixon (as Bert Hanley) drowning his career in alcohol. The show songs hit a peak with Tiffany Taylor (as Jenna Malloran), so fat her father has had her mouth wired shut, startling everyone (well, not me) by revealing a great singing voice. Who knew?

****** Camp (1/21/03) Todd Graff ~ Daniel Letterle, Joanna Chilcoat, Robin de Jesus, Don Dixon

My extended family watched this DVD this summer and the room had emptied out well before the movie was over. It is incredibly tedious, predictable and simple minded.

At first we got some laughs from how bad it was, but those laughs eventually turned to winces of pain from watching it. It plays into just about every possible stereotype there is and plays into each of them incredibly badly.

The actors were also blatantly type cast and lacked the ability to project anything but gross over-characterizations of their individual types. The gay guys were overly flamboyant, the straight guy sulked constantly, the obnoxious girl was always obnoxious and the fat people stayed fat.

There are not enough words to describe how bad this movie is. It is also not worth spending the time to do that.

Our family group that was watching presented a reasonably good demographic cross section as well: a couple of young teens, some older teens, parents, grandparents, single aunts and uncles, religious, agnostic, zen, etc.

Don't waste your time or money with this movie.

...although that may not be saying much, it truly loves these kids that it portrays and is clearly made for such kids. Other reviewers have faulted "Camp" for its shallow plot, the inconsistency of its characters, the stereotypes, and an overall amateurish quality. All I can say is "What'd you expect? It's a teen drama!" In fact, I'm pretty sure it wouldn't have worked if the film tried to be more grown-up. To properly enjoy "Camp", adult viewers need to recall their world view during their teen years. Only then can they realize how much they would have wanted to see a movie like this when they were teens. Of course, if you were a quarterback or prom queen in high school, then perhaps you wouldn't be able to relate to this movie at all.

I learned about this movie the way most Anna Kendrick fans learn about it as her first film. Anna Kendrick is one of my all-time favorite actors, and seeing her so young in this indie film was pretty cool. And even though her part is rather small, you can tell that she was born to be a star even though her role is rather small. Camp follows a group of kids at an acting summer camp over the course of the summer. It's basically like any other summer camp with the same clichés. The only difference is that this film is focused on kids who are gay/ coming to terms with their sexuality. Other than that, the plot is kind of disconnected and all over the place, as a lot of random things happen without much explanation. But at its core, it is a movie about accepting yourself and coming to terms with who you are. Overall, it wasn't a bad movie, but it wasn't great either. The acting was a bit wooden at times, and the actors often rushed their line outside of Anna Kendrick, who killed it. In fact, Anna Kendrick actually made the other actors look worse because she was so good. Not only was her acting the best, but her singing was the best too. The way she was able to not only sing amazingly but also portray the emotion that Fritzi's character is going through is simply amazing. And it was worth watching for the scene where Anna sings alone. Watching Anna in this movie was like watching Lebron James play basketball with a bunch of high school kids, which makes me wonder why she didn't have a bigger role. You think that the director would've seen that she was the most talented one on set and used that to their advantage, especially since her character, Fritzi's story, is kind of left open to interpretation. Like, is she gay? I know a lot of the Kendrick Fandom has read her character that way, but I would've liked to have seen it made more explicit, especially since there were already a plethora of openly gay characters. What would one more hurt? And what happened to her at the end? They could've explored Fritzi's character way more, and the movie would've been way better, especially since the lead characters weren't that interesting. And after seeing the whole movie, I didn't really like Vlad. However, I will say the movie definitely got better as it got going. However, the film spread itself a little too thin by trying to hit on too many social issues and had too many characters. This resulted in a lot of underdeveloped ideas. Like the girl who had her mouth wired shut and skipped fat camp didn't even look overweight like she was normal size. So every time they talked about her going to fat camp, I just laughed. And I feel like they never really knew what they wanted from Vlad, which made him unlikeable to me. However, I look at this as a kid's movie with LGTBQ themes, so it is best not to think too deeply about it. And if it helps someone feel more comfortable in their own skin, that is all that matters. All in all, Anna Kenrick was by far the best part of it, and I would recommend her performance alone.

I throughly enjoyed the singing on this movie! Dee (Sasha Allen) did a fantastic job. She really put the SOUL into the lyrics of the songs. The lyrics were heart-felt and soulful on every level, especially the barnyard scene and the opening song to the movie. Every actor and actresses did an outstanding job portraying the mode for each song. I want to commend the directors and cast of this movie on a grand job. I also enjoyed seeing that all aspects of teenage life were portrayed in the film from homosexuality and love and hate relationships to betrayal and deceit. Brought a lot of my life back into play. I commend everyone on a super job. Could we possibly see a Part II to this movie??

This film is a bit of a everything and nothing. This was the first movie Anna Kendrick (16 at the time) was in, after a successful string of stage roles. Her mature talent already pretty obvious to everyone but her. The story will resonate with musical nerds (of which I am one) and those who struggled to figure out who they are. This was an Indy, non-union movie, and, although the performers had some pretty serious singing chops, it's sad to see that only a handful went on to successful music/acting careers. A failure of the film was that it was full of so many themes it never really finishes any of them. They threw a lot at the wall and nothing really stuck. I give this film a 6 (fair) out of 10. {Coming of age drama with music}

Being familiar with Stagedoor Manor, the camp which "CAMP" was based on, and having attended a similar institution as a child, I turned on this movie fully expecting a nice homage to a place where young people can be themselves and explore their personalities and interests. I know the place and I know it could make a great story if someone were to try it from a different angle, but this script didn't seem like it even made it to a second draft.

Camp is based on a real camp in the Catskills, NY. I have worked there for the past few years and had the slightly strange experience of attending the national premiere with the whole of the camp in addition to Todd Graf and the cast who then came back to the camp to sit in on rehearsals for the evening. For this among other reasons, I found it quite difficult to view the film objectively. The whole film was shot on location at the camp, apart from a couple of shots which were shot nearby, and so the majority of film was spent with the kids cheering whenever a new location was shown, or for a number of the cast who had really attended the camp in the past few years. For the sake of the film you have to accept that this is a camp with no counsellors, dorms that opposite sexes can go into at will among other things. However the depiction of the characters were strong. As a theatre kid said to me this summer, `I come here because everyone else is just as weird as I am!' And that is kind-a the motto of the movie. I do wish they'd showed more of the sports counsellor (who again does exist at a theatre camp in the same way that most sports camps put on a play). I know they shot more footage and had to edit it out. The songs are overdubbed as a previous reviewer wrote, but it is the kids singing them, they were just recorded in a studio. All in all I enjoyed the film, and am interested in hearing other peoples opinions who are not involved with the camp the film is based on. Yes kids like these do exist, and yes they are the guys you will see on Broadway and in the movies in a few years.

Inspired by an actual summer camp for young actors, singers, and dancers, this dramatic and sometimes funny flick is a must see for young people dedicated to music and looking for a career. Critics found it unrealistic, but realism isn't always the best inspiration. ---from Musicals on the Silver Screen, American Library Association, 2013

I had heard the soundtrack to Camp before I actually go to see the film, and yet I still didn't really know what to expect. Camp was a simple film, tackling complex subjects in a perfectly flawed manner. Nothing that I can say here will do this film justice. It is, quite simply, the best film I've seen this year.

Some critics have been raving to the high heavens about this film. It's about a bunch of misfits who go to a summer camp which teaches dancing, singing and acting. As the summer progresses they all bond and become stronger....sigh. This has been done hundreds of times before and this movie adds nothing to the old formula.

The plots are very trite and predictable. There was one at the end (about the alcoholic teacher who "finds" himself) that was so old that I couldn't believe I was seeing it in a 2003 film. Also characters appear and disappear with no warning (who WAS that handsome Latino boy who was buddy buddy with Michael in one scene) and some of the performances were either overdone (some of the gay boys were doing everything but lisping) or pretty bad (Daniel Letterle is VERY handsome--but he can't act and he grins way too much).

So why am I giving it a 7? There is some good acting (Joanna Chilcoat and Robin de Jesus are standouts) and the musical numbers. These kids can REALLY belt out songs and the dancing is incredible. Those musical numbers alone make the film worth seeing. But director Graff really doesn't know how to shoot some numbers--some of the quick cuts in one number were really annoying.

So--it's worth seeing for the dancing and singing...not for the cliched story and some lousy acting.

Even for an independent film (with what I'm assuming was a low budget), Camp ranks among the worst movies I've ever seen. The plot is unclear and filled with holes. Certain details about characters seem to appear conveniently out of thin air when needed and vanish just as quickly, rendering any character development awkward and ineffectual. The flow of the movie feels like the script was passed through the hands of 20 or 30 different directors - each scene has a slightly different atmosphere, and seems to pull the plot in some new, nonsensical direction. The acting could not have been worse, save for a few isolated incidents.

The only way I managed to sit through this film was to joke around about it with my friends while watching. It's worthy of Mystery Science Theatre 3000.

"Camp" is a fun movie going experience. Combining elements of teenage summer camp coming of age stories, interwoven with musical theater performances, "Camp" doesn't cease to entertain. The cast of unknowns may not have the acting chops of more seasoned veterans, but their sheer musical talent compensates for this.

This is a fun, quirky (not perfect) movie about theatre freak kids. Some of the story lines are just as obvious and clunky as the movie "Fame", and some of the acting is amateurish- but the numbers are a blast and there are some great touches such as the dueling divas and the Sondheim cameo. 7 out of 10.

Well, maybe not the worst. I suppose that title goes to "The Room." However, "Camp" runs a very close second. I thought I was in for a fun, musical romp, especially with all the incredible raves it got from Rolling Stone, Newsweek, NY Times, etc. What I got was a ridiculous and completely convoluted story line (Calling it a story line is a stretch), BAD acting and some of the worst songs & singing ever to hit the screen. It was so bad, it was truly amazing. Question: You people who have given this film great reviews, tell me - Are you kidding? Really, are you joking? Or are all of you musical theater geeks who attended this camp or better yet, employees of IFC/Jersey Films?

Unfortunately, this film is going to be continuously compared to the likes of " Fame" or even "Raise your voice", but thankfully, it is not the case. "Camp" deals with real issues, and not fabricated sensationalized and over dramatized scenario's and characters. And also, these kids have real talent.Unlike many movies of the same genre, "Camp" doesn't incorporate elements of popular culture and each performance is thoroughly rehearsed with no crappy miming.Okay, so there are some corny soppy moments that the film would be better without..but all in all, it's a great representation of kids just doing what they are good at..performing.

first saw CAMP at the Film Society of Lincoln Center's annual New Directors/New Films series in the spring of 2003. The audience responded to the film with such gleeful laughter and riotous applause throughout the film that one couldn't help walk away from the experience entertained. Even watching it alone in the comfort of my own home this past Saturday on Reel 13, the movie managed to illicit consistent smiles. In spite of its contrivances and amateurishness, CAMP remains an extremely pleasant experience.

CAMP is less a story about teens coming-of-age and coming to terms with their extreme talent and how that can make them outcasts in the world of high school than it is a paean to musical theater, though not so much in the general sense. The film eschews more classical musical theater in favor of the genre's more recent history – 60's and 70's fare like "Company", "Promises, Promises", et al. The film actually seems to prioritize the musical numbers over the character development, especially given that the cast of kids are more singers than they are actors. Only Anna Kendrick in a supporting role is able to accomplish both deftly, creating an extremely memorable character and also belting out one of the highlight songs (Fittingly, she is the only one of the cast members to have had any sort of movie career post-CAMP, earning a Spirit Award nomination last year for her work in the high-school debating comedy ROCKET SCIENCE). In CAMP, one seems to look forward to the musical numbers, more so than in most musicals, as the scenes and story don't have nearly as much to offer.

This is not really a criticism because the film really doesn't make you wait long in between numbers. It moves crisply from song to song, usually with only a brief character scene or two in between. Somewhere along the line, actor-turned-director Todd Graff wisely recognized what the strength of the film was and shifted gears towards it. CAMP may not be deep, but it is a helluva lot of fun, offering magic for anyone who's ever been an artist and possibly even for everyone else too.

For more on this film or any other Reel 13 film, check out their website at www.reel13.org.

If watching a bunch of high-strung theatre star wannabes prancing around and hissing at one another is what you're in the mood for, "Camp" is made to order. I happened to be in the mood for it, but even so found that it tested my patience. For one thing, it's way too long for its subject matter. For another thing, it's all over the place as far as plot goes, with no dramatic center to anchor the story. O.k., I wasn't expecting "Citizen Kane," (hell, I wasn't even expecting "Legally Blonde"), but I do like my movies to be written with a modicum of competency. "Camp" flounders from one scene to the next, sort of focusing on three principal characters but not really even doing that, climaxing in a flashy dance number that looks like the final scene from "All That Jazz" mixed with an episode of "Star Search." What this movie is good for, however, are the musical numbers. Seeing teenagers belt out songs from "Follies" and "Company" is admittedly fun. And there are some life-affirming lessons about being true to yourself, etc., but these are even more diluted than your average after-school special.

There are worse ways to spend a couple of hours, but you might want to consider re-watching "Fame" instead.

Grade: C