Camp (2003)

Director:

Todd Graff

Writer (WGA):

Todd Graff (written by)

Release Date:

5 September 2003 (Ireland)

Genre:

Comedy | Musical | Drama

Tagline:

A Comedy About Drama

Plot:

After a series of Broadway flops, songwriter Bert Hanley (Dixon) goes to work at a musical camp for young performers. Inspired by the kids, he finds an opportunity to regain success by staging an altogether new production.

Plot Keywords:

Musical Theater | Cynicism | Sports Counselor | Summer | Drink

Awards:

6 nominations

Cast

Daniel Letterle	...	Vlad Baumann
Joanna Chilcoat	...	Ellen Lucas
Robin de Jesus	...	Michael Flores
Steven Cutts	...	Shaun
Vince Rimoldi	...	Spitzer
Kahiry Bess	...	Petie
Tiffany Taylor	...	Jenna Malloran
Sasha Allen	...	Dee
Alana Allen	...	Jill Simmons
Anna Kendrick	...	Fritzi Wagner
Don Dixon	...	Bert
Robert Orosco	...	Emil
Stephen DiMenna	...	Glen
Omar Edwards	...	Alston
Camilla Millican Samuelson	...	Hillary
Julie Kleiner	...	Lisa
Dequina Moore	...	Dequina
Brittany Pollack	...	Brittany
Tracee Beazer	...	Tracee
Tony Melson	...	Tony
Patrick Cubbedge	...	Patrick
Mario Concepcion	...	Mario
Ryan Fitzgerald	...	Ryan
Caitlin Van Zandt	...	Ilana
Luke Stanhope	...	Buddy Miller
Melanna Gray	...	Shaun and Petie's Mom
Eddie Clark	...	Mr. Malloran (Jenna's Father)
Leslie Frye	...	Mrs. Malloran (Jenna's Mother)
Brad Simmons	...	Pianist
Sean Hanley	...	Husband
Jill Ann Goldhand	...	Wife (as Jill Goldhand)
David Perlow	...	Ben Lucas (Ellen's Brother)
Egle Petraityte	...	Julie (Vlad's Girlfriend)
Bylly Fagen	...	Photographer
Steven Brinberg	...	Barbra
Stephen Sondheim	...	Himself
Mairi Dorman	...	Cello
Kenny Brescia	...	Guitar / Banjo
Jeff Potter	...	Drums
Daniel Weiss	...	Organ / Guitar
Tony Conniff	...	Bass
T.O. Sterett	...	Piano
Roger K. Wendt	...	Trombone
Kenny Leeper	...	Trumpet
Matthew Snyder	...	Saxophone / Clarinet
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Kelli Brisbane	...	PA Announcer (uncredited)
Louis Centanni	...	Jock (uncredited)
Eve Dawes	...	Mother (uncredited)
Victoria Kaplan	...	Camper on bus (uncredited)
Rock Rose	...	Extra (uncredited)

Directed by
Todd Graff

Writing credits (WGA)
Todd Graff		(written by)

Produced by
Allen Bain	....	co-producer
Holly Becker	....	executive producer
Danny DeVito	....	producer
Caroline Kaplan	....	executive producer
Miriam Kazdin	....	associate producer
Richard Klubeck	....	executive producer
Pamela Koffler	....	producer
Daniel S. Levine	....	co-producer
Katie Roumel	....	producer
Jonathan Sehring	....	executive producer
Michael Shamberg	....	producer
Stacey Sher	....	producer
Bradford Simpson	....	associate producer
Christine Vachon	....	producer
Jonathan Weisgal	....	producer
John Wells	....	executive producer

Original Music by
Stephen Trask

Cinematography by
Kip Bogdahn

Film Editing by
Myron I. Kerstein

Casting by
Will Cantler
Victoria Pettibone
Bernard Telsey
David Vaccari

Production Design by
Dina Goldman

Art Direction by
Richard Burgess

Set Decoration by
Tora Peterson

Costume Design by
Dawn Weisberg

Makeup Department
Davion Edwards	....	assistant hair stylist
Davion Edwards	....	hair & wig assistant
Jason Hayes	....	hair designer
Jason Hayes	....	key hair stylist
Jason Hayes	....	wig designer
Sherry Heart	....	hair stylist
Persefone Karakosta	....	makeup artist
Susan Reilly LeHane	....	key makeup artist
Tania Ribalow	....	assistant makeup artist
Sanna Riley	....	makeup artist

Production Management
Paul Leonardo Jr.	....	post-production supervisor
Daniel Wagner	....	post-production supervisor
Daniel Wagner	....	production supervisor

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Jason Graham	....	assistant director
Cecily Kaston	....	first assistant director

Art Department
Jill Alexander	....	property master
Jack Curran	....	art department assistant
Bridget Edwards	....	art department coordinator
Brenna Griffin	....	lead man
Edmund Levine	....	assistant propmaster
Eva Radke	....	scenic artist
Adam Roffman	....	on-set dresser
Libby Uppington	....	art department assistant

Sound Department
Jamie Baker	....	foley recordist
Jamie Baker	....	supervising foley editor
Benjamin Cheah	....	supervising sound editor
John Marinko	....	additional boom operator
Jay Peck	....	foley artist
Nicholas Renbeck	....	supervising adr editor
Nicholas Renbeck	....	supervising dialogue editor
Wyatt Sprague	....	sound effects editor
Robert Taz Larrea	....	sound

Visual Effects by
Wing Kin Stanley Tang	....	digital artist (uncredited)

Camera and Electrical Department
Cesar Baptista	....	grip
Bernard X. Brongniart	....	grip
Shaka Brookes	....	rigging grip
Laurie Chakel	....	electrician
John Coots	....	best boy rigging electric
Glenn Fishel	....	key grip
Susan Heller	....	electrician
Milly Itzhak	....	second assistant camera
Alec Jarnagin	....	Steadicam operator
Ted LeHane	....	best boy: grip
Anna Novick	....	grip
Michael P. Prisco Jr.	....	electric
Joia Speciale	....	unit camera operator
David Troutman	....	electrician
Derek Walker	....	camera operator

Casting Department
Jaclyn Brodsky	....	casting associate
Adele D'Man	....	extras casting
Eric Dienstfrey	....	casting intern

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Nora Killoran	....	wardrobe assistant
Kate Quinlan	....	wardrobe supervisor
Moira Shaughnessy	....	assistant costume designer
Julia Van Vliet	....	costume shopper

Editorial Department
Kent McGrew	....	color timer
David Niles	....	color timer
Jane Tolmachyov	....	video colorist

Music Department
Linda Cohen	....	music supervisor
Missy Cohen	....	music editor
Alison LaCourse	....	assistant music editor

Other crew
Tim Albrecht	....	assistant choreographer
Adam Baran	....	pre-production office intern
Patricia de Paula	....	production coordinator
Amy Dempsey	....	production assistant
Charlie Dibe	....	production assistant
Erin Dicker	....	assistant: Ms. Sher
Amanda Dragon	....	assistant: Mr. DeVito
Lindsay Feldman	....	office production assistant
Peter Goldberg	....	production assistant
Jocelyn Hayes	....	director of development
Steven Holtzman	....	key production assistant
Cosmo Inserra	....	production assistant: first team
Sebastian Ischer	....	assistant: Mr. Graff
Brad Katz	....	title designer
Myron I. Kerstein	....	title designer
Christina D. King	....	rights and clearances (as Christy King)
Michele Lynch	....	choreographer
Holly Manansala	....	assistant: Mr. Levine
Ken Martin	....	assistant: Mr. Graff
Jerry Mitchell	....	choreographer
Anthony Pettine	....	script supervisor
Charles Pugliese	....	assistant: Christine Vachon
Michael K. Reynolds	....	chef
Alison Strother	....	assistant: Mr. Klubeck
Al Valentine	....	location manager
Robert Velo	....	assistant: Mr. Shamberg
John Verni	....	assistant location manager
Meghan K. Wicker	....	assistant: Ms. Roumel
Michael Wiggins	....	post-production accountant

Production Companies

• IFC Productions
• Jersey Films
• John Wells Productions
• Killer Films
• Laughlin Park Pictures

Distributors

• Eagle Pictures (2004) (Italy) (all media)
• Highlight Video (2004) (Germany)
• IFC Films (USA)

Other Companies

• Bexel  camera equipment provided by
• C-5  sound editorial
• Clinton Recording Studios  songs recorded at
• Colossal Vision  color timing
• Decca Records  soundtrack published by
• Du Art Digital  digital mastering
• Du Art Digital  film recording: Arri Laser
• Fourth Phase  grip and electric equipment
• K.A.S. Lighting  grip and electric equipment
• Postworks New York  AVID editing system
• Sinjin Studio  score recording
• Sound on Sound  sound mixing
• Sound on Sound  sound re-recording
• Titlesafe  title design
• UMG Soundtracks  soundtrack published by

Also Known As:

MPAA:

Rated PG-13 for mature thematic elements regarding teen sexual issues, and some language

Runtime:

114 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English | Spanish

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Certification:

Australia:M | Germany:o.Al. | Hong Kong:IIA | Singapore:PG | UK:12A | USA:PG-13 | Malaysia:U

Company:

IFC Productions

Trivia:

Todd Graff was the 11-year-old Robert Downey Jr.'s camp counselor when he was at the summer camp that inspired the film.

Goofs:

Continuity: When Jill is in dressing room preparing for her "The Ladies Who Lunch" number, neither her wig styling or costume matches what she is wearing when she appears onstage moments later.

Quotes:

[first lines]
[scene opens on Dee, Shaun and Company singing "How Shall I See You Through My Tears"]
[as singing continues, scene shifts to Vlad in his bedroom]
Vlad:To all the critics out there, I know they're gonna review this, and I know they're gonna try to knock me - is it OK if I say this to the camera, Amber? - Okay. I only am who I am 'cause I was born that way. I have a gift, and I'm trying not to be selfish about it, but to use it. Okay? If you're gonna knock me for that, that's your problem. Jealousy will get you nowhere. And I'm gonna keep rockin' on.
[scene returns to singing cast, then shifts to Ellen's bathroom]
Ellen's Brother:Ellen, what's the matter with you? Don't tell Mom I'm taking you to your stupid junior prom.
Ellen:[in shower] Get out of here!
Ellen's Brother:Your brother - how gross is that! Come on!
Ellen:They don't know you're my brother. Please Ben you have to - I'll pay you.
Ellen's Brother:Find someone who's not related to you. Loser.
[...]

Movie Connections:

References Boogie Nights (1997)

Soundtrack:

Greensleeves

It's not perfect but I found it highly enjoyable from start to finish and consider it one of the better musicals for quite a few years

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.