Camp (2003)

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.

Director:

Todd Graff

Writer:

Todd Graff

Stars:

Don Dixon, Daniel Letterle, Joanna Chilcoat

6 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Daniel Letterle	...	Vlad
Joanna Chilcoat	...	Ellen
Robin de Jesus	...	Michael (as Robin De Jesus)
Steven Cutts	...	Shaun
Vince Rimoldi	...	Spitzer
Kahiry Bess	...	Petie
Tiffany Taylor	...	Jenna
Sasha Allen	...	Dee
Alana Allen	...	Jill
Anna Kendrick	...	Fritzi
Don Dixon	...	Bert
Robert Orosco	...	Emil
Stephen DiMenna	...	Glen
Omar Edwards	...	Alston
Camilla Millican Samuelson	...	Hillary

Storyline

Misfits in their lives back home, a group of young people live it up at musical-theater camp. While the sports counselor is completely ignored, the kids' spend all their time in rehearsal for a grueling schedule that involves a new show every two weeks. Several personal stories come to the fore. Is talented golden-boy Vlad honest in his feelings about Ellen? Can cross-dressing Michael have a relationship with his parents? Will one-hit-wonder musical playwrite and now camp counselor Bert Hanley remain mired in drink and cynicism? Fireworks are in store when Fritzi, who slavishly serves glamour girl Jill, is finally told to get a life, and the parents of Jenna, whose jaw has been wired shut in a compromise to avoid being sent to "fat camp", learn a valuable lesson at the summer's big end-of-season benefit.

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Plot Keywords:

camp counselor | cynicism | musical theater | drink | making a costume | 

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Taglines:

A Comedy About Drama

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Genres:

Comedy | Musical | Drama

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

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

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English Spanish

Release Date:

29 August 2003 (USA)

Also Known As:

Anekplirotoi erotes

Filming Locations:

Seattle, Washington, USA

Box Office

Opening Weekend USA:

$54,294, 27 July 2003

Gross USA:

$1,628,154

Company Credits

Production Co:

IFC Productions, Jersey Films, John Wells Productions

Technical Specs

Runtime:

114 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

The song Ellen listens to from her "Broadway ballads" mix CD, is the song "Imagining You" which is from the musical "Birds of Paradise". Writer and director, Todd Graff, starred in "Birds of Paradise" when it first premiered Off-Broadway.

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Goofs

When Ellen and Vlad are making out after dancing when Vlad kisses her he leans to the left. In the next shot their heads are tilted to the right

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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....
[...]

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Connections

Featured in The 2004 IFP/West Independent Spirit Awards (2004)

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Soundtracks

Last Song on Blue Tape
Written by Gary Lightbody
Published by Big Life Music Limited (PRS)
Performed by The Reindeer Section
Courtesy of Pias America

User Reviews

Not camp!

Very entertaining, often funny, and incredibly

well acted. But entirely uncamp. There's

no knowing irony, no Clueless confidence

• when the kids insult each other,

their lines are as rubbish as

normal kids' witticisms. I thought

it was pretty great and reveled in

its lack of sophistication or typical 00s

bored-detachment. These kids are also

amazingly talented, and look refreshingly,

charmingly real.