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.

---

Plot Keywords:

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

---

Taglines:

A Comedy About Drama

---

Genres:

Comedy | Musical | Drama

---

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:

$1,629,862

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$2,707,738

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

When Fritzi reintroduces herself to Jill at the start of the movie and Jill fails to remember her, Fritzi reminds Jill that the previous summer, they had been in the play "'night, Mother" together. The joke is that "'night, Mother" only has two actors in it, and is an extremely intense, wrenching, emotional experience (it is about an adult daughter preparing her elderly mother for the fact that the daughter is going to commit suicide), so there is no way that Jill could have forgotten having already met Fritzi without Jill being incredibly self-absorbed.

---

Goofs

After having her jaw wired shut for the whole summer, the muscles in Jenna's jaw would have atrophied to the point that she would not be able to open her mouth wide enough to sing well.

---

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....
[...]

---

Connections

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

---

Soundtracks

Imagining You
Written by David Evans and Winnie Holzman
Published by David Evans Music (ASCAP) and Copyright Control
Performed by The Company
Courtesy of Jay Productions Ltd.

User Reviews

Thanks Todd Graff

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.