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Jesus Camp

  • 20062006
  • PG-13PG-13
  • 1h 27m
IMDb RATING
7.4/10
28K
YOUR RATING
  • Cast & crew
  • User reviews
  • Trivia
  • IMDbPro
Jesus Camp (2006)
Theatrical Trailer from Magnolia Pictures
Play trailer2:02
1 Video
10 Photos
  • Documentary

A documentary on kids who attend a summer camp hoping to become the next Billy Graham.A documentary on kids who attend a summer camp hoping to become the next Billy Graham.A documentary on kids who attend a summer camp hoping to become the next Billy Graham.

IMDb RATING
7.4/10
28K
YOUR RATING
  • Directors
    • Heidi Ewing
    • Rachel Grady
  • Stars
    • Mike Papantonio
    • Lou Engle
    • Becky Fischer
Top credits
  • Directors
    • Heidi Ewing
    • Rachel Grady
  • Stars
    • Mike Papantonio
    • Lou Engle
    • Becky Fischer
  • See production, box office & company info
    • 280User reviews
    • 121Critic reviews
    • 62Metascore
  • See more at IMDbPro
    • Nominated for 1 Oscar
      • 6 wins & 7 nominations total

    Videos1

    Jesus Camp
    Trailer 2:02
    Jesus Camp

    Photos10

    Becky Fischer in Jesus Camp (2006)
    Jesus Camp (2006)
    Jesus Camp (2006)
    Mike Papantonio in Jesus Camp (2006)
    Jesus Camp (2006)
    Jesus Camp (2006)
    Heidi Ewing and Rachel Grady in Jesus Camp (2006)
    Jesus Camp (2006)
    Jesus Camp (2006)

    Top cast

    Edit
    Mike Papantonio
    Mike Papantonio
    • Self - Commentatoras Self - Commentator
    Lou Engle
    • Selfas Self
    Becky Fischer
    Becky Fischer
    • Selfas Self
    Ted Haggard
    Ted Haggard
    • Selfas Self
    • Directors
      • Heidi Ewing
      • Rachel Grady
    • Production, box office & more at IMDbPro
    • All cast & crew

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    Storyline

    Edit
    Jesus Camp follows several young children as they prepare to attend a summer camp where the kids will get their daily dose of evangelical Christianity. Becky Fischer works at the camp, which is named Kids on Fire. Through interviews with Fischer, the children, and others, Jesus Camp illustrates the unswerving belief of the faithful. A housewife and homeschooling mother tells her son that creationism has all the answers. Footage from inside the camp shows young children weeping and wailing as they promise to stop their sinning. Child after child is driven to tears. Juxtapose these scenes with clips from a more moderate Christian radio host (who is appalled by such tactics), and Jesus Camp seems to pose a clear question: are these children being brainwashed? —Ken Miller <wkmiller704@yahoo.com>
    • cardboard cutout
    • fast food restaurant
    • watching tv
    • two word title
    • jesus in title
    • 212 more
    • Plot summary
    • Plot synopsis
    • Taglines
      • America is being born again
    • Genre
      • Documentary
    • Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)
      • Rated PG-13 for some discussions of mature subject matter
    • Parents guide

    Did you know

    Edit
    • Trivia
      Since the making of the film, Becky Fischer, children's pastor for Kids on Fire, announced that due to negative reactions to the camp after the film, including telephone calls and vandalism, the camp, which was held once a year for three weeks, has been discontinued indefinitely and will be replaced by other events.
    • Goofs
      Becky Fisher swings a stuffed Lion and says "You've got a Tiger by the tail".
    • Quotes

      Rachel: [preaching to a group of guys sitting in a park] If you were to die right now in this moment, where do you think you'd go?

      guy in the park: Heaven

      Rachel: [subdued] Really?

      guy in the park: Yeah. Sure.

      Rachel: Oh... okay. Have a nice day!

      [runs back to her friends]

      Rachel: I think they were Muslims!

    • Connections
      Featured in At the Movies: Flags of Our Fathers/Keeping Mum/Shortbus/Texas Chainsaw Massacre: The Beginning/Jesus Camp (2006)
    • Soundtracks
      Breathe Prophesy
      Music and lyrics by Todd Ganovski

    User reviews280

    Review
    Top review
    8/10
    The Culture War goes to summer camp.
    I saw this film at the Silverdocs festival, expecting it to be little more than an oddball slice of Americana, but I was pleasantly surprised.

    "Jesus Camp" revolves around a pentecostal minister who hosts a summer camp for children in North Dakota, and the sectarian Christian conservative families who send their children to this camp. Directors Heidi Ewing and Rachel Grady wisely chose to avoid the polemical tone of most politically-motivated films, and instead opt to present a mostly unfiltered glimpse of this odd subculture. But through carefully selected images and the use of talk radio commentary as a framing device, they construct a subtle, yet damning narrative about a religious movement that isolates its children from mainstream culture, indoctrinates them into right-wing causes, and uses them as political props.

    At Jesus Camp, the daily activities include standard camp fare such as spelunking and go-karts, but they also include speaking in tongues and smashing coffee mugs emblazoned with the word "government". Children learn that "science doesn't prove anything," and learn to consider themselves part of an Army of God. They are compelled to pledge that they will fight to end abortion. They are even pushed into publicly confessing their impure thoughts, and many of them cry and wail charismatically.

    The camp director explains that she admires the way Islamic cultures raise children so devoted they will risk their lives for their faith. When we ultimately see several of the campers being placed by their parents on the steps of the Capitol with tape over their mouths, protesting abortion, the real purpose of this camp is driven home.

    But the most touching scenes are the ones where the children are alone, and we see the ways that this indoctrination creeps into the most innocent elements of childhood. 11 year old Tori loves dancing to Christian rock, but frets that it's not always easy to dance for God instead of "dancing for the flesh." On an outing to the bowling alley, 9 year old Rachael feels compelled to walk up to strangers and awkwardly evangelize to them, without being prompted. A roomful of boys telling ghost stories after dark are interrupted by an adult who warns them about stories that don't glorify God.

    No doubt some viewers will accuse the filmmakers of the dreaded liberal bias. But this is not a work of fiction, nor is it slanted reporting. These are real people and real events, captured on film. If the evangelical movement comes off badly in this film, the people on screen have no one but themselves to blame.
    helpful•504
    63
    • alafolle
    • Jun 16, 2006

    Details

    Edit
    • Release date
      • December 22, 2006 (Canada)
    • Country of origin
      • United States
    • Language
      • English
    • Also known as
      • Campamento Jesús
    • Filming locations
      • Devils Lake, North Dakota, USA
    • Production companies
      • A&E IndieFilms
      • Loki Films
    • See more company credits at IMDbPro

    Box office

    Edit
    • Gross US & Canada
      • $902,544
    • Opening weekend US & Canada
      • $17,659
      • Sep 17, 2006
    • Gross worldwide
      • $1,013,596
    See detailed box office info on IMDbPro

    Technical specs

    Edit
    • Runtime
      1 hour 27 minutes
    • Color
      • Color
    • Sound mix
      • Stereo
    • Aspect ratio
      • 1.37 : 1

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