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IMDbPro

Jesus Camp

  • 2006
  • PG-13
  • 1h 27m
IMDb RATING
7.4/10
28K
YOUR RATING
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.

  • Directors
    • Heidi Ewing
    • Rachel Grady
  • Stars
    • Mike Papantonio
    • Lou Engle
    • Becky Fischer
  • See production, box office & company info
  • IMDb RATING
    7.4/10
    28K
    YOUR RATING
    • Directors
      • Heidi Ewing
      • Rachel Grady
    • Stars
      • Mike Papantonio
      • Lou Engle
      • Becky Fischer
    • 282User reviews
    • 121Critic reviews
    • 62Metascore
  • See more at IMDbPro
    • Nominated for 1 Oscar
      • 6 wins & 7 nominations total

    Videos1

    Jesus Camp
    Trailer 2:02
    Watch 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 - Commentator
    Lou Engle
    • Self
    Becky Fischer
    Becky Fischer
    • Self
    Ted Haggard
    Ted Haggard
    • Self
    • Directors
      • Heidi Ewing
      • Rachel Grady
    • All cast & crew
    • Production, box office & more at IMDbPro

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    Storyline

    Edit

    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.
    • 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 Siskel & Ebert: 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 reviews282

    Review
    Review
    Featured review
    9/10
    innocence forgotten
    Enter the world of Jesus Camp, a brilliant documentary that chronicles the life of several people who attend or set up a "Jesus Camp" in (ironicaly) Devils Lake North Dakota.

    Filmmakers Heidi Ewing, and Rachel Grady decide to focus mostly on the children that attend, with some focus on minister Becky Fisher who is one of the main architects of the camp.

    Right away the filmmakers show a growing underlying change in the evangelical movement, to politicize their beliefs. Voice overs start talking about the newest supreme court nomination of Alito. However, once the focus starts on the kids who attend the camp the film gets its bearing.

    What becomes obvious is that paranoia and fear is driven into the kids. There is Ashley a young girl, and Levi an older boy who seems to be on the quest to become a minister and preacher himself. It's obvious he likes the attention that is given him. But the kids are still kids, Levi and his friend go out into the woods and do what all kids do, explore find a scary spider, Levi even mentions, I like to throw rocks.

    But then they are back in lessons again, scarred out of their boots in a sermon as they are being told to stay away from Harry Potter, abortion, and that they are essentially dirty from all the sins they carry. Most of them can't hold back the tears. Levi mentions he said he was saved when he was 5 years old (I can only think of the horrible things that he must have been guilty of to be converted (too much sugar cereal maybe?) ) The filmmakers do the smart thing and let the pictures and words speak for themselves. There is no voice over narration, no probing questions from the film-makers to the subjects themselves. There is no debate. The words from the kids just come out, and they are frightening. A sense of brainwashing can only be observed as the kids talk about how they have to fight in gods army, and that everyone else has to be 'purged'. Never mind that at one point kids are worshiping at a card board cut out of George Bush.

    Some scenes literally look like they could have came from the movie "Triumph of the Will".

    But the brilliance is shown in the innocence that these children loose and don't seem to enjoy in. What young kid needs to know about abortion? or be cleansed of all the horrors of the world? Why can't the kids just make up their own minds with everything but in front of them? When do kids ever get to just.... play? They are hints in the film at that, kids will be kids, little late night camp ghost stories, some break dancing.. it's all in good fun, and perfectly fine.

    But it seems like Jesus camp just wants to crush their spirits.

    Kudos to the film-makers for showing it real.
    helpful•152
    31
    • smakawhat
    • Oct 7, 2006

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    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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