Camp

Very fun movie.

This movie is fantastic!!!! Based on a real place in Upstate New York, "Camp" tells the story of one summer in the lives of some VERY gifted teens. What these kids can do is remarkable.The 2 main characters in the movie are Vlad and Ellen. Vlad is the "new kid on the block", being new to the camp. Ellen is a seasoned camper, who has many friends among the other campers. Their interactions are at times hysterical. More important than endless plot summary, is the actors themselves. As "Vlad", Daniel Letterle, is great. At the start of the movie, "Vlad's" sexual orientation is unknown, causing friends "Ellen" and "Michael" to have a friendly "bet" about who "Vlad" will end up with. Eventually, this gets resolved and a couple is formed. "Ellen" is played by Johanna Chilcoat. WOW!!!! What a voice!!! All of her tender acting, and the self-doubt of her character is immediately vanished as soon as she belts out "And I am Telling You" from "Dreamgirls". It's a short scene, but has a huge impact. Robin De Jesus plays "Michael", the VERY out gay boy dealing with recent trauma. Essentially a theater actor, Robin is fantastic as "Michael". He shows the mental affects of being a gay teen. The flashback scene is traumatic, just to watch. There are 2 other actresses that require mention. Anna Kendrick, is a 2010 Oscar nominee for Best Supporting Actress. She is awesome as " Fritzie", a timid-acting nerdy girl with big theater aspirations. Those of you who have seen "All About Eve", will find "Fritzie" familiar. The difference is Bette Davis was an adult, Anna is a teenager. She is going to be huge, in part because she is in the George Clooney movie "Up in the Air". It's great that she is now being recognized. Now its time for Tiffany Taylor. As, Jenna, she is the shinning star, at least vocally, of "Camp". She is at camp with her jaw wired because her overbearing father has some screwy definition of "fat". She mumbles through 99% of the movie. At the end, however, she sings "Here's Where I Stand," a Gospel triumph, to her father, as well as to everyone else. WOW! WOW! WOW!!! This is worth seeing, if nothing else. The adults in this film are all secondary, except for Don Dixon, as Bert Hanley, a once-great musical composer, now a boozing loser. His interactions with the campers, and his scene with theater-legend Stephen Sondheim are perfectly acted.This movie is one that most will wanna watch over and over. The acting is good, but it's the performances that make this movie so enjoyable.

I'm starting to believe that movies are made on a single scene that reaches into you and grabs you. If you find that scene, then the entire movie works for you. Such is true about the wonderfully charming movie, "Camp".The scene for this movie is early on, in the school bus that's transporting the various drama wannabees to Camp Ovation for the summer. The kdis are singing a dramatic, compelling showstopper song as we pan down the center aisle of the bus. The camera stops on a young blond boy singing his heart out, sitting next to a man, who turns to the boy and says, "Bud Miller: Sports Counselor". The boy looks at the man incredulously and says, "We have a SPORTS COUNSELOR?".Thus, this movie is made. Camp is a deliriously delightful romp with a bunch of multi-talents kids all spending their summer learning about the craft of acting, and the craft of life. Expected to perform a new show every two weeks, with a benefit at the end of the season seems ludicrous, but the kids pull it off, with great success.This film has many hearts to it, mainly in the characters of Ellen, Vlad, and Michael. As they interact with each other, each character avoids the strereotypical traps many teenager films fall into, and lets these characters live and breathe. There's not a candy coated kids in this film, and thanks to an excellent script, and equally excellent acting from the kids, it all becomes believable.The music is an intergral part to this movie, and somehow both propels the plot and supports it. I bought the CD the day after seeing the movie, and it still hasn't left my small collection of CDs I carry with me. I near tire of hearing some of the wonderful songs from the movie, including "Century Plant" and "How Shall I See You Through My Tears".My boyfriend regularly puts me in his book reviews, so now I'll do the same. We both saw this movie together, twice, in a small theater just off Dupont Circle in Washington DC. I now cannot watch this impressive film without thinking of him. Camp is a film that ultimately celebrates the diversity that life brings, and how our diversity is truly our strength.

The beginning isn't all that good, but after a while a long...while, it does get better.but basically to me it just seemed all about one guy who flirts with every girl but then thinks he might be gay but then nothing happens,honestly its not all that good.

good

another great purchase in the Anna Kendrick films, has been watched several times. Arrived on the date stated and packaged well, recommend to all.

I read a review from someone who bought this DVD after enjoying other dance and teen movies and as a result assumed this would be a great addition. They then wrote a review saying how bad it was. I ignored it and went with the others that said how good the film was. THIS FILM WAS BAD. There are two ok songs `How shall I see you through my tears' and `Here's where I stand' but these don't make up for the bad acting, poor script, strange plot and cheesiness of the film as a whole. I like teen movies and dance films but BE WARNED don't buy this thinking it's going to be in the same league as `Step up', `High School Musical' or even `Honey' you'll end up very disappointed.How did this film make it to cinema????????????

Very interesting and unusual musical with a homosexual theme.