Camp

I join those that gave this charming film a high rating. I don't know where the UNEMPLOYED CRITIC is coming from and I guess from his/her review, we know why they're unemployed. He/she totally missed the boat with this one. Place that review amongst the garbage bin of stupidity.

I thought the concept, story and direction by Todd Graff was a labor of love to the young talented stars of the film. They all gave their all. You could feel the support they brought to Graff and his ideas. Michelle Lynch and Jerry Mitchell brought simple yet effective dancing to the film. Re-creating the TURKY LURKY number from "Promises, Promises" originated by Michael Bennett.

I'm not quite sure who gets the credit for Musical Direction, but it was wonderful to see these young people of today bringing their talents to the Broadway oldies of yesterday. How wonderful for them to know the music of the time.

I give special praise to Daniel Letterle, who seems to be getting most of the bad raps here. I thought he played his role with simplicity and great depth. For such a young actor, he managed to touch your heart with his work. Thank you, Daniel. And Robin de Jesus, too, gave a simple approach to his role. It could have been over the wall acting, but he kept the lid on and made the part his own. Everyone else did very well. They brought good acting, and of course those gorgeous voices.

Congratulations, Mr. Graff, and please give Mr. Sondheim my best.

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.

This movie has an amateurish air to it, with more than its share of sloppy edits, plot dead-ends, and those little acting moments that take the viewer out of the story. The story and setting are so entertaining, however, that it manages to overcome its shortcomings and remain a memorable experience. The characters are realistic and fun, and the song choices are consistently good (especially "Turkey Lurkey Time" which is otherwise unavailable on film, far as I know). The original songs (from the people who brought you "Fame") are also good--occasionally terrific.

It's interesting to me that among a cast of newcomers and unknowns, the worst performances are from the adults--especially Don Dixon (Bert). The kids fare much better in general, and their musical performances are their real strengths (unsurprisingly). A surer hand on the direction and script could have tightened Camp up considerably, but even as messy as it is, it's still well worth seeing.

The talent of this group of young people is amazing. As a theater major and a singer, these kids displayed the talent that you always hoped would show up at an audition. How Graff brought together such a wonderfully diverse and talented group puzzles me. I mean these kids weren't typical Hollywood flash and from their profiles this movie was the only thing that most of them have ever been in, however, that never shows on the screen. Although the storyline is not extremely complex, it is interesting and the music makes the movie worth seeing. The production numbers in the show are staged well and the choreography is fantastic. Although I didn't buy for one minute that this was a theater camp (because everyone was ULTRA talented), I appreciated the fact that the musical performances weren't overstaged with props, costumes, and sets that would never be available to ANY high school student.

...although that may not be saying much, it truly loves these kids that it portrays and is clearly made for such kids. Other reviewers have faulted "Camp" for its shallow plot, the inconsistency of its characters, the stereotypes, and an overall amateurish quality. All I can say is "What'd you expect? It's a teen drama!" In fact, I'm pretty sure it wouldn't have worked if the film tried to be more grown-up. To properly enjoy "Camp", adult viewers need to recall their world view during their teen years. Only then can they realize how much they would have wanted to see a movie like this when they were teens. Of course, if you were a quarterback or prom queen in high school, then perhaps you wouldn't be able to relate to this movie at all.