Camp (2003 film)

The film centers on the experiences of several teenagers at Camp Ovation, a summer theatre camp. Shy Ellen Lucas greets her friend Michael Flores, a gay teenager who was violently beaten by his classmates after showing up to his junior prom in drag. Nerdy Fritzi Wagner attempts to befriend icy Jill Simmons, but ends up toting her luggage instead. Returning camper Jenna Malloran laments that her parents forced her to have her jaw wired shut in order to lose weight. The campers are surprised by the arrival of Vlad Baumann, a handsome new camper who is, as a staff member marvels, "an honest-to-god straight boy." The camp enlists a guest counselor for the summer: composer Bert Hanley, whose play "The Children's Crusade" was a one-hit wonder many years earlier. Frustrated with his lack of recent success, he is now a grumpy alcoholic.

Vlad and Ellen flirt a bit after rehearsal one day. Soon afterward, Vlad is seduced by Jill, who later makes cruel cracks at Ellen for her weight and her inexperience with boys. Feeling guilty, Vlad comforts Ellen and the two begin to inch toward a relationship.

After Fritzi is caught washing Jill's underwear, Jill expresses her disgust with Fritzi and kicks her out of the cabin. Enraged, Fritzi sabotages Jill's next performance and takes her place mid-song, revealing her previously hidden talent.

Vlad convinces Michael to invite his parents to his next play. When they fail to show, Michael flees the stage mid-performance. Vlad reveals to Michael that he has his own hidden problem: Vlad has Obsessive Compulsive Disorder and must take medication to make life bearable.

Hanley gets into a drunken rage and tells the campers that theater will only make them bitter and lonely like himself. Vlad finds a trove of music that Hanley has written over the years but not released. During a rehearsal for the camp's benefit performance, Vlad and the campers sing one of Hanley's songs. Hanley's heart is lifted and his disposition changes.

Shortly before the benefit, Michael sleeps with Dee, Ellen's roommate, out of frustration about his unrequited crush on Vlad. Vlad and Dee end up making out on Dee's bed, and Ellen walks in on them. She runs off, hurt, and refuses to talk to Vlad.

The night of the benefit concert arrives, and the campers are starstruck as famed composer Stephen Sondheim is in attendance. The dressing room atmosphere is tense, and gets even more awkward when Vlad's girlfriend Julie shows up to see him. Fritzi sabotages Jill's makeup, causing her to break out in boils. Jill attacks her, injuring her, and both are unfit to go onstage. To replace her, Bert cuts the wires on Jenna's mouth, allowing her to sing a powerful song directed to her parents in the audience, telling them to accept her as she is.

The benefit is a hit, but Vlad, Michael, and Ellen are still arguing. Vlad admits that he is an "attention junkie" and attempts to please everyone in order to gain their good favor. Vlad explains that he still cares about Ellen and that his girlfriend Julie had just broken up with him. After another apology, Ellen forgives him, and the three go swimming.

• Daniel Letterle as Vlad Baumann
• Joanna Chilcoat as Ellen Lucas
• Robin de Jesús as Michael Flores
• Anna Kendrick as Fritzi Wagner
• Alana Allen as Jill Simmons
• Vince Rimoldi as Spitzer
• Don Dixon as Bert Hanley
• Tiffany Taylor as Jenna Malloran
• Sasha Allen as Dee
• Eddie Clark and Leslie Frye as Mr. and Mrs. Malloran
• David Perlow as Ben Lucas
• DeQuina Moore as DeQuina
• Steven Cutts as Shaun
• Stephen Sondheim as himself

The movie is notable as the film debut of future Academy Award nominee Anna Kendrick, future three-time Tony nominee Robin de Jesús, future The Voice contestant Sasha Allen, and future Broadway performers DeQuina Moore, Steven Cutts, Tracee Beazer, and Brittany Pollack.

The film was produced by Jersey Films, IFC Films, John Wells Productions, Killer Films, and Laughlin Park Pictures. All production took place in New York.[4]

The movie notably features a song co-written by Michael Gore, who had previously won the Academy Award For Best Original Song and the Academy Award For Best Original Score (both from the 1980 film, Fame).[5]

The album Camp (Music from the Motion Picture) was released on the Decca/UMG label in 2003. It comprises 14 tracks:[6]

A book with the sheet music was also published.[7]

Todd Graff promoted an Indiegogo campaign in 2015 to fund a sequel.[17] Rather than treat the original as a previous year at Camp Ovation, the plot would frame Camp as a movie filmed on the campgrounds.[18]

• Camp at IMDb
• Camp at AllMovie
• Camp at Box Office Mojo
• Camp at Rotten Tomatoes
• Camp at Metacritic