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Camp - Anna Kendrick, Daniel Letterle, Robin de Jesus, Todd Graff

Threat advisory: High - High risk of entertaining activities

Movie propaganda

You can't fit in when you stand out.

At Camp Ovation - based on an actual summer camp for young actors, singers and dancers - an offbeat group of outcasts train in pursuit of professional dreams. The competition is tough and the relationship dramas tougher but it's the plain, old-fashioned hard work - the classes, rehearsals and performing before live audiences - that makes the experience as magical as it is bruising.

Bert Hanley (Don Dixon), a burnt-out, once-successful Broadway songwriter, has reached the career low of teaching and directing at Ovation for the summer. Through the kids' passion and commitment, however, he rekindles his own sense of joy and creativity.

At Camp Ovation, there are backstabbing 12-year-old understudies, fat girls in love with gay boys, gay boys in love with straight boys, straight boys in love with themselves and, most importantly, absolutely, positively no sports.

Crammed full of production numbers, and even more crammed with the pubescent angst and confused sexuality of a hundred misfit kids, Camp is a comedic exploration of the need for acceptance in a world where the definition of normal gets blurrier every day.

Theatrical propaganda posters

Target demographic movie keyword propaganda

Film teen summer camp actor performer sing romance comedy drama

Persons of interest

Anna Kendrick .... Fritzi
Daniel Letterle .... Vlad
Don Dixon .... Bert Hanley
Sasha Allen .... Dee
Tiffany Taylor .... Jenna
Alana Allen .... Jill
Egle Petraityte .... Julie
Joanna Chilcoat .... Ellen
Steven Cutts .... Shaun
Robin de Jesus .... Michael
Vince Rimoldi .... Spitzer
Stephen DiMenna .... Glen
Todd Graff .... Screenwriter
Todd Graff .... Director

Cinematic intelligence sources

Camp official movie site
Camp QuickTime movie trailers
Awards and film festivals:

Cinematic Intelligence Agency Trenchcoat Awards 2004: Nominated: Best non-heterosexual character (Michael - Robin de Jesus), Best teen movie
International Press Academy Satellite Awards 2004: Nominated: Best Original Score (Stephen Trask); Best Original Song (Michael Gore, Lynn Ahrens - How shall I see you through my tears?)
Independent Spirit Awards 2004: Nominated: Best Début Performance (Anna Kendrick)
Sundance Film Festival 2003: Nominated: Grand Jury Prize: Dramatic (Todd Graff)

See also Happy campers
Studios and distributors:

IFC Films * Hopscotch

Intelligence analyst

Special Agent Matti

Theatrical report

Camp is a film for the theatre geeks among us, the musical theatre queens, the Thespians and those who like a bit of heart-warming fun. There's nothing about the film that you can't see at the Australian Theatre for Young People (except maybe some of the relationship stuff - but you can see all that at any high school) but if you can't hang around a youth group or a high school without looking suspicious then Camp is a good way to learn what your kids are up to.

And if you're a kid you can watch people your own age getting into things that are important to people your own age.

And Daniel Letterle is a spunk rat.