Theater Camp
Theater Camp is playing in theaters at the time of writing. Rated PG-13. Common Sense says 13.
STORY: B+
The AdirondACTS summer camp is welcoming back its gang of misfits … and all of its tween-aged actors, too. Everyone is hyped and ready to roll, but there’s some real drama happening offstage. The camp is in danger of being taken over by an evil global financial firm.
Mockumentaries are funny, fictional stories presented in the form of real documentaries. Theater Camp hits all the right notes of the genre. There are ludicrous characters aplenty, absurd storylines everywhere, and hidden camera footage galore.
Documentaries have long proven truth can be stranger than fiction. But a good mockumentary (and Theater Camp is definitely one of them) proves that fiction presented as non-fiction can be stranger and funnier than just about anything in the world.
PEOPLE: A
Give this cast a standing “O”!
The characters fall into three categories: eager drama students, 20-something instructors trying to figure out their lives, and eccentric veteran instructors. A significant reason why this movie works is because they are all portrayed as genuine human beings, and not mere caricatures.
Ben Platt (Amos) and co-writer Molly Gordon (Rebecca-Diane) highlight the cast. Their adorable bond and the many ways it gets tested forms the film’s emotional heart. But the performances you’ll remember most fondly come from the glorious chorus of young kids chasing their dreams.
FILM NERD STUFF: B
I’m guessing the film’s editor, Jon Philpot, played hoops in high school. The skillful and varied ways he uses montage remind me of an all star point guard who’s able to break ankles at will.
The opening montage is filled with what look like legit home video clips of kids performing on different stages. Their faces glow angelically. Their voices roar melodiously. Their costumes glisten vividly. They’re just so dang cute. Within thirty seconds, we know exactly who this movie is about, what their quest is all about, and we couldn’t be more psyched to join them.
Philpot also uses montage to reveal character. Watch closely whenever he lays down a montage while a character is talking about themselves to a (fictional) interviewer. Sometimes, the montage confirms what the person is saying, adding depth to their words. Other times, the images completely contradict what the person is saying, revealing insights about the person in a most profound (and often hysterical) way.
TELL ME WHO ARE YOU? (Elective Class): A
Songs have remixes, and so do I. There’s Mr F (the Child version), always wondering if he’s let his parents down. There’s Mr F (the Parent version), acting and speaking in ways he hopes will cause his kids to think the world of him. There’s also Mr F (the Friend version), who is miles louder and goofier than any of the other versions. I’ve got enough remixes for a double album.
Actors, like the kids at AdirondACTS, are more in tune with this phenomenon than most. They tap into all the different sides of themselves like it’s their job. Which - if they’re lucky - it will be.
It can be hard to see your true self when there’s so many of you. But there’s got to be a true “you” in there somewhere, right? Some DJ reading the room, ready to spin the perfect remix at just the right moment?
Every character in Theater Camp finds happiness, peace, or confidence once they let their inner DJ out. Perhaps the bravest thing a person can do is shove that scared version of themselves out into the spotlight for all to see.
FINAL COMMENTS:
Theater Camp is the most giggly, adorable, crowd pleasing movie of the summer. You’ll laugh, you’ll cry, and I promise you’ll think it’s way better than Cats.