Review:

Film "CAMP" (USA 2003)

Review by John Frame for Queer Radio on 4ZZZ fm102.1 Brisbane, Australia. (4th February, 2004)

Director & Writer: Todd Graff

On Wednesday morning 4^th February 2004 Queer Radio's 20 year old James Kellett and my 48 year old self, attended a preview screening of Todd Graff's acclaimed debut feature film "CAMP"  - which is a fine romantic/musical/comedy and very much gay-themed, though straight-inclusive. 

James and I both loved it - we laughed at the same points - swooned at others. So CAMP is definitely a cross-generational success. CAMP opens in Brisbane on 4^th March 2004 at The Dendy Cinema, George Street and at Birch, Carrol & Coyle Indooroopilly.

John Frame’s review of CAMP:

A group of youth of various ages and genders board busses to head off for a high-intensity 13 week musical-theatre summer-camp at "Camp Ovation". (It's filmed at a real-life camp that Todd himself attended as a youth).

By default, most of the boys are gay, and most of the women are straight (accent on the "most" in both cases). Attending Camp Ovation for the first time this year is the undeniably handsome Vlad, who's avowedly straight but who also loves attention and is a complete flirt.

All the students are designated roles in musical productions - and with a new production every 2 weeks, the pressure is on all students to perform - even if that's at the expense of others. 

CAMP presents one summer's worth of life, love and self-awareness, for the handful of key characters - maintaining a great pace, with realistic and compelling character development, fine romance and moments of pure comedy.

Young people may especially find inspiration to discuss sexuality, identity and stereotyping. Not-so-young viewers will acknowledge the experiences these characters are going through and may enjoy the song & dance aspects in particular. Even as pure eye candy CAMP is going to please nearly everyone - and it's full of free-thinking moral fibre.

Yesterday afternoon, Monday 9th February, I interviewed Todd Graff, writer/director of the USA film "Camp", which opens at the Dendy and the BCC Indooroopilly on the 4th March. He's simply a very cool and genuinely friendly person.

I asked him especially about the element of the film in which the young girl character Ellen tells apparently gay boy Mike that bisexuality doesn't exist (or words to that effect). She knows Mike has a crush on her flirty and unfaithful boyfriend Vlad - and Mike had even done sex with a nice compliant girl to try to prove to himself that he might be more than just gay (and maybe also win some Brownie points with Vlad in the process).

Todd explains that Ellen uses that line in anger, during an argument, as the first thing she can think of that she knows is likely to hurt Mike. After watching the film again I can see that's true.

Todd says that he himself attended 5 years of musical summer camp at the same site where this film was made (it's the only such camp in the USA anyway). He says he fooled around with boys at the camp, but for a decade or so later only had relationships with women - until meeting the partner of his dreams (and now of 13 years) Sean. So Todd says that, while he identifies as definitely gay now, there's an undeniably significant part of his past that is bisexual.

Todd hopes people will see "Camp" as being non-judgmentally sexuality-positive for all youth.

CAMP is highly recommended.