CAMP (2003)
Out writer/director Todd Graff’s 2003 musical comedy-drama CAMP follows a group of teenagers at a summer camp for the performing arts.
CAMP
2003. USA.
Director: Todd Graff
Screenplay: Todd Graff
Starring: Robin de Jesús, Daniel Letterle, Joanna Chilcoat, Anna Kendrick, Alana Allen, Don Dixon, Vince Rimoldi, Tiffany Taylor, Sasha Allen, Eddie Clark, David Perlow, DeQuina Moore, Steven Cutts & Stephen Sondheim
It is implied at the beginning of the film that all the teen boys attending the camp tend to be queer. So, imagine everyone’s surprise when a handsome (presumed) straight guy named Vlad (Daniel Letterle) arrives. He’s charming and it’s not long before the boys and girls of the camp are battling for his affections. Teenage drama ensues onstage, and off, as they practice for an upcoming camp benefit concert.
In CAMP there are multiple queer characters, but Michael (Robin de Jesús) is given the most screen time. We learn that he has had to overcome a lot in his personal life; his peers have ostracized and abused him at school, and his parents aren’t currently talking to him because he wore drag to the prom. The one place he feels comfortable is at camp. He is able to be himself at “Camp Ovation” with the support of his peers and even the counselors. Though, Vlad’s arrival and flirtatious behavior soon becomes another obstacle Michael has to overcome.
It’s probably not much of a surprise to learn that finding studio funding for a queer-focused film in the early 2000s wasn’t exactly the easiest task for filmmaker Todd Graff. Initially, studio executives tried to have him change the plot – drop the gays and make them “Trekkies” instead. It took Graff nearly 5 years to find funding for CAMP without having to compromise on the queer elements.
The film was shot over the course of 23 days in the summer of 2002 at the “Stagedoor Manor” camp in upstate New York. Graff himself attended the camp in his youth and also later returned as a counselor.
On the queer aspect of the film, Graff stated in an interview with IndieWire in 2003 that, “I did try to make the subject [of sexuality] not a big deal — I didn’t want every frame of the film to be about this character or that character coming out or not coming out.” Instead, he focused on showcasing an environment where the characters felt comfortable being themselves.
CAMP is streaming on AMC+, PlutoTV, Plex & IFCfilms (USA), it’s also available on DVD.
