Camp

For the past five years, I have had the privilege of serving as a counselor at the camp on which this movie is based. It is the most emotionally exhausting, physically draining, spiritually challenging week a person could experience in their lives. It is an awesome blessing to work at Royal Family Kids Camp and have kids change your life. The movie takes a couple of artistic liberties with Royal Family Kids Camp rules (The most important rule at camp is that a child is never alone with an adult. There are always two adults within sight of each other), but that's understandable from a cinematic point of view. The real point is that you see how a foster kid can impact you in the five days you think you are impacting them. This movie shows that in a great way. The main character finds his life changed and finds that those who are most difficult to love are often those who need love the most. This is a great lesson for life and how we interact with other people.

Moving... Powerful... Real...

Three words I would use to describe the movie Camp!

I had the opportunity to screen the movie Camp and was asked to review it. I promise you if you watch Camp a few things will happen.

You will laugh

You will cry

You will be moved

You will be motivated

You will want to help a child in need

It is very possible you will never be the same!

Camp is inspired by real stories and events. Camp shares the story of Eli a child who has been badly abused and is in foster care. His father is incarcerated and his mother is dead. Eli attends a camp for foster kids for one week. He is matched with Ken, a camp counselor, who is more focused on his fancy car and career than he is on helping kids. As the movie unfolds we get to see how a week at camp can change both of their lives forever.

What I appreciated most about this movie was how real it is. Often children in foster care are portrayed very inaccurately. I felt like the writers did a fabulous job showing the uniqueness of each of the children in the movie. I also was impressed with how the writers showed the causes behind the behaviors of the kids. Kids aren't usually "bad" for no reason. It was nice to finally see a film that showed that often those behaviors are a way for a child to remain safe, survive, and cope under very difficult circumstances. I felt like the writing really allowed the unique personalities of the kids to shine. I particularly adored a little girl in the film who couldn't ride a bike, someone had told her she was too fat to ride. We all know I can't ride a bike to save my soul. I told Ray after that part that we needed to find her and adopt her!

If we weren't already completing our foster care licensing I would be making the call today to get started! My hope is that Camp will touch the hearts of people watching and motivate more people to foster. There is a line in the movie that I will end with.

"He is testing you. To see if you give a damn, because no one else does."

I promise I do!

Please take the time to go see Camp in the theater.

Just saw this at the local AMC. After seeing the write up, I knew it would be a sad movie, I just didn't expect this.

It's sad to know that there are kids out there that actually have life this rough, but knowing that there are people out there that are working to help these kids experience at least a week of joy is good to know.

This was a great movie, although the religious theme does come across as a bit much at points, but it doesn't detract from an otherwise good film.

If you're in the mood for a heartfelt drama with some light comedy and a lot of heart, go see this film. Definitely picking this up on DVD.

I have had the privilege of being involved in the camp for foster children of which this film was inspired. Although there are three cleverly intertwining plot lines in the film, many true and typical events are in the characters' stories. It is definitely inspired by real life. I felt that it was a good depiction of what happens at this unique summer camp - the growing awareness we as volunteers have of the disadvantages and trauma this population of children experiences and the incredible hope that is brought to these children through a week at camp. This film may not be what you expect, but I feel it is real life. Although there is pain (and pride) in the characters' stories, there is also redemption and hope. There are actually only a couple violent scenes in the film which give it its rating, if that is a viewer's concern, but they are necessary to tell the story and depict the reality of what these children in our own communities experience, the environments that are "normal" for them, and how they react as they try to cope in this world, which can sometimes be shocking to us. Although the film and its themes may cause tears, the film also brings laughter and most importantly, thought. It may even motivate you to get involved and make a difference in the world yourself.

If you think you may want to volunteer at a camp like this search online for one in your area, but don't worry, they will train you so you can be a better counselor than Ken was.

I will admit that my first fear with some of these smaller inspirational films is the quality of the acting. Let's face it. I pretty much hid my face in embarrassment during the first 20 minutes of Facing the Giants because the acting was so bad. (Though the movie redeemed itself in the end.) So I was relieved when I realized the acting was good, great in some cases. Miles Elliot shines as Eli and lets you peek into his vulnerability in between moments of spitting and running. Asante Jones kills it as veteran camp counselor Sam. And Matthew Jacob Wayne as the alien-obsessed Redford…well he's adorable.

I found myself smiling through the first 1:30 minutes of the film, not because the film is always happy, but because it's REAL. Through my own experience with adopted kids and my conversations with other mom's, every bit of this film is honest, yet filled with hope. Though the first 5 minutes of the film deal with Eli's dark family situation, the rest of the film layers on the joy and hope that the camp counselors are determined to pour into the kids during the short week at camp.

Hollywood loves to entertain us. But Camp does more than entertain – it inspires. It beautifully illustrates the huge impact the small sacrifice of a weeks time can make in the life of a child in foster care.

I hope this movie inspires thousands of adults to realize what a big difference they can make by just giving up one week of their summer to spend at CAMP.