Last Updated on May 31, 2024 by
Summer Camp 2024 Movie is Directed by Castille Landon, the firm Stars Kathy Bates, Diane Keaton, and Betsy Sodaro with a rum time of 1h 36m theater released May 31, 2024.
If Hollywood aims to attract older people to the theaters by telling stories about them, then ‘Summer Camp’ is a good example of what is good and where they went wrong. It’s a hilarious comedy featuring Eugene Levy, but some parts are cringeworthy and not as funny. This comedy movie revolves around the reunion of older people but I found it rather humorless and at times quite monotonous.
Summer Camp is about three friends: Ginny is played by Kathy Bates, Nora by Diane Keaton, and Mary by Alfre Woodard. The two characters are friends and met when they were young, during their teenage years, in summer camp. They now come back to the camp after fifty years to reunite.
Ginny is now a millionaire who provides tips on achieving an optimum life. For instance, she has crazy things to share about spending time with people such as Tony Robbins and Oprah Winfrey. Nora is a working CEO of a bioengineering firm while Mary is a ‘stay-at-home’ nurse in an unhappy marriage.
All of them have left this camp with achievements of different kinds but all of them have some aspect to learn once they get back to the camp. They go for other adventurous activities in the movie such as rafting, horse-riding, and shooting arrows, but the humor is very basic and trite. For instance, one can capsize during rafting and it matters to be funny though it seems unnatural.
Ginny is often concerned about writing a big speech during the climax of camp which is ridiculous because she is supposed to be an eloquent speaker. At the same time, Nora and Mary meet their former camp flirts, portrayed by Eugene Levy and Dennis Haysbert.
I feel that “Summer Camp” is not a good movie, but it does make you question what makes a film good. I did not get emotionally involved or laugh during the flick, but it feels good and is nice in its way. It doesn’t strive to shock you with its wit; all it wants is for you to find some comfort in its presence. Sometimes, that’s enough. It’s so often that life becomes very complicated, and it is good to watch something that will not complicate your feelings. And frankly speaking, who does not want to watch a movie that does nothing more but bring joy?
Another advantage of the movie is that the actors’ plays are convincing and inspire confidence. Kathy Bates, Diane Keaton, and Alfre Woodard are talented leading ladies all of whom portray these roles with depth. Notably, Eugene Levy’s role provided the humorous charm and his scenes are not only enjoyable but worth watching. The emergent relationships among the cast members seem quite natural and real and inject much-needed warmth into the whole setup.
It is also a rather inspiring film regarding friendship while also teaching the value of reconnecting oneself with their past. This work indicates that the characters are still capable of learning which implies that growth occurs even when one is old. It is a recurring theme that tends to strike chords in anyone who is watching.
However, there are certain scenes in “Summer Camp” that can be considered flaws. By far the most significant weakness is the show’s attempts at making the viewers laugh at the expense of several characters. There is also a lot of effort for humor in the movie but most of the time it is forced and full of cliché jokes. For instance, people splashing in the water on rafting or sliding provokingly into the mud while on horseback riding might have been entertaining the first time, but it becomes repetitive and boring the next time around. There is a tendency towards slapstick humor, which looks far-fetched and does not naturally flow into the movie’s content.
Another strange point is the subplot that describes Ginny’s efforts to write a big speech on the eve of leaving camp. For a millionaire who is a public speaker, she was depicted getting into so much trouble with this particular task, which was seen as unconvincing, and that made this part of the story appear fake.
Summer Camp Parents Guide Age Rating
Summer Camp is Rated PG-13 by Motion Picture Rating (MPA) for sexual material, strong language, and some underage smoking.
Language: While there is some use of bad language this is restricted and is not frequent throughout the movie. Some of the samples are ‘Damn’ and ‘Hell’. About the language used, the parents should know that even though it’s not very rough most of the time, there are occasional uses of bad words.
Sexual Content: Established figures like Tony Robbins and Oprah Winfrey are mentioned as participants in group sex, although the information is presented humorously and no nudity is portrayed on the scene. The comedy surrounding these references is suggested but the edges are kept clean enough for a PG-13 movie.
Violence: Some laughter includes a few practical jokes such as characters falling in water, and mud or getting hurt while in camp activities that include rafting, horse riding, and archery among others. These scenes can be considered as a comedy and do not depict violence or any powerful scenes.
Alcohol/Drugs/Smoking: There is some off-screen drinking of alcohol, as characters celebrate, relax around a campfire, or have dinner together. This is not presented as an abnormal personality of the main character or encouraged as acceptable behavior by all adults.
No Drug Use or Smoking: There is no depiction of drug use or smoking in this movie.
