Movie #3117 ........................."Theater Camp" (Hulu)

 Movie #3117 "Theater Camp" (Hulu)  Realizing we are the demographic group who might like this film, along with the many theatre lovers around the world, we had to check this one out --- it starts with real footage of Ben Platt ("Dear Evan Hanson") at a theatre camp like this one portrayed in the film when he was about the age of the kids we are about to see --- that works to draw us in because we KNOW these kids.....  the ones that live and breathe musical theater show tunes !  That practice tap steps when just standing around --- that take on auditions like olympic competitions.  And We love these kids.  But when they are shown in a Mocumentary like this, where everything is exaggerated to the nth degree , they come across as annoying, crazy and just plain weird.  So I wouldn't recommend this movie to non- theatre kids because this film  would never GET them to try theatre out, nor GET them to befriend a theatre kid.  That being said, this blog is designed for all the theatre lovers like us.  And we must say, the film  is brilliant and funny in parts, but just too silly in others --- here, a little should have gone a long way, but no..... this is every aspect played to the hilt --- egs.   elementary school kids doing scenes from "Who's Afraid of Virginia Wolf"? and the kids doing a brand new play written by their coach (Ben Platt) in tribute of their overall head founder who is in a coma , entitled "Still, whatever her name is (making fun of "Still Alice," a reference theatre people would understand and possibly think  a tad  inappropriate?) , the agony and the ecstasy of auditions, announcement of casts, rehearsals, learning lighting cues (there's a funny bit with the lighting guy showing a kid how to run a spotlight)...... We did weather it all the way through, sometimes laughing, many times  not .... but the ending was nice and I thought the best part --- I think they were trying to get to the passion and love we all have for theatre, but throwing the respect for it by the wayside replacing that with laughs --I'd give it a 3.5 --- maybe theatre lovers will like it?  just maybe.

"THEATER CAMP"       Hulu    PG-13     1 hour and 32 mins   2023

The eccentric staff of a rundown theater camp in upstate New York must band together with the beloved founder's bro-y son to keep the camp afloat.

Directors:  Molly Gordon, Nick Lieberman

Writers:  Noah Galvin, Molly Gordon, Nick Lieberman

Actors:  Ben Platt, Molly Gordon, Amy Sedaris