Despite boasting a promising premise and a talented, charming cast, “Summer Camp” squanders every last ounce of its potential. It’s a film about the enduring friendship of three older women and one that you’ll really want to like, but writer / director Castille Landon‘s lousy, feeble script and even weaker execution makes it impossible to do so. This is a massive misfire that sucks every last drop of joy and entertainment out of its very existence.
Nora (Diane Keaton), Ginny (Kathy Bates), and Mary (Alfre Woodard) have been the best of friends since their childhood days spent at Camp Pinnacle, where they always shared a bunk. It’s been decades since those carefree summer days, and they’ve drifted apart as adults. A surprise reunion at their beloved camp has the three together again, where they plan to spend a weekend catching up, rekindling old memories, and helping each other deal with some very real problems that are holding them back in their lives.
It’s a nice story about the timeless bonds of friendship and the realities of aging, and the two themes pair well. The film is clearly aimed at seniors, with a story line will be particularly relatable and appealing to an older audience. Landon treats the experiences of her septuagenarian characters (and actors) with respect and complexity, which is refreshing. It’s such a shame that overall the movie just isn’t very good, because the over 65 set is an untapped audience that deserves so much better.
The predictable script quickly devolves into a series of tired platitudes and clichéd life lessons that add little depth or originality to the ho-hum story. There’s very little wit or humor, which the film so desperately needs. The dialogue is forced and uninspired, despite the best efforts of the cast.
Keaton, Woodard, and Bates bring a warmth, authenticity, and sincerity that make their characters feel like real, empathetic women, which is the film’s greatest strength. (The men are relegated to the background, but Dennis Haysbert and Eugene Levy still do the most they can with their paper thin characters). What a disappointing waste to put charming veteran actors like this in something that’s so obviously beneath them.
By: Louisa Moore
Screen Zealots 