Theater Camp
SEARCHLIGHTThis piece was written during the 2023 WGA and SAG-AFTRA strike.
Without the labor of the writers and actors currently on strike, the movie being covered here wouldn’t exist.
Molly Gordon makes her feature directorial debut alongside Nick Lieberman in Theater Camp, based on the 2020 short film of the same name (which Lieberman directed) written by Gordon, Lieberman, Noah Galvin, and Ben Platt. Everyone has a connection with each other — Gordon and Platt have been friends since they were children – as shown during the film’s opening montage, which sees a young Gordon and Platt perform together – Lieberman directed many music videos of Platt’s songs. At the same time, Galvin starred in Dear Evan Hansen and is now engaged to Platt.
Those who have seen the 2020 version of Theater Camp know how close the community of creatives feels and that the entire project wouldn’t have blossomed without a group effort. And the same can be said for the 2023 feature film: this isn’t just Gordon and Lieberman’s project, but everyone seems to have taken a crack at delivering one of the funniest and most engaging mockumentaries in a long time. Whether or not Platt (and Gordon) are nepo babies seem to spark a debate amongst film fans and theater kids – Platt refused to answer a question on the matter during a recent interview with Rolling Stone, which prompted his publicist to cut the conversation short – but there’s no denying how naturally talented they are as writers.
Most of the material found in the feature-length version of Theater Camp is sharply written and incisively performed. The film adopts a cinéma vérité documentary style, giving an exclusive look at the AdirondACTS summer camp in the wake of an accident that caused its founder, Joan Rubinsky (Amy Sedaris), to be put in a coma a few days before camp begins. Joan’s son, Troy (Jimmy Tatro), takes over the reins but has no idea how to run a camp, let alone supervise children. Troy hasn’t amounted to anything concrete in his life – he’s an influencer who only cares about his fake viewers and the world he created online but doesn’t have a clue how her mother ran the camp and how a competitor (Patti Harrison) is trying to claim the land to expand her camp.
The camp is in total shambles, but this prompts music teacher Rebecca-Diane (Molly Gordon) and acting teacher Amos Klobuchar (Ben Platt) to write a musical in tribute to Joan. The camera crew will then follow the production of the musical, which its rehearsals are a little…unconventional. And that’s where the fun begins. Some of it doesn’t work, and it’s especially apparent when it tries to give each main character equal time to shine. However, it’s mostly focused on Amos’ relationship with Rebecca-Diane, which wouldn’t have been a problem if Ben Platt was good…
Sure, he can sing, but he doesn’t have the same sense of timing as Gordon or Tatro, the film’s biggest highlights. Tatro’s timing is even more spectacular when paired with Noah Galvin, who plays Glenn Wintrop, the camp’s electrician. Gordon and Lieberman put him in many precarious situations as AdirondACTS’ sole handyman, leading to one funny scene after the other. Ayo Edebiri also appears and makes the most of her limited screen time as Janet Walch, the camp’s improv teacher who can do almost anything – well, she lied on her resume to get the job. She shares an incredible scene with Miniari’s Alan S. Kim, who plays a young agent trying to secure the camp’s most talented children to big roles. The bit is fun, and all of those moments feel more alive than Platt and Gordon’s arc throughout the movie.
It’s strange to say this, because the two are real-life friends and the movie continuously shows them throughout their youth performing together, but they have no chemistry here. It should’ve been a walk in the park for both of them – it certainly is for Gordon, who seems to have the most fun writing, performing, and directing – but that arc is hindered through Platt’s emotionless line deliveries and minimal sense of timing. None of the jokes hit as much as when he performs them compared to the others, but it also doesn’t help that he seemingly gets the film’s weakest material. Still, he more than makes up for his lack of timing through its original songs, which he co-wrote with Gordon. The final song, “Camp Isn’t Home,” is funny and should be a serious contender for Best Original Song at the Academy Awards. No cap. It’s a total banger.
Aesthetically, Theater Camp fully leans into its cinéma vérité setting with handheld camera movements, manual zoom-ins, and a recreation of the movement’s synchronized sound approach. The emulsion of a 16mm camera is also there, and the colors feel as pronounced as a Maysles Brothers documentary. Cinematographer Nate Hurtsellers also plays with light, either with its outdoor scenes or specifically through its recreation of a theatrical play. The emphasis on the spotlight is there, and its moving camera always follows its players who go through fog machines behind, and in front, of the spotlight. It’s a visually exciting comedy best appreciated on a large screen, where the improvised camera moves feel real and immerse the audience into the film’s brilliant satire of theater kids and the environment they grow in. It’s not great, but it certainly brings out huge laughs.
Yes, Theater Camp is imperfect, but it remains a must-see. It should be seen for its incredible riff on classic cinéma vérité techniques alone. Still, it’s fascinating to see Tatro, Gordon, Edebiri, and Galvin fully lean into their characters’ absurdity and sell this camp as one theater kids go to make it big. Its methods may be extremely unorthodox and might not be a good environment for anyone to actively thrive beyond being berated by teachers who once aspired to become huge stars (and still believe they are), but, man, is it fun to watch with a big crowd.