Summer Camp. For most of us it was a staple to our childhood. A lot of our memories and childhood friends come from our days at camp. Whether it’s day camp or overnight, lots of fun and drama happened during our days at these places. For characters in some our favorites movies summer camp can be the best or the worst. Times can be fun, times can be dramatic, and times can be bloody. I have gathered a list of my favorite movies that take place at summer camp and a few that I haven’t seen.
FAMILY FRIENDLY
IT TAKES TWO (1995)
Mary Kate and Ashley Olsen star as Amanda and Alyssa, two children from different lives. Amanda lives a privileged life, while Alyssa is an orphan looking for a home. They meet while Amanda is at camp and they decide to switch places. Eventually both girls decide that Alyssa’s dad, Roger (Steve Guttenberg) and Amanda’s social worker, Diane (Kirstie Alley) would be perfect for each other. From there they plan to break up Roger and his fiance, Clarice, who is a gold digger.
No lie. This is one of my favorite movies of all time. It was one of my favorites as a child and I still loved it when I watched in a few years back.
THE PARENT TRAP (1998)
Okay basically It Takes Two, but three years later with a different actress. However, I cannot possibly have a list about summer camp movies not include The Parent Trap? Lindsay Lohan stars as Hallie and Annie, twins separated at birth when their parents get a divorce. They get sent to the same camp and after beginning their time as rivals, they form a bond, discover they are sisters, decide to switch places, and attempt to get their parents back together.
Admittedly, this plot is a bit unrealistic. Why wouldn’t one of the parents get full custody and then share custody with the other? Either way, I loved this movie when I was younger. Would 100% watch it again as a 34 year old.
COMEDY
CAMP NOWHERE (1994)
This is essentially the movie Accepted but for summer camp. Jonathan Jackson is Morris, a kid who hates the computer camp his parent chose for him. He soon figures out he isn’t alone as his friends also hate their summer camps. They decide to create their own, except this one is adult free with no rules! They trick their former drama teacher (Christopher Lloyd) into helping them. Can the fun last forever, without the parents finding out?
HEAVYWEIGHTS (1995)
This movie is probably not the most PC nowadays, but when i was a kid I thought it was entertaining and funny. Ben Stiller is Tony Perkis, a fitness guru, who takes over a summer camp for kids who need help getting healthy. He replaces all the loved activities with an intense workout regime and strict diet. The kids decide to band together to run Tony out of the camp so camp counselor, Pat can take over.
Admittedly, this movie probably wouldn’t hold up by today’s standards, yet it made my list because of nostalgia. Also the trope of running out the mean adult just amuses me for some reason. Maybe it’s a “rooting for the underdog” thing.
HORROR
FRIDAY THE 13th
Okay so I haven’t seen this movie. I dunno if I will ever see it, but it feels wrong to not include this movie on here. I mean, it’s about murders….at a summer camp. Camp Crystal Lake. Do you think I should watch it? I am not a huge fan of lots of blood, so I dunno if I would watch as it is labeled as “horror/slasher” on google.
MUSICAL
CAMP (2003)
Okay, part of me feels like I maybe have seen this, but I am not 100% sure. Even watching the trailer didn’t ring a bell. So who knows? I love musicals, so this jumped out at me when I was looking around the internet. It centers around several teens at Camp Ovation, a summer theater camp. The trailer is below, it looks really fun!
It may be out of my age range, in terms of me not being a teen, though I feel like the musical aspect brings it to a different level and could be enjoyable by all ages. If you have seen this movie, let us know!
Do any of you guys recall watching any of these movies? What are some of your summer camp movies that should be added to my watch list? Give my some suggestions! Happy watching, everyone!
