Camp 2003

The film centers on the experiences of several teenagers at Camp Ovation, a summer theatre camp. The ensemble features Daniel Letterle, Don Dixon, and Joanna Chilcoat. The story follows shy Ellen Lucas as she reconnects with her friend Michael Flores, a gay teenager who was violently beaten by his classmates after showing up to his junior prom in drag. The group also introduces nerdy Fritzi Wagner, who longs to befriend the icy Jill Simmons but ends up toting her luggage instead, hinting at the social tensions that simmer beneath the surface. Returning camper Jenna Malloran laments that her parents forced her to have her jaw wired shut in order to lose weight, a wound that mirrors the camp’s broader pressures to perform and fit in. Then the camp welcomes Vlad Baumann, a handsome new camper who is described by a staff member as “an honest-to-god straight boy,” a label that immediately sets up questions about belonging and desire in this insular community.

A guest counselor arrives in the form of Bert Hanley, a once-celebrated composer whose play The Children’s Crusade was a one-hit wonder years earlier. Now a grumpy alcoholic, he carries a sense of bitterness about the way fame has withered, and he alternates between sharp critique and fragile vulnerability, a dynamic that influences how the campers see their own ambitions. The tensions of artistic ambition and personal insecurity bubble beneath the surface as Vlad and Ellen flirt after a rehearsal, and soon Vlad becomes entangled with Jill, who, in turn, unleashes cruel comments about Ellen’s weight and her inexperience with boys. Guilt gnaws at Vlad as he supports Ellen, and their tentative connection grows into something more meaningful, even as others watch with curiosity and concern.

Conflict erupts within the cabin when Fritzi is caught washing Jill’s underwear, triggering a bitter response from Jill who kicks Fritzi out. Enraged, Fritzi decides to sabotage Jill’s next performance, and when the chance arrives she steps into the spotlight, revealing a hidden talent that reshapes the campers’ perception of her and rattles Jill’s sense of control. The ripple effects extend to Michael, who is urged by Vlad to invite his parents to the next play; when they fail to show, the humiliation drives Michael to flee the stage, an act that underscores the vulnerability and fear that accompany performance in front of an audience.

What follows is a blunt, intimate reveal: Vlad confesses to Michael that he has Obsessive Compulsive Disorder and that he must take medication to keep life bearable. This admission reframes Vlad’s behavior earlier in the story as not simply about attention or flirtation, but about a real, ongoing struggle to manage anxiety and a thirst for control. Bert Hanley’s own demons come to the fore as he sinks into a drunken rage, telling the campers that theater will only deepen bitterness and loneliness like his own. Yet a moment of redemption arrives when Vlad discovers a stash of Hanley’s music—tunes he wrote but never released—and the campers perform one of Hanley’s songs during a rehearsal for the camp’s benefit. The song becomes a catalyst, lifting Hanley’s spirits and gradually softening his gruff exterior.

Meanwhile, Michael sleeps with Dee, Ellen’s roommate, in a moment born of frustration at unrequited feelings for Vlad. Ellen witnesses the kiss and, hurt by the turn of events, withdraws from Vlad, deepening the emotional fault lines among the group. The night of the benefit concert arrives with star power in the air, as famed composer Stephen Sondheim attends, heightening the sense that this is a once-in-a-lifetime moment for the campers. The dressing room atmosphere crackles with nerves and expectancy, especially when Vlad’s girlfriend Julie shows up to see him. In a bold and chaotic turn, Fritzi sabotages Jill’s makeup, causing a rash that leaves Jill unable to perform. In a striking pivot, Bert overrides the plan and cuts the wires on Jenna’s mouth, enabling her to sing a powerful number that speaks directly to her parents in the audience, urging them to accept her as she is.

The benefit concert becomes a triumph, a testament to the campers’ courage and the power of art to heal and transform. Yet the underlying tensions between Vlad, Michael, and Ellen linger, unresolved but recognized. Vlad openly acknowledges that he is an “attention junkie” who seeks to please everyone, yet he also reveals that he still cares deeply for Ellen and that Julie’s breakup with him had intersected with his insecurities. After a final lull of apologies and honesty, Ellen forgives him, and the trio ends the night with a quiet swim, a small but hopeful moment of connection that serves as a counterpoint to the chaos of the day’s drama.