Summer Camp Has Been Cancelled, Due to Lack of Hustle, Here’s How We’re Dealing With It
If you’re like me you’ve spent many summers sweating your balls off and running around in the great outdoors to give groups of excited kids an awesome week at summer camp. Or, if you’re richer than me, you attended camp as a child and have fun memories of swimming in the lake and making friendships bracelets for cabin mates that would shed tears when you parted at the end of the week, promising to be bbf’s (best friends forever). But this summer is different. Summer camp has been replaced with drive-by birthday parties, and Zoom playdates. So if you find the nostalgia hitting extra hard and making you miss your camp buddies, check out these movie suggestions that pair nicely with s’mores and lanyard weaving.
The Parent Trap
1998- The Parent Trap starring Lindsay Lohan. Image courtesy of Disney.
1961- The Parent Trap starring Hayley Mills. Image courtesy of Disney.
It’s hard to find a movie that is more quintessentially camp than The Parent Trap. Both versions, 1961 starring Hayley Mills and 1998 starring Lindsay Lohan, are both excellent options. So, if you find yourself wishing you could switch places with your long-lost twin and meet your birth parents, both versions of The Parent Trap are currently streaming on Disney+.
2. Heavyweights
Heavyweights (1995). Image courtesy of Disney.
Is this movie problematic? Absolutely! We have blatant body shaming and cultural appropriation, for starters. But we also have comedy gold. Co-written by Judd Apatow, Heavyweights follows the story of a “fat camp” that is bought by Tony Perkins (Ben Stiller), a fitness guru who’s methods are militant and controversial. I pray to god that Heavyweights is not like any camp that you have experienced. But if you’re looking for a laugh, Heavyweights is sure to deliver and it’s currently streaming on Disney+.
3. Wet Hot American Summer
Wet Hot American Summer (2001). Image courtesy of Focus Features.
If you’re looking for a raunchy cult classic starring literally EVERYONE, then Wet Hot American Summer is the camp movie for you. Wet Hot American Summer follows the young and reckless staff of Camp Firewood on their emotional and epic last day of camp. The best part of the movie is that there are two seasons of shows that follow up the movie; Wet Hot American Summer: First Day of Camp, and Wet Hot American Summer: 10 Years Later. The original cast of the movie, shot in 2001, came back to film First Day of Camp in 2015 and it’s hilarious to see these much older adults play the same characters like they haven’t aged. Seriously, you need to watch Wet Hot American Summer which is available to rent on Amazon Prime Video, and the spin off shows are both available on Netflix.
4. Camp Rock
Camp Rock (2008). Image courtesy of Disney Channel.
Summer camp, but make it a musical. The Jonas brothers, Demi Lovato, emo hair, and some tragic scarves, what more can you ask for? Camp Rock will have you squeezing into your skinniest jeans and singing “We Rock” at the top of your lungs! Camp Rock is now streaming on Disney+.
5. American Pie
This one time, at band camp… Image courtesy of Universal Pictures.
Okay, confession time. I’ve never actually seen American Pie. But as someone who was in band, and went to band camp (albeit a lame, day camp version that just involved a lot of marching in the football field and then going home), I had to endure a lot of “this one time at band camp” jokes from my non-band friends, so I feel entitled to add this movie to the list. It’s currently streaming on HBO and I will be watching it soon!
