DADDY DAY CAMP
US, 2007, 93 minutes, Colour.
Cuba Gooding Jr, Lochlyn Munro, Richard Gant, Tamala Jones, Paul Rae.
Directed by Fred Savage.
Fred Savage used to be the young boy from TV’s The Wonder Years. Looking at this film, we might wonder how he can bear to go back to the themes of those days and make this comedy for, probably, 8 year old boys. It is one of those raucous shows where the kids are shown as rowdy, greedy, thoughtless, pushy, fight-loving, over-competitive and generally obnoxious – and all for laughs.
Distracted at the behaviour of the kids and the slapstick, the word to describe this came to mind: Bratfalls. (So, the experience was not entirely wasted.)
The other dismaying thing about presenting American kids like this is that too often they are seen as knowing little adults rather than kids. And when Colonel Buck arrives at the camp to get them ( a ragtag group) into shape to beat their rivals at the nearby camp which has all the mod cons, he so instils army discipline into them that one almost expected him not to urge them to win the egg and spoon race but, instead, to invade Iraq. And they would have done it!
But, then the screenplay moves towards the side of loving but exasperated father, Cuba Gooding Jr, who suffered under his militaristic father but who is considered overprotective with his own son. While our misfit champions win the contest (the affluent are cheaters but the little guys have a few tricks up their sleeve, which, of course, are not cheating just using their wits for comeuppance), the film ends with some warm hugs and love is in the air.
These review thoughts are those of an adult watching Daddy Day Camp. The target audience will just go with the jingoistic, then love, flow.
1.The popularity of Daddy Day Care? The sequel? For what audience, family, young children?
2.The settings, the city and the homes, the woods, the summer camps? The lakes, the sites of the camps? The musical score?
3.The success of the Daddy Day Care business, Charlie and his decision to have the Daddy Day Camp? His ability to run the camp or not?
4.The family, Charlie and his being a father, the pressure of his colonel father, thirty years of being intimidated by him? His love for Ben? Wanting to be a different kind of father? His relationship with Kim? His friendship with Phil?
5.Ben going to camp, going to the camp where the boys went, the memories of Lance Warner? The memories of his father? Going to the camp, seeing Camp Canola and all its lavish appointments? Camp Driftwood and its being in a state of collapse? Meeting Uncle Morty, the deal of partnership, the banks and foreclosure, given a month? Uncle Morty and his going off for his holiday? Leaving Charlie and Phil? Max as the counsellor?
6.Getting the families, the children, the bus, crashing into the shack? The toilet and its filth? Phil and the cigarette lighter, the explosion? The camp in a collapse? The first day, Phil going on the walk and their getting lost? The children with the archery? Max and his working with the children? The failure of the first day?
7.The character of Lance Warner, boasting, his past, unpleasant? Looking at his photos, remembering Charlie? Sending his children on a raid? Their taking the flag? The Camp Driftwood to give up?
8.The decision to call Colonel Buck, Kim and her urging Charlie to call his father? Phil and his hopes? The background of Colonel Buck, his lectures to the young people? Militaristic? His arrival?
9.The small group of children, the shy boy and his bold brother, infatuated with the young girl? The archery girl? The fat boy? Ben in this group? Coming for the second day? Meeting Buck? Their responding well to him, the discipline, the walks? The night, the camp, Phil helping the fat boy in wetting the bed? The small boy and his continually vomiting? In Charlie’s tent?
10.The next day, the challenge by Camp Canola and Lance? The Olympiad? Buck overhearing Charlie talking about his harshness? His leaving? The reaction of the kids? Charlie going to the station, persuading his father to come back? The reconciliation between the two?
11.The games, Camp Canola and their ways of cheating? Lance and his son (and his son not being acknowledged)? The attempts of the Driftwood group? The discovery of the cheating? Buck’s arrival, training, spirit? Using the skunk (and the previous episode in the bus)? The tug of war and the young boy vomiting? The various tricks? Ben and the oiled stand? Climbing the tree, winning? The stand collapsing and crushing the trophies?
12.The happy ending? The family reconciliation? Lance and Camp Canola being defeated? The parents transferring to Driftwood?
13.The gung-ho American attitudes? The children as brats and squabbling? The militaristic tone? The militaristic presuppositions? Charlie as overprotective – but the final evening out of militarism and protectiveness? Love and talent?
