by Josh Sewell
For many kids, summer means camp – and there is a rich Hollywood history of depicting this pivotal time in adolescence. Whether it’s the Bill Murray classic Meatballs, the remake of The Parent Trap that turned Lindsay Lohan into a child star, or countless Friday the 13th flicks, going to summer camp is a staple of the coming-of-age genre. The subplot even extends to faith-based movies, which have a notoriously spotty track record.
Most Christian-themed flicks contain a fatal flaw: their desire to sermonize instead of focusing on authenticity and compelling characters. Instead, there’s usually a paper-thin narrative in which people, often played by marginally talented actors, exist simply to deliver talking points. They also tend to be content with preaching to the choir, so they don’t bother trying to connect with general audiences.
Look no further than hateful dreck like God’s Not Dead or sappy, well-meaning melodramas like War Room and Fireproof to see what I mean. Far rarer are movies that mostly overcome their flaws, like The Second Chance, Blue Like Jazz, Jesus Revolution and the recent Ordinary Angels. Maybe that’s why I have such a soft spot for Netflix’s 2021 musical A Week Away. Think of it as High School Musical at church camp.
Considering I spent most of my summers as a teenager attending youth retreats and my high school years in the drama department, I was both intrigued and terrified by the movie’s premise. I’ll be honest: I went in expecting to cringe. However, I was surprised to discover a good-natured, endearingly dorky movie that tries so hard to be liked it broke through my cynical shell and won me over.
The plot centers on troubled teen Will Hawkins (Kevin Quinn), who finds himself at a crossroads after he steals a cop car: he can either attend Camp Aweegaway (get it?) or go to a juvenile detention center. It’s an easy decision, so he quickly finds himself surrounded by singing, dancing kids who somehow know all the words to Christian pop hits from the ’80s and ’90s. It’s an uncomfortable fit at first, but after becoming friends with Avery (Bailee Madison, Max’s Pretty Little Liars reboot), George (Jahbril Cook) and Presley (Kat Conner Sterling, Five Nights at Freddy’s), Will discovers a fresh start might be just what he needs.
I’ll be honest: my enjoyment of A Week Away is partly due to the power of nostalgia. Less than 10 minutes in, the characters break into a Glee-style version of Steven Curtis Chapman’s “The Great Adventure” and I rolled my eyes – until the cast’s enthusiasm pummeled me into submission. Although the flick is undeniably hokey, the tone comes from a wholesome, well-intentioned place. It’s a refreshing change of pace from the genre’s typical choices of angry rhetoric or mawkish sentimentality.
The flick should appeal to viewers steeped in Christian pop culture since screenwriters Kali Bailey and Alan Powell, along with director Roman White, did their homework. In a further attempt to establish their bona fides, they were able to talk Chapman and Amy Grant into making silly cameos as the camp lifeguard and nurse, respectively. There’s even an obligatory campfire testimony scene in which everyone sings Rich Mullins’ “Awesome God,” and the end credits version of Audio Adrenaline’s “Big House” has the cast yell “touchdown!” after the lyric “…a big, big yard where we can play football.” Any ’90s-era church kid will tell you that’s as authentic as it gets.
However, the movie isn’t just for church folks. It also has broad mainstream appeal; it’s pretty much indistinguishable from Disney Channel fare I watched with my teenage daughter when she was younger. The Jesus stuff is there, but the filmmakers don’t shove it down viewers’ throats.
Although I started out liking A Week Away ironically, I ended up thinking of it as a genuinely good movie. The outdated pop culture references make sense instead of feeling forced, considering church kids tend to be a decade or so behind the rest of the world. Incorporating old songs also works surprisingly well thanks to our nostalgia for the ’80s and ’90s. That’s also why the target demo’s parents will undoubtedly remember them.
To further establish authenticity, A Week Away nails the brutal awkwardness of hormone-ravaged, chaste teenagers forced to be around each other 24/7. It also conveys how the plot’s low stakes still feel apocalyptic because that’s how the kids view them. Perhaps the best touch is how the characters know they’re uncool to the outside world, but they embrace it instead of developing a persecution complex.
Kudos to casting directors Beverly Holloway and Regina Moore, who found solid actors to take on the main roles. Madison reminds me of Mandy Moore in A Walk to Remember, which is a huge compliment. Quinn delivers a solid Zac Efron impression, while Cook is terrific as the comic relief. As for Sterling, someone needs to cast her as Kathryn Hahn’s daughter in a movie as soon as possible. Her work in the standard best friend role reminded me of Hahn in How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days.
While A Week Away won’t appeal to everyone – particularly those who like their teen flicks with a harder edge – it deserves a stronger following. If High School Musical got two sequels, this one deserves at least another installment.
A Week Away is rated TV-PG for thematic elements. Now available on Netflix.
Most Christian-themed flicks contain a fatal flaw: their desire to sermonize instead of focusing on authenticity and compelling characters. Instead, there’s usually a paper-thin narrative in which people, often played by marginally talented actors, exist simply to deliver talking points. They also tend to be content with preaching to the choir, so they don’t bother trying to connect with general audiences.
Look no further than hateful dreck like God’s Not Dead or sappy, well-meaning melodramas like War Room and Fireproof to see what I mean. Far rarer are movies that mostly overcome their flaws, like The Second Chance, Blue Like Jazz, Jesus Revolution and the recent Ordinary Angels. Maybe that’s why I have such a soft spot for Netflix’s 2021 musical A Week Away. Think of it as High School Musical at church camp.
Considering I spent most of my summers as a teenager attending youth retreats and my high school years in the drama department, I was both intrigued and terrified by the movie’s premise. I’ll be honest: I went in expecting to cringe. However, I was surprised to discover a good-natured, endearingly dorky movie that tries so hard to be liked it broke through my cynical shell and won me over.
The plot centers on troubled teen Will Hawkins (Kevin Quinn), who finds himself at a crossroads after he steals a cop car: he can either attend Camp Aweegaway (get it?) or go to a juvenile detention center. It’s an easy decision, so he quickly finds himself surrounded by singing, dancing kids who somehow know all the words to Christian pop hits from the ’80s and ’90s. It’s an uncomfortable fit at first, but after becoming friends with Avery (Bailee Madison, Max’s Pretty Little Liars reboot), George (Jahbril Cook) and Presley (Kat Conner Sterling, Five Nights at Freddy’s), Will discovers a fresh start might be just what he needs.
I’ll be honest: my enjoyment of A Week Away is partly due to the power of nostalgia. Less than 10 minutes in, the characters break into a Glee-style version of Steven Curtis Chapman’s “The Great Adventure” and I rolled my eyes – until the cast’s enthusiasm pummeled me into submission. Although the flick is undeniably hokey, the tone comes from a wholesome, well-intentioned place. It’s a refreshing change of pace from the genre’s typical choices of angry rhetoric or mawkish sentimentality.
The flick should appeal to viewers steeped in Christian pop culture since screenwriters Kali Bailey and Alan Powell, along with director Roman White, did their homework. In a further attempt to establish their bona fides, they were able to talk Chapman and Amy Grant into making silly cameos as the camp lifeguard and nurse, respectively. There’s even an obligatory campfire testimony scene in which everyone sings Rich Mullins’ “Awesome God,” and the end credits version of Audio Adrenaline’s “Big House” has the cast yell “touchdown!” after the lyric “…a big, big yard where we can play football.” Any ’90s-era church kid will tell you that’s as authentic as it gets.
However, the movie isn’t just for church folks. It also has broad mainstream appeal; it’s pretty much indistinguishable from Disney Channel fare I watched with my teenage daughter when she was younger. The Jesus stuff is there, but the filmmakers don’t shove it down viewers’ throats.
Although I started out liking A Week Away ironically, I ended up thinking of it as a genuinely good movie. The outdated pop culture references make sense instead of feeling forced, considering church kids tend to be a decade or so behind the rest of the world. Incorporating old songs also works surprisingly well thanks to our nostalgia for the ’80s and ’90s. That’s also why the target demo’s parents will undoubtedly remember them.
To further establish authenticity, A Week Away nails the brutal awkwardness of hormone-ravaged, chaste teenagers forced to be around each other 24/7. It also conveys how the plot’s low stakes still feel apocalyptic because that’s how the kids view them. Perhaps the best touch is how the characters know they’re uncool to the outside world, but they embrace it instead of developing a persecution complex.
Kudos to casting directors Beverly Holloway and Regina Moore, who found solid actors to take on the main roles. Madison reminds me of Mandy Moore in A Walk to Remember, which is a huge compliment. Quinn delivers a solid Zac Efron impression, while Cook is terrific as the comic relief. As for Sterling, someone needs to cast her as Kathryn Hahn’s daughter in a movie as soon as possible. Her work in the standard best friend role reminded me of Hahn in How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days.
While A Week Away won’t appeal to everyone – particularly those who like their teen flicks with a harder edge – it deserves a stronger following. If High School Musical got two sequels, this one deserves at least another installment.
A Week Away is rated TV-PG for thematic elements. Now available on Netflix.
Reach out to Josh Sewell at joshsewell81@gmail.com
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