It's really too bad that summer camps aren't as prevalent in today's society as they used to be. It was a way for kids to get away for a few months every summer. It was a chance to be on your own (away from parents anyway), visit a place that you would otherwise never see, have what may be the most important experiences of your childhood, and make friends that you would truly never forget. Kids just do not get that today. The only way they can really experience the magic of summer camp is in the movies. Unfortunately there are not many movies that really show that experience. Meatballs (1979, with Bill Murray) may very well be the best example, and Indian Summer (1996) shows how those friendships last when a group of 30 year old former campers reunite at the summer camp of their youth. But here with Heavyweights, we have another great, if not to realistic portrayal of the summer camp experience. Camp Hope is a camp that caters strictly to fat kids. It's where they go to lose weight, and make friends with other kids that may also be considered outcasts back home because of their weight. But in fat camp, all kids are equal. At least until the kind owners of the camp, The Pushkins, are forced to sell the camp to a villainous fitness guru wannabe, played with demonic zeal by Ben Stiller. It is, in fact, a performance Stiller would virtually copy for the movie Dodgeball. He attempts to force the kids to lose weight through, shall we say, questionable methods in order to create a weight loss infomercial. But the kids, rebel, take over the camp, and have summer their way. There are many classic moments, such as the kids "downloading" their stash of candies and snacks in various hiding places, Ben Stiller's interrogation of kids that are actually gaining weight, a competition with the jocks from Camp MVP across the lake, and many more. There's also scenes showing that the kids can be anything they want if they just apply themselves. Such as a dance with the girls from across the lake. At first everyone just stands around. But when the boys start dancing, the girls join in, and success is in the air, until Stiller shows up to degrade the boys again. Sure this movie is by the numbers, but it's a fun ride, with great characters, beautiful scenery, and a villain who couldn't be more over the top. Epitomized by the scene where Stiller somersaults from a second story window, hits the floor, quietly says to himself "Ouch", and whips his head into a full villain "Nobody's gonna stop me" speech. Great family movie.
Review of Heavyweights
