Camp Hideout Parent Guide

Noah (Ethan Drew) is on his last warning from the judge. Next stop: juvie – unless Noah attends Deer Run, a church camp chosen by his social worker. Noah doesn’t show up to load up on the bus because he’s helping a couple of goons (Josh Inocalla and Joshua Childs) burgle some sensitive digital information from a local real estate tycoon.

Except Noah does show up to the Deer Run camp bus! To hide from the cops! And then to continue sneakin’ and hidin’ at church camp with his ill-gotten goods!

To be a frank (and snobby) reviewer, I must say that parts of this movie are wobbly. Inconsistent screen gimmicks, over-the-top acting and lagging dialogue had me nodding off in the middle of the movie. But by the second half, the movie revealed its roots as a steal-it-back story, and I love steal-it-back stories. I watched National Treasure on purpose. I own Oceans 8-13. Heists are the best, and a kid-centric heist is extra-the-best. This movie also contains a faithful homage to the chase scene in Home Alone, which is the greatest movie Chris Columbus ever made.

When the movie ended, I asked my 12-year-old son for his opinion as we walked out through the rain to the car. He said he liked that there were no cuss words, not even an OMG, and no sexual stuff. In fact, I made only one tally mark on my paper under “violence” because of a scene involving leeches, which I absolutely cannot abide. He said it was funny, that he liked the Home Alone scenes, and that watching it made him want to go camping. But he surprised me by saying he liked the scenes where Corbin Bleu’s pastoral character tries to guide Noah to a better path.

Don’t let the word “pastoral” turn you off. Even at its most Christian, this movie is gentle with its religious themes. One scene I found unexpectedly poignant was when Noah’s bunkmates (Zion Wyatt and Tyler Kowalski) find themselves personally experiencing consequences of Noah’s poor choices. These kids now have a choice themselves: do they turn their backs on Noah, or do they try to help him shoulder the consequences? The answer given by fellow camper Mallory (played by Jenna Raine Simmons) is the same prayer I give for all religious communities, including my own: that Noah needs help, and they need to show up for him.

So, I officially recommend this movie to families, Christian or not. Go out and support a good little family-friendly movie and give this new studio a boost.