Camp

I will admit that my first fear with some of these smaller inspirational films is the quality of the acting. Let's face it. I pretty much hid my face in embarrassment during the first 20 minutes of Facing the Giants because the acting was so bad. (Though the movie redeemed itself in the end.) So I was relieved when I realized the acting was good, great in some cases. Miles Elliot shines as Eli and lets you peek into his vulnerability in between moments of spitting and running. Asante Jones kills it as veteran camp counselor Sam. And Matthew Jacob Wayne as the alien-obsessed Redford…well he's adorable.

I found myself smiling through the first 1:30 minutes of the film, not because the film is always happy, but because it's REAL. Through my own experience with adopted kids and my conversations with other mom's, every bit of this film is honest, yet filled with hope. Though the first 5 minutes of the film deal with Eli's dark family situation, the rest of the film layers on the joy and hope that the camp counselors are determined to pour into the kids during the short week at camp.

Hollywood loves to entertain us. But Camp does more than entertain – it inspires. It beautifully illustrates the huge impact the small sacrifice of a weeks time can make in the life of a child in foster care.

I hope this movie inspires thousands of adults to realize what a big difference they can make by just giving up one week of their summer to spend at CAMP.