Plot
Plump kids are lured into joining a posh fat camp with the promise of quick weight loss and good times, only to find that the facility is a woodland hellhole run by a psycho ex-fitness instructor.
Release Year: 1995
Rating: 6.3/10 (9,533 voted)
Director:
Steven Brill
Stars: Tom McGowan, Aaron Schwartz, Ben Stiller
Storyline 11-year-old Gerald "Gerry" Garner lives in Long Island, New York, and he's overweight. Gerry's parents Maury and Mrs. Garner decide to send Gerry to Camp Hope, a camp for overweight boys. The camp is owned by kindly Harvey Bushkin and his equally kind wife Alice Bushkin. When the Bushkins file for bankruptcy the camp has to be sold, it is bought by a wacko named Tony Perkis. Tony plans to force the campers to lose as much weight as they can, and he also intends to document the marathon shedding of weight and use it for an infomercial for his slenderizing program. In the eyes of the campers, Tony has made Camp Hope a living hell. As Gerry and counselor Pat Finley lead the efforts to overthrow Tony, the campers prepare for the Apache Relay against arch rival Camp MVP. The Apache Relay is a kind of race in which Camp Hope has never defeated Camp MVP before.
Writers: Judd Apatow, Steven Brill
Cast: David Goldman
-
Nicholas
Joseph Wayne Miller
-
Sam
Cody Burger
-
Cody
Allen Covert
-
Kenny
Tim Blake Nelson
-
Roger Johnson
Nancy Ringham
-
Mrs. Maury Garner
Seth St. Laurent
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Camp MVP Racer
Bobby Fain
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Camp MVP Pitcher
Tom McGowan
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Pat Finley
Aaron Schwartz
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Gerald 'Gerry' Garner
Shaun Weiss
-
Josh Burnbalm
Tom Hodges
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Lars
Leah Lail
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Julie
Paul Feig
-
Tim
Kenan Thompson
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Roy
Taglines:
They don't run the fastest. They don't jump the highest. But they sure are getting the last laugh.
Release Date: 17 February 1995
Filming Locations: Camp Pinnacle - 4080 Little River Road, Hendersonville, North Carolina, USA
Gross: $17,689,177
(USA)
Technical Specs
Runtime:
Did You Know?
Trivia:
The story that Tony tells the boys during the hike is actually a confused mix of the myths of Icarus and Sisyphus. Sisyphus was a Greek king who tricked the gods on several occasions. As punishment, upon his death, he was forced to push a boulder up a hill for all of eternity. Before he could reach the top of the hill, the boulder would roll back down and he would have to start over. Icarus was a young man who tried to escape an island prison with his father, Daedalus, by making wings out of feathers and wax. Despite his father's warnings, Icarus flew too close to the sun, his wings melted and he fell to his death.
Goofs:
Continuity:
The stack of books falls over when Roy breaks into the room. However, when they leave, the same books are stacked perfectly.
Quotes: Lars:
Congratulations, Mr. Simms. You are the fattest boy in camp.
User Review
An unparalleled cinematic masterpiece
Rating: 10/10
Continuing in the tradition of classic films such as 'The Godfather'
and 'Apocalypse Now', director Steven Brill has added his name to the
short list of truly great directors with his sweeping masterpiece
'Heavy Weights'. In arguably his finest performance to date, Aaron
Schwartz plays Jerry Garner, a young man who is forced to attend a
summer camp against his will. Upon arriving at the camp, Jerry is
befriended by Roy (Kenan Thompson) and Josh (Shaun Weiss). Together
they challenge the the tyrannic rule of manic camp counselor Tony
Perkis (Ben Stiller) while overcoming their own personal insecurities
to have the best summer of their lives. Thompson and Weiss both deliver
Oscar-worthy performances, and Ben Still is at his best as the
fitness-crazed camp counselor who must whip the campers into shape.
Brill is truly at his best here, weaving an intricate tale full of
mystery, suspense and deception, while capturing the essence of the
human spirit and the hope and perseverance of children. This is a must
have for any true fan of film.
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