I took a family fortunes survey and asked 100 people their favourite summer movies. That’s a lie. I asked all my friends… which isn’t anything close to 100 people.
Anyway, my inactive social life aside, so many of the responses from my friends were movies relating to summer camps, beach movies, and road-trip movies. Those fire pit on the beach moments with a pastel-coloured RV behind you. So, I combined all of those to tell you about my favourite summer movie. Released in 2021, Roman White’s ‘A Week Away’ is a summer movie about morally troubled teen Will’s journey to his forgiveness and redemption upon being fostered into a devout Christian family.
I know what you’re thinking… I don’t want religion in a movie; it’s too divisive. But as someone who isn’t Christian at all, I can truly this movie is so much more than hymns and values running across the screen for the entire running time. It’s a story of vulnerability, of growth, and ultimately friendship. The four main characters all fall in love with each other (it wouldn’t be summer camp without the summer romance) and it’s just the most wholesome, hopelessly romantic storyline ever.
The best moment of the movie for many, and certainly for me, is the campfire scene in which our leading lady Avery sings ‘Awesome God’ in a vulnerable moment, tears pouring over her late mother. Her ballad is mashed up by Will’s rendition of The Beach Boys classic ‘God Only Knows’ which she also joins. The reason this part starts out to people is not because of the call to religion but the emotion in this number, and truly what makes it is the choir moment. They could be singing about potatoes and bin bags and I’d still be crying. This soundtrack truly makes this movie what it is.
At the core of it, the most captivating part of this film is its innocence. It’s not trying to do anything new, it’s your cliché summer camp bad boy turned good movie, but it’s truly just innocence. Yes its “USP” is its nod to religion, but it’s not overpowered with it, its just enough to still make this film hugely accessible to all audiences.
This wouldn’t be a film review without a nod to the people who made it happen, and it truly is a star studded cast. Bailee Madison as Avery and Kevin Quinn as Will, two faces we will have grown up with; Kevin at similar camp style shows and films, and Bailee through her hugely diverse range of filmography. Joining them are many newbies who are so incredible in front of the camera, you’d never guess it was their firsts.
