So much average

It's hard to see any effort in the film. There's no comedy to speak of, no real drama and, worst of all.

A story that's too fascinating to pass by...

It is a whirlwind of delight --- attractive actors, stunning couture, spectacular sets and outrageous parties. It's a feast for the eyes. But what really makes this dramedy work is the acting.

The other viewer's bashing of this movie shows that people can "read into" a movie or any situation their own preconceptions and their own misconceptions. I am a father of two daughters and found this movie highly inspirational about how not only children, but adults, can gain self-confidence and self-reliance relying on their inner strength. The bullying that occurred in this movie was extremely realistic and happens at schools, camps, clubs, and sports on a regular basis. The fact that a bullying tactic was to disrobe two adolescent children was to humiliate the children in front of their peers, not to serve some pedophile's interests. To take that away from this movie is shocking and discouraging, that someone would "see" everything that happens in life as "sexual" and "unholy."In stark contrast to the other viewer's comments, this movie had the strength and inspiration of older movies like "My Girl." One of the most poignant parts of the movie is one of the runaways asking a stranger in another camp why the camper was being nice and the response was "why wouldn't I be." Those are words to emulate and live by. The other main character talks with another stranger about why people have to be mean to each other and put someone else down to feel better about themselves. These are 12-year-old kids who are asking questions that we as adults and parents can't effectively answer for our own children. Yes, the movie shows the "bond" that the two develop over a period of three days - one of respect, one of admiration, and one of confidence. I wish that there were more movies being made like this - addressing "real" issues in our society.

This movie left me wondering if the author and/or director are pedophiles. I thought this was a family movie but was horrified to watch it with my children. The sexual tension between these 12 year old kids throughout the movie was just plain creepy. They start out being left naked on an island. the girl wakes up the next morning on the shore of a river, having been covered by the boy with a blanket. They steal clothes to wear and the girl pulls her pants down far enough to prove to the boy that she is not wearing panties. There is a sexually charged scene where preteens are slow-dancing at a summer camp, groping each other and making out. The boy and girl wind up spending the night together in a motel room in the same bed (no implication that anything happens). There is a shot of the girl in the shower. Any positive anti-bullying message was completely overshadowed by the inappropriateness of depicting children as sexual beings. This movie was just plain sick and should be viewed by no one.

I was able to get to see this film at a local theater, almost by accident. It was wonderful, very emotional, and made me think about all the times I hear people complain that there are no good movies being made anymore - it's not true, you just have to find films like this one. As other reviewers have said, this is a coming of age drama about two young kids who are the victims of summer camp bullies. Rather than return to the camp and face humiliation, they take off on an 2-3 day adventure, as the kids try to come to terms with the traumatic events and the hand that life has dealt them both. Together they find strength and comfort in friendship, and take one step closer to adulthood. This is a very emotional film. I cried many times.One warning: while this is a family film, I think it may not be appropriate for kids under 8-9 years old. But older kids and adults will find this a deep film and deeply moving.

It's a difficult task to make a film about bullying , especially in today's world , with news on the TV of children who takes their own life after having being bullied.Bullying is , unfortunately , still very much relevant , perhaps more now then ever before.Twitter,Facebooks and the likes are new weapons used by bullies everyday. DJ Carusco tackles this difficult subject in a very subtle and intelligent way. Instead of concentrating on the pain that bullying cause , his film is more about overcoming bullying. The story is simple and to some similar to "Moonrise Kingdom" (Although I do find the comparison out of context). In the 80's (Although the film could have taken place any time , the director wisely decided not to overly use the 80's setting to avoid distracting audiences from the story itself) two kids at a camp , a boy and a girl who do not know each other , are victim of a vicious pranks by their fellow campers.They are stripped away of all their clothes and are left in the middle of an Island.The two kids eventually bond and decide to not stay for when the other campers come back to make fun of them or even worse take pictures of them as a "Trophy" , instead they run away and that is where the film and their adventures really begins. This film really feels like a journey , you see the kids slowly building confidence after each stop they take before getting back home , although at that point they are note sure what "home" will be. The two leads , Analise Basso and Chandler Canterbury (Who was also in the very good "A bag of hammers") are pitch perfect as Grace and Howie.They deliver a very true performance , they are absolutely believable , you absolutely believe this is happening to them.The dialogs also help a great deal , the kids speaks like normal kids , they don't have cheesy lines. I will spare you too much details because I do not want to risk spoiling the film for you but I must say , I rarely get teary eyed watching films but the last scene of "standing up" was an exception thanks to Analise Basso , this girl has a bright future ahead of her. I know this film was based on a very popular children book but I was not aware of this book so I cant really say how the film stand up when compared to the book. All I can say is that on it's own merit , this is a very heartfelt , sensitive , well executed , hopeful film and I urge parents to watch it with their kids or teachers to show it to their pupils because it might gives bullies a taste of what it is like on the other side of the spectrum. I am very sensitive to the subject of bullying and I feel this film , beside being really well made , is important.For theses reasons I give it a 9 out of 10 stars.