Wacky hijinks of counselors and campers at a less-than-average summer camp.Wacky hijinks of counselors and campers at a less-than-average summer camp.Wacky hijinks of counselors and campers at a less-than-average summer camp.
- Awards
- 3 wins & 6 nominations
- Hardware
- (as Matt Cravenn)
Storyline
Did you know
- TriviaAccording to legend, the running gag of calling Camp Northstar director Morty by the name of Mickey instead is an arcane reference to Mickey Mouse's original name, Mortimer Mouse.
- GoofsWhen they are in the K-Mart parking lot picking up the campers, the buses are Chevrolets and GMC makes. When they get to Camp North-Star the buses have changed to Fords and a Dodge.
- Quotes
Tripper: And even if we win, if we win, HAH! Even if we win! Even if we play so far above our heads that our noses bleed for a week to ten days; even if God in Heaven above comes down and points his hand at our side of the field; even if every man woman and child held hands together and prayed for us to win, it just wouldn't matter because all the really good looking girls would still go out with the guys from Mohawk because they've got all the money! It just doesn't matter if we win or we lose. IT JUST DOESN'T MATTER!
Rest of group: IT JUST DOESN'T MATTER! IT JUST DOESN'T MATTER...
- Alternate versionsThe music played during the second half of the Olympiad is different in the U.S. and Canadian versions of the film. On the U.S. release, there are additional lyrics: "Go team go, Fight team fight..." etc. These lyrics are absent on the Canadian theatrical and VHS releases. The soundtrack is mostly instrumental. You can hear this alternate music on the French soundtrack of the region 1 DVD.
- SoundtracksAre You Ready for the Summer?
Sung by The North Star Kids Chorus
Written by Norman Gimbel and Elmer Bernstein
The film is just simply out to have some good, clean, fun. Many people who went to summer camp as kids will see that it is presented here faithfully to the way it usually was, but with slapstick comedy mixed in. Bill Murray, as the chief counselor of the camp, Tripper, leads a fine ensemble cast, and is usually at the center of the riotous nonsense. Tripper has great one-liners throughout, usually broadcasting his jokes as pseudo-announcements over the camp's public-address system.
Several great supporting actors played the campers and counselors to build a myriad of fun and interesting subplots, all the while sprinkled amongst the many incidents of camp hi-jinx. Spaz (Jack Blum) and Fink (Keith Knight) were two characters particularly well done. The adventures (and misadventures) of these two are hilarious. Each has classic lines, and they are characters you like and root for. Look for Spaz in the scene of disco dance pandemonium.
The girls in the story are realistic characters, too. They're not dumb, naive, freakish, oversexed, nervy, or any of the other overused, abominable teen character stereotypes. Kristine DeBell, Kate Lynch, Cindy Girling, and others make these characters believable.
The requisite pranks abound, usually at the expense of camp director Morty (Harvey Atkin). The nature of these pranks start at outrageous and progress from there. However, with all the silliness going on, Tripper and the others have their serious sides. For example, Tripper befriends a shy, lonely kid, Rudy(Chris Makepeace), and takes him under his wing.
The story culminates with a sports competition against a rival camp. It's a great "root for the underdogs" finale. When the chips are down, Tripper's motivational "It just doesn't matter" spiel is inspired, and one of the best moments in the movie. And get ready to root: "Spaz. Spaz! Spaz!!!""
- MartianOctocretr5
- Jan 13, 2006
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Details
- Release date
- Country of origin
- Language
- Also known as
- Babyspeck und Fleischklösschen
- Filming locations
- Camp White Pine, Haliburton, Ontario, Canada(Camp North Star, Camp Mohawk)
- Production companies
- See more company credits at IMDbPro
Box office
- Budget
- CA$1,600,000 (estimated)
- Gross US & Canada
- $43,046,003
- Opening weekend US & Canada
- $77,170
- Jul 1, 1979
- Gross worldwide
- $43,046,003