'Camp Hideout' a Movie Filled with Friendship, Belonging, and Transformative Power

As we watch a sizzling summer slowly dissolve into the crispness of fall, we are left with a treasure trove of the fond memories that our hottest season left behind. For many youth and adults, some of the best memories came from the simplicity of attending a summer camp.

Learning to water ski, hiking hill and dale with fellow campers, or sitting around the campfire eating smores until lights out, are but a few moments that will be remembered fondly for a lifetime.

Movie producer Jason Brown’s greatest memory of summer camp is one that will last a lifetime and beyond. Sure, swimming, making new friends, and learning to make a keychain out of leather are special to him, but accepting Jesus Christ into his heart at the age of 12 changed his life forever.

It is that life-changing moment that fuels the upcoming movie release of Camp Hideout (this Friday), an entertaining, family-friendly adventure film directed by four-time Emmy winner Sean Olson. Highlighted by an ensemble cast that includes Christopher Lloyd (Back to the Future), Corbin Bleau (High School Musical), and Amanda Leighton (This is Us), the film demonstrates the value of friendship, belonging, and the transformational experience that only a camp can provide.

I recently sat down with Brown to discuss the vitally important core messages the movie provides, the significance of reaching general audiences to plant seeds of faith, and the fundamental reason his film studio, Called Higher, exists.

If you were trying to encourage a friend or family member to take the time to go see Camp Hideout, what would you say to them? What would your sales pitch be?

I would say, look, this movie was made by over 6,000 Christian investors, brothers and sisters all across the world that put in money and invested to make this possible. It is a phenomenal faith movie that is fun. We've had probably thousands of comments on social media from people watching the trailer that said, “Hey, this is Home Alone, or this is Ernest Goes to Camp, or Camp Nowhere. And so, there's a lot of physical comedy. If people love faith-based, ethical, non-woke content, then they're going to love Camp Hideout. It’s going to be fun for the entire family. And so I would just encourage them to head out and have a great, fun, theatrical experience.

For every movie producer there always seems to be a moment, a trigger, a tipping point where you say to yourself, “I have to do this movie!” What was that moment for you?

Obviously, God laid it on my heart to do this movie, but it was really a combination of a lot of things. Early on in our company, we sent out a survey to all of our investors and said, what kind of content do you want to make and why did you invest? And overwhelmingly, the number one answer was, we invested because we want to make content for the next generation and for future generations, our kids and our grandkids. The other specific moment that I knew that we had to make this type of movie is when I was on the couch with my two kids. I think they were probably six and eight years old. They watched Home Alone, and I saw them laugh so much. That movie had their attention.

They watched that movie probably 10 times over the next couple weeks. And I quickly realized that if you want to plant a seed in a young child, the very first thing you have to do is get their attention. And you can't preach to them. You can't beat them over the head (with the Gospel). And so, we made a funny movie that's clean, but it has a lot of physical comedy and pranks very similar to ‘Home Alone’ to get their attention, but then we can actually plant a seed. 

Do you have any experience with attending summer camp as a youth? If so, do you have any stories you could share about your experience?

This movie is close to my heart because I was actually saved at a summer camp when I was 12 years old. I kind of grew up in a traditional broken home. My father was a soldier and spent five years in Vietnam. I had a lot of people come alongside me as a young kid, whether it was coaches or camp counselors that poured into me, and I credit them for really changing the path of my life. I think summer camp gives an opportunity for people, especially counselors who love kids, to really pour into them in an environment where they're surrounded by their friends and they can tie it into having fun. They're going to make some of the best memories. I know I have some of the best memories ever from summer camp. 

How does the movie Camp Hideout fit the mission of your film studio, Called Higher?

Our studio's mission statement is to make movies and television programs that spread the Gospel. I think Camp Hideout is the tip of the spear because it is directed toward obviously kids and families. And  it plants seeds. I always say these kids in the movie don't preach the Gospel to our main character, Noah. They show him the Gospel through their actions and the way they love him, the way they come around him in a fun way. I think there's little seeds you're going to recognize in this movie. There's some dialogue. A great thing with Corbin Bleau from High School Musical who plays one of the lead counselors to the average person. They're going to be talking about seeds and things of that nature. It's a great heartfelt moment. But if you're a believer, you're going to recognize that it is pulled from the Parable of the Sower (Matthew 13). And so there's little, little elements in the movie that I think are wonderful that people will see.

Like any movie, Camp Hideout delivers some pretty important core messages amid all the fun and frivolity of it. What were some of these messages and are there any core faith messages you can share?

That’s a great question. I think belonging, friendship, and unconditional love are all core elements. And I think all of those tie into a faith element. At the end of the movie, there's a great faith tie in that people will get to see. But I think all of those elements I have mentioned are characteristics that Jesus displayed.

One name that really stands out in your cast list is Christopher Lloyd, of Back to the Future and Taxi fame. What did he bring to his role of Falco that no one else could?

Oh gosh, Christopher Lloyd is a legend. He is such a professional and so great at his craft. After watching the movie now, I can't picture anyone else doing that role and bringing that Back to the Future with Doc Brown, or Uncle Fester from The Addams Family to the movie. He's so quirky. He brings elements to the movie that no one else can. After one of the scenes, somebody said, I've never seen this before, but after the food fight scene, he came and delivered his monologue. It was a great moment. And we go, cut. There was just a moment of silence, and then all the kids started cheering and clapping. It was a cool moment. 

It’s sometimes a risky tightrope to walk within the confines of being a faith-based film while also attempting to make a movie non-Christians will also watch and enjoy. I believe Camp Hideout was able to do that. Was it your intention to be sure this movie would appeal to all audiences?

When people talk about how faithy a movie is, there's really a spectrum. And I always talk about a kind of painting with colors. You have the Kendrick Brothers on one side of the spectrum that make phenomenal movies. A lot of times in those movies  they'll quote Scripture, or there will be an altar call. Then, all the way to the other side of the spectrum, when you look at movies like ‘Blindside', these are great general market films that have faith elements in it. I think we lean more toward that end of the spectrum. We really wanted to make a movie that anyone could watch. And for someone who's a general audience person to watch this movie and love it, then maybe a seed will be planted.

I think we wanted to make a movie that would get kids and families in the door, regardless of what they believe. And you're right, some people won't go to church, but they'll go to a movie.

After people have had a chance to see Camp Hideout what would you like audiences to take away from the viewing experience? What is your greatest hope for the film?

I hope they just have a phenomenal family experience at the theaters. I hope that they see a throwback to great content that used to happen. I also hope that it sends a message to Hollywood that this is the type of content that people want. Good, clean fun. The other thing is I hope that God uses the movie to bring people to Christian youth camps, that He can change someone's life. We're hoping that this movie is just a tool for that. 

WATCH A TRAILER FOR CAMP HIDEOUT: