User Reviews

This story is about kids who are from Harlem and happen to be Boy Scouts. If you approach the movie like this it becomes a universal story that anyone who has gone to camp and tried to swim can easily relate to. If you have ever struggled to accomplish something, and succeeded, you can relate to the experiences these kids are going through at camp. Even though I was not a Boy Scout, and I am not from Harlem, I could relate to what these kids went through. It is a timeless story told effectively. While it may not be what people expect because of preconceived notions about the nature of the documentary, it is worth your time.

This film brought the Boy Scout camp experience back to life for me through understated, compelling portraits of individual campers and leaders, families, and a larger portrait of the camp itself over time.

SPOILER ALERT:

There were several scenes, that for me, gave a larger context to the characters and setting. Seeing the scoutmaster's picture of his father in Africa and later the shot of him looking at his own plaque on the dining hall wall and commenting that "he had left something on this earth". The shot of the young protagonist finding his father's camp picture from when his father was a scout at the camp was a great moment. Finally, the most interesting and defining scene of the film, for me, was the late night conversation which suddenly turned towards Malcolm X and the scoutmaster's recollection of a having a meal with Malcolm and finally the scoutmaster's own views on violence and non-violence.

This film is a great portrait of a Scouting and summer camp as a unique slice of American culture viewed through the lens of a mostly black scout troop from Harlem. It is well worth a watch for both friends of scouting as well as those completely unfamiliar with it.

This review won't be a response to the initial review found on this page. That said I think Mr. Kesner missed the point of this piece. Try to take this film (and all others) as it comes not as you want it to be. As a former scout myself and the uncle of two scouts who may well make Eagle, I truly appreciated this wonderful film. Following these young men around and meeting their families (the BBQ sequence was wonderfully warm and twisted as most family gatherings are) was a treat. I think what is most remarkable about this little film is that somehow the filmmakers found a way to disappear. Once they disappeared the film got really interesting and engaging. Yes we saw Keith learn to swim. It brought tears to my eyes. What he learned was much more than swimming. And this, at its most elemental, is what scouting is and should be. We all need to be scouts. We can be self sufficient, yet be in community. We can work hard but find time to rest and connect. We can love ourselves without forgetting to love the other. Before I get too Oprah here, just give this little gem a chance. The messages here are deep and pervasive but won't bite you on the nose. If everyone felt, at least once in a lifetime, the sense of accomplishment Keith felt when he picked up his swimming badge, I think we would have a very different world today. Go Keith go.

I also think we are seeing the initial steps of some talented filmmakers here. The editing was deft, the storytelling direct and caring, respectful at its core. I look forward to seeing what else they are working on.

I really wanted to like this documentary. We've heard so much about the revitalization of Harlem so I was hoping to experience some of that revival in this movie. However, although the main characters (the boy scouts) were cute and likable, the movie simple does not have any substance to it. Indeed, the story was so shallow that my friend and I left after an hour. We expected to see a documentary that contrasted the urban life of Harlem with the experience of nature that the boy scouts would endure during their camping trip. Unfortunately, the movie simple documents boy scouts trying to earn merit badges without any significant attempts to dig deeper into their lives, families, or emotional states. Those stories were available, but the film maker chose to ignore the interesting aspects of the characters' lives in Harlem in favor of presenting boys learning to swim, make baskets, work leather, etc. I felt emotionally manipulated, which is why I left after an hour. I'm sorry if my review is harsh, but it is an honest opinion. I realize that others may feel differently.

A little bit "Stand by Me," a little bit "Spelling Bee," this movie captures you instantly with its appealing characters and uncompromising look at the awkwardness of inner city kids confronting the unknown. Whether you're a Scout or not, watching the movie reminds you of how it felt facing challenges on your own for the first time. With a gentle touch, we witness the complexities confronting young black boys growing into men - what they may lack, what strengths exist for them in their own communities and what opportunities are just within their reach. I loved the movie, and found myself cheering each character on as he confronted his own hurdles.

This is a superior example of how independent film can successfully eclipse even the biggest budget productions. On top of simply entertaining me, this movie excited me and made me think - an accomplishment for any film, book, conversation, . . . I wasn't even a scout.

This movie was NOT what I had expected. I anticipated a movie that only did the obvious - a depiction of the stark contrasts between growing up in Harlem and adolescence in the country. To be sure, the movie addressed this contrast. But it also did a "deep dive" into the lives and personal struggles of a handful of people - children and adults.

The movie dug into the emotions, frailties, struggles, personal triumphs AND failures of the children by tracing their paths (for example, the earning of merit badges) from goal setting to goal realization - sometimes along crooked paths. For example, the emotions of one young man are laid bare when he struggles with his extreme fear of water in attempting to learn how to swim all on his own. You can see the emergence of young boy into man in this one aspect of the movie. Thankfuly, that aspect of the movie seems real - this boy goes from quivering fear to "kind of" swimming - not some cheesy story of a kid who almost drown turning into Mart Spitz over night. The movie is real, and respectful, in this regard.

The movie also passes on some serious and potentially touchy / controversial adult issues as well - absentee fatherhood and its toll on the home, violence as a means to end prejudices, and the ultimate concern of the Harlem adults for the welfare of the young scouts, and the fear that there may not be others like the adults depicted who will watch over future kids.

The movie, of course, is only a snapshot of a few weeks of the characters' lives. It left me wondering at the end, "Gee, I wonder how each one of these kids turns out a month, a year, a decade from now." How many films make one think about such things, let alone actually hope and care enough to wonder and "pull for" the characters' futures.

This is a great film.

As a former scout I was excited to see this movie - I was especially interested in its portrayal of scouting, the traditions of scout camp and the philosophy of scouting. While I knew it focused on a troop from Harlem, I was not expecting its moving portrayal of scouting as lived by these urban Scouts. For me, re-living the swim-test and other physical challenges typical of camp was a treat, but even more fascinating was seeing the powerful, positive effect scouting clearly has on these youngsters, their families and their scout leaders. There aren't many movies on scouting out there - seeing this movie makes me wonder why, and this film is a welcome addition!