I can remember watching the original The Parent Trap (1961) as a child and being curious about what sleepaway camp was, since it was not a thing many people in my hometown did. I have my list of favorite summer camp movies that cross my mind, and I will stop and watch when I can. Along with the above, Meatballs (1979), Little Darlings (1980), Poison Ivy (1985, with Michael J Fox and Nancy McKeon), SpaceCamp (1986), Ernest Goes to Camp (1987), Indian Summer (1993), Camp Nowhere (1994), and Wet Hot American Summer (2001). These movies were a way to experience a part of life that people in other parts of the country experience.
I have a new addition to add to this list. It is an Indie Film that I would like to see supported and get wider distribution. The premiere was on June 18, 2025, at the Bentonville Film Festival, and it will also be showing August 3 as a closing night film at the San Francisco Jewish Film Festival. The Floaters is about Nomi, Jackie Tohn, whose path to becoming a rock star has fallen apart just as Mara, Sara Podemski, her childhood best camp friend, needs a last-minute counselor replacement. Struggling to keep Camp Daveed going, Mara agrees to a competition against the next camp over. Nomi is over the group of campers that didn’t sign up for specific areas of participation, referred to as ‘the floaters’. She wants to help them find their voice and believes in them 100%.
Director Rachel Israel’s vision brought camp back to life for me. With her leadership, everyone involved with the project was able to shine and give a nice escape from everyday life to the audience. I appreciated that the low-hanging fruit in most coming-of-age movies wasn’t the forefront. The campers aren’t just teens with hormones; they are experiencing life and figuring out who they are authentically and the best ways to represent that. Their faith and culture are part of what makes them, them, and this is factored in with a few of the conversations between the campers.
I am sure there are bits that I missed as a non-Jewish person, but the film never made me feel that. There is enough context given in areas that most people who were not raised in the faith or community can follow and do not feel like an outsider looking in.
The location used for the film (and as housing for many of the cast during filming) was founded in 1948, and Camp Tel Yehudah is the current official national teen leadership camp of Young Judaea. Members of the cast and crew and their relatives attended this camp when they were teens. Located in New York along the Delaware Riverbanks, it creates a calm and natural environment, which is what camp movies have me expecting.
Casting by Stephanie Holbrook was spot on with a great mix of actors in addition to Tohn and Podemski. Other known names include: Steve Guttenberg is Manny, a Camp Daveed counselor, Seth Green is Daniel, the head of Camp Barak, Jonathan Silverman is Eli, Jonah’s dad, Judah Lewis is Jonah, Aya Cash is Rabbi Rachel, Jake Ryan is Wetspot, Jacob Moskovitz is One-Nut, Jim Kaplan is Tums, Dan Ahdoot is Stan the head of the camps kosher kitchen, and Bern Cohen is the Mashgiach (the person who inspects the kitchen is following kosher practices). There are also some up-and-coming stars to keep watching, like Nina Bloomgarden as Lily, Thani Brant as Tal, and Bekah Zornosa and Jillian Jordyn, who were the Dahlia twins.
Danny Vecchione, Cinematographer, allowed us to feel like we were outside of a large metropolitan city, while also showing that the cabins and buildings were still close enough together that campers would feel safe and still be in close enough contact with other campers. There is a section toward the end that looks more like teens filming from their phones and the shenanigans they were getting up to. This fits well with the story and was a perfect choice for the moment.
This was a fun watch, and I was a little sad when it was over. Some storylines could be continued in a sequel, not the type that left me hanging but the ones where I make up my own, “___ months later” in my head.
Director: Rachel Israel
Cast: Jackie Tohn, Sarah Podemski, Aya Cash
Selig Rating: 4 stars
Runtime: 1h 40m
Genre(s): Comedy
Movie Site: The Floaters website
The Selig Rating Scale:
5 Stars – Excellent movie/show, well worth the time and price.
4 Stars – Good movie/show
3 Stars – OK movie/show
2 Stars – Well, there was nothing else…
1 Star – Total waste of time.