Brats on the Loose
After returning from vacation, I held my own TiVo marathon to catch up with ABC’s hit summer reality show, BratCamp,and am suitably hooked. It throws nine disturbed, hostile or otherwise problem-causing teens into a harsh wilderness therapy program — the Oregon-based SageWalk — where the rigors of outdoor subsistence get them to face their issues. The show feels honest and is unexpectedly moving — the pain these kids are in is heartbreakingly palpable — but what sticks out is what the producers don’t do: throw emotional basket cases into an elimination scenario with trumped-up drama. I was reminded of what bugged me about NBC’s The Biggest Loser,which worked as hard as a treadmill rat to set up its overfed and fed-up participants as sympathetic weight-loss hopefuls, only to crudely graft onto the already dramatic situation a Survivor-ish competition in which people vote each other off, whether they’ve made progress shedding pounds or not. A whole show about abandonment issues could be formed from such ousted contestants alone. BratCampcertainly has a tension element: Will Jada curb her obsessive lying? Will Frank control his penchant for violence? Will nine sets of parents get a more focused, less self-destructive child at the end? But at least a viewer can feel secure that Brat Camp isn’t out to strike fear into a troubled soul that there’s one more group they might be ostracized from.
Now Showing
Find capsule reviews, showtimes & tickets for all films in town.
Join My Voice Nation for free stuff, film info & more!
Now Trending
-
Voice Places
Find everything you're looking for in your city
-
Happy Hour App
Find the best happy hour deals in your city
-
Daily Deals
Get today's exclusive deals at savings of anywhere from 50-90%
-
Best Of...
Check out the hottest list of places and things to do around your city
- Profile
- Newsletters
- Mobile
- Logout
