Synopsis
Down the road from Woodstock in the early 1970s, a revolution blossomed in a ramshackle summer camp for disabled teenagers, transforming their young lives and igniting a landmark movement.
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Cast
- James LebrechtSelf
- Lionel Je'WoodyardSelf
- Joseph O'ConorSelf
- Ann Cupolo FreemanSelf
- Denise Sherer JacobsonSelf
- Larry AllisonSelf (archive footage)
- Judith HeumannSelf
- Ellie AbrashkinSelf (archive footage)
- Jean MalafronteSelf (archive footage)
Recommendations
- 90
Film Threat
Newnham and LeBrecht weave a narrative from multiple archival sources that capture the innocence, the subtle awakening, and ultimate determination of a small group of disenfranchised who suddenly realized that there was something to fight for. - 90
The Hollywood Reporter
What's most remarkable is how the primitive video footage balances the aspects of Jened that were unique — you've never seen a baseball game or swimming instruction like this — with moments that are hilarious and universal. - 90
TheWrap
Thanks to Crip Camp, we can all get a window into how a struggle is unified, people are emboldened, and differences are made. - 90
The New York Times
Newnham and LeBrecht deftly juggle a large cast of characters past and present, accomplishing the not-so-easy task of making all the personalities distinct, and a build a fair amount of suspense in their nearly day-by-day account of the sit-in. - 88
The Associated Press
It’s a worthy story even without the coda of the fight for their civil rights. You never know where empowerment might stem from: Sometimes, it’s a hippie camp in the Catskills. - 80
Screen Daily
Footage is surprising, and, occasionally heart-breaking; not because of the disabilities onscreen, but because it recalls the idealism of the 1970s, long since gone. - 80
Variety
The movie succeeds in enlightening without ever coming across as an “eat your spinach” civics lesson. - 75
The Film Stage
Crip Camp is both an inspiring historical document of a grass-roots movement but also an urgent call to action for those on the sidelines of ongoing political and societal battles.
