A Week Away Review and A Week Away Discussion Questions written by the Ent on 3/30/2021 This post contains affiliate links, you can find out more on our policies page or in the disclaimer at the bottom of the blog.
Know Before You Watch
Movie: A Week Away
Rating: TV-PG
Genre: Christian, Teen Camp, Musical
Length: 1 hr. 34 mins.
Age suggested: 7 and up
Release Date: March 26th, 2021
Themes: Acceptance, Belonging, Competition, Christianity, Friendship
Warnings: Death of parents, Teen romance (only kissing)
Quick Summary of A Week Away
After his city sheriff reaches his limit, Will is given the choice: Go to Juvie or go to a camp. (NOT how that works- misrepresentation of the foster system) Thinking it’s an obvious choice, he picks the camp, not realizing that it is a Bible camp. He immediately jumps into a façade to fit in and starts to make new friends. But it’s only a matter of time until this fake persona begins to crack. This Christian musical is filled with a lot of redone CCM songs from the past few decades mixed in with some newer ones and some good dance numbers.
So I’ll start by saying that I’m the targeted audience for this movie. I grew up with both High School Musical and Contemporary Christian Music and culture. That being said- it will hit well with that audience. Now would I show this movie to my friend who isn’t Christian? Would I show this to my foster kiddos? Am I going to watch it with the same Nostalgia as HSM? The answer to those is probably no. Understanding that- when I heard that this was going to be a Christian musical I groaned out loud- but it was well done and I enjoyed it.
A Week Away Review: (Contains Spoilers)
–Why Watch A Week Away-
A Week Away provides an innocent, fun trip into the world of Bible camp. Although far from extensive, it can be an interesting introduction for CCM newcomers or a warm hug of nostalgia for those who have listened to the music for years. My favorite thing was the cameo appearances- I saw Steven Curtis Chapman and Amy Grant the first time through and want to re-watch to make sure I didn’t miss any others. So fun!
-Is A Week Away Appropriate?-
The main potential triggering event in this movie would be the fact that our main character’s parents have recently died (not shown in the movie). Besides this, there is a very mild romance scene. Overall, this movie is appropriate for most viewers.
-Plot/Story-
*SPOILERS BEYOND THIS POINT*
There is quite a bit happening with the stories in this movie, most of which are fairly simple. There are quite a few characters most of who are given fairly basic, yet fun, stories. For example, George and Presley’s entire story is that they both like each other, but have difficultly talking with each other. By the end of the movie, they overcome their fears and express their feelings toward each other.
There are definitely some plot points that have to be overlooked in order to immerse yourself into the movie. The main plot of the story involves Will having to choose between going to a summer camp or going to juvenile detention (Which is a misrepresentation of fostercare and the judicial system). If you are able to get past these issues, along with some other ones, this movie is quite fun and enjoyable.
I appreciated a few things about this movie. The first is that it wasn’t totally about Christian Triumphalism- the wayward kid didn’t find Jesus and suddenly win the gold medal. The second is that it’s not completely harmful to foster kids. I really wish they had shown another foster kid that already went to camp and wasn’t confused about their life or identity BUT at least they did show that kids are more than their rap sheet. The third is that they updated and did not ruin some really fun songs. If you grew up in Evangelical culture- this is one to watch for sure.
Continue reading for more of our A Week Away Review and A Week Away Discussion Questions.
-Characters-
The movie has quite a few, fun dynamic characters. Will definitely is given the most screen time and character development as he transitions from a rebellious, grieving kid to an accepted and loved friend and adopted son. Some other notable characters were George and Presley who both have crushes on each other, but can’t seem to communicate with each other.
Avery (Played by Bailee Madison) is an interesting character to dissect. At one point in the movie, Will calls her ‘perfect’ and she immediately rebuffs him for it, which is good. Despite this, she really isn’t given any noticeable character flaws, which undercuts that idea quite a bit. There are a few other characters that add some comedy and depth to the story. Lastly, shoutout for the cameos of Steven Curtis Chapman and Amy Grant. This was simply the perfect topping to this movie.
Sure, the main cast was lifted almost entirely from High School Musical, Kevin Quinn’s character Will even looks a little like Zac Efron. George’s character is similar to Chad, Avery is similar to Gabriella, and Presley is similar to Kelsey. But the characters had their own little unique twists. Kevin Quinn (Will), Bailee Madison (Avery), Jahbril Cook (George), and Kat Conner Sterling (Presley) all did a wonderful job with their characters and songs!! I’m also a fan of Sherri Shepherd! And again, loved the cameos.
–A Week Away Soundtrack–
The A Week Away soundtrack forms a very fun, narrative-forward story using some great 90’s CCM classics mixed with modern CCM and original songs. It plays well with the nostalgia while also flowing very well into the narrative of the characters. I think the climax of the score comes from the classic come to Jesus moment in which the campers sing Rich Mullins’ Awesome God while the two main leads are singing For King and Country’s God Only Knows.
Continue reading for our A Week Away Discussion Questions
A Week Away Discussion Questions
- Have you ever been to a Bible Camp? How did this movie compare to your experience or thoughts with Christian camps?
- What was your favorite song from A Week Away and why?
- Which character did you most identify with and why?
- What do you think made Will come back to the camp?
- Discuss you ‘conversion story’ with each other. Was it something you were raised with, introduced to as an adult, etc?
Thanks for reading our A Week Away Discussion Questions and review. Before you go, check out these other posts:
-Other Family Friendly Netflix Suggestions
–Chosen Discussion Questions: a series that tries to give an honest, powerful telling of Jesus’ life
-The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe Review and Curriculum:
Down The Hobbit Hole Blog and this A Week Away Review and A Week Away Discussion Questions post use affiliate links, we only link products we think you’ll like and you are never charged extra for them. As Amazon Associates, we earn from qualifying purchases at no additional cost to you. We also use cookies to gather analytics and present advertisements. This allows us to keep writing discussion questions and telling ridiculous dad jokes. Find our other reviews with discussion questions here. Our posts about faith here. And our posts about family stuff here.