A Week Away premiers today on Netflix! This is movie is full of heart, music and good vibes. Troubled teen Will Hawkins (Quinn) has a run-in with the law that puts him at an important crossroad: go to juvenile detention or attend a Christian summer camp. At first a fish-out-of-water, Will opens his heart, discovers love with a camp regular (Madison), and sense of belonging in the last place he expected to find it. This movie was a huge hit in our house. Checkout what the cast had to say on creating a inspiring musical!
Watch The Trailer
Interview with the Cast
The story is so relatable and current. We follow a teenage boy who is struggling, find himself and friendship at a summer camp. The movie is faith based, so it adds another level of inspiration and heart to the film. Both lead actors shared how faith played a role in their personal lives. As a parent I loved seeing such a powerful messages of love, friendship, and faith highlighted in a film like this. My kids and I enjoyed it! See my interview below with Bailee Madison (Avery) & Kevin Quinn (Will) & Jahbril Cook (George) & Kat Conner Sterling (Presley)
Fun Behind The Scenes Facts
- Christian music artists Amy Grant and Steven Curtis Chapman make cameo appearances in the film as a camp counselor and the camp lifeguard, respectively. Amy Grant was thrilled to be part of the film, “It was incredible. How those songs were placed felt like they were
written for the script and the story.” - The cast was at a real summer camp! The movie was shot on location at YMCA Camp Widjiwagan just outside Nashville, Tennessee, in 2019. Unlike other productions where different elements are spread out about the country or done virtually, A Week Away had rehearsals, filming, and music recordings all in one location. Both the producers and the cast agreed that creating all the elements at one location at a real, functioning summer camp added an air of authenticity to the production.
- The original song “Good Enough” is one of Bailee’s favorite songs in the film. “I think growing up in the world of social media, while you are always being compared and judged on how you should look and dress sets up a facade of false perfection. And we need to be reminded that we are exactly who are supposed to be. That we are good enough just the way God made us. That’s such an important message right now.”
- Bailee also has a co-producer credit on A Week Away, an experience that has had a lasting impact on her. She said, “I learned so much about my voice and the creative process by being part of the larger collaborative process. I couldn’t be more grateful for that opportunity.”
- Producer and a writer on the original story, Gabriel Vasquez, talked about how important it was to the team to create a film that both parents and kids could enjoy together. He knew that a key audience for the film likely attended summer camps like the one in the film and would no doubt recognize many of the songs in the film from their own childhood.
- A Week Away was a 21 day shoot that featured more than 100 extra campers for the bigger musical numbers.
Watch A Week Away on Netflix now!
