Ernest Goes to Camp
Encyclopedia
Ernest Goes to Camp is a 1987 Touchstone Pictures
comedy film
directed by John R. Cherry III
and starring Jim Varney
. It is the second film to feature the character of Ernest P. Worrell
and was shot in Burns, Tennessee
.
Mill Creek Entertainment
re-released this motion picture on DVD on January 18, 2011 as part of a 2-disc Triple Feature set with Ernest Goes to Jail
and Ernest Scared Stupid
. They also released the film for the first time on Blu-ray on March 29, 2011 in a single disc Double Feature set along with Ernest Goes to Jail. The 2011 releases mark the first time the film has been available in widescreen.
and true courage. He also shoots an arrow at him to test his purity of heart. Jim Varney
reprises his role of Ernest P. Worrell
, working as a maintenance man at Kamp Kikakee and hoping to become a counselor. With his typical enthusiasm, he pours himself into the role and quickly becomes a valuable addition to the staff, in particular for his passion at learning the specialized sign language used by Kikakee's owner, Chief St. Cloud (Iron Eyes Cody
), who does not speak English.
Ernest gets his chance at counseling when he is assigned a small group of juvenile delinquents from Midstate Boys Detention Center that the regular counselors are hesitant to take on--primarily because the group hospitalized their first counselor, Ross Stennis (Eddy Schumacher), by pushing his lifeguard chair into the lake while he was sitting in it. Ernest quickly takes the side of the boys, due to his compassion and for having suffered his own abuse at the hands of the militant Counselor Stennis. However, the boys start to show a little respect during a campfire session when Nurse St. Cloud (Victoria Racimo) translates her grandfather's description of the warrior initiation ritual for his tribe. The initiate must hold still while a knife, a stone hatchet, and an arrow are thrown or shot at the target. It is implied that the courage of the young warrior actually alters the course of all three to prevent his death.
Meanwhile, an evil mining corporation run by the ruthless Sherman Krader (John Vernon
) has its sights on Kikakee, a site rich with the fictional mineral petrocite. However, Chief St. Cloud refuses to sell. Krader manipulates Ernest, one of the few people who speaks the chief's language, into convincing St. Cloud to sign away the land, believing it to be a conservation petition. Using Ernest as an interpreter, St. Cloud signs the deed away. Nurse St. Cloud, tries to talk Ernest out of doing anything rash until she can get a lawyer. She firmly believes that they can win the case if they can get to court, but Ernest objects, knowing that by the time they can get to a hearing, Krader will already be tearing down the camp for a strip mine.
Ernest decides to fix the situation by storming into the construction site and picking a fight with the foreman (Lyle Alzado
), though he mainly chooses to do this out of a sense of guilt for his mistake and the risk of disappointing the kids. Ernest is savagely beaten; he leaves the camp for a while to be alone. When Nurse St. Cloud overhears the kids verbally demeaning Ernest's effort, she chastises them and reveals that Ernest is the only person who has defended them, both to the authorities and to the camp staff mostly because he was the only one who really cared about them. When they learn about the sacrifices that Ernest has made on their behalf, they resolve to find him and apologize. In doing so, Ernest and the campers quickly mend their relationship through their newfound respect for him.
Even so, Krader is poised to demolish Kikakee, and when the regular staff and campers are sent home, the group decides to risk openly attacking the construction site to stall for time. Recruiting the Second Chancers, the two regular campers who usually picked on them and the chefs Jake and Eddie, Ernest plans a full-scale assault as the construction company begins to demolish Kikakee.
The group works feverishly to create a series of improvised, non-lethal weapons. Prior to the attack, Chief St. Cloud arrives to pass along a native blessing, though Nurse St. Cloud begs them not to go through with it. The assault quickly cripples the construction site's equipment. The campers take small revenge against the foreman by filling the back of Ernest's motorized maintenance cart with explosives (including Jake and Eddie's Eggs Erroneous) and rolling it into the bulldozer. Ernest then knocks out the foreman.
Krader then arrives at Kikakee and pulls out his high-powered hunting rifle, targeting Ernest. Echoing Kikakee's ancient testimonial pow wow, Ernest faces down Krader and apparently passes the age old test as Krader takes three shots at him, missing every time. Ernest then plugs Krader's hunting rifle with his finger and laughs in his face, signaling his defeat. The boys and Ernest succeed in protecting the land and Kamp Kikakee remains for young campers to enjoy--particularly when Nurse St. Cloud returns with a restraining order. Ernest remains a counselor, although he also still remains his clumsy, inept (yet good-hearted) self. Mr. Tipton, the camp owner asks about what happened a moment ago and Chief St. Cloud replies "Ernest broke the sign" in his tribal language.
More people appeared in this film. They have been uncredited.
, indicating a mixed to positive response.
Gary Chapman
sings "Brave Hearts" during the film and in the credits.
Ernest sings "Gee I'm Glad It's Raining" when he and other campers are sad about the camp's closing.
The song used to detach the box turtle from Ernest's nose is "Happy Together
," a song which was written and recorded by the musical group The Turtles
. It also serves as a theme song of the film.
Touchstone Pictures
Touchstone Pictures is an American film production label and is one of several film labels of the Walt Disney Motion Pictures Group. Established in 1984, its releases typically feature more mature themes and darker tones than those that are released under the Walt Disney Pictures banner.Touchstone...
comedy film
Comedy film
Comedy film is a genre of film in which the main emphasis is on humour. They are designed to elicit laughter from the audience. Comedies are mostly light-hearted dramas and are made to amuse and entertain the audiences...
directed by John R. Cherry III
John R. Cherry III
John R. Cherry III is an American film director and screenwriter, most notable for directing virtually every movie starring Jim Varney as Ernest P. Worrell. He based the character on a man who worked for his dad who thought that he knew everything but didn't know anything...
and starring Jim Varney
Jim Varney
James Albert "Jim" Varney, Jr. was an American stand-up comedian, actor, musician, writer, voice artist, and comedian, best known for his role as Ernest P...
. It is the second film to feature the character of Ernest P. Worrell
Ernest P. Worrell
Ernest P. Worrell is a fictional character most principally portrayed by the late American actor Jim Varney in a series of television commercials, and later in a television series as well as a series of feature films. Ernest was created by the Nashville advertising agency Carden and Cherry and was...
and was shot in Burns, Tennessee
Burns, Tennessee
Burns is a town in Dickson County, Tennessee, United States. It is part of the Nashville-Davidson–Murfreesboro–Franklin Metropolitan Statistical Area. The 1987 comedy film Ernest Goes to Camp was shot here...
.
Mill Creek Entertainment
Mill Creek Entertainment
Mill Creek Entertainment is a home entertainment company that manufactures movie and television DVD compilation box sets at "value" prices. Nashville's Amity Entertainment is an affiliate to Mill Creek...
re-released this motion picture on DVD on January 18, 2011 as part of a 2-disc Triple Feature set with Ernest Goes to Jail
Ernest Goes to Jail
Ernest Goes to Jail is a 1990 Touchstone Pictures comedy film directed by John R. Cherry III and starring Jim Varney. It is the fourth film to feature the character Ernest P. Worrell. It was shot in Nashville and Tennessee State Penitentiary. This is the second most successful of the Ernest films,...
and Ernest Scared Stupid
Ernest Scared Stupid
Ernest Scared Stupid is a 1991 American comedy film directed by John R. Cherry III and starring Jim Varney. It is the fifth film to feature the character Ernest P. Worrell. The film has Ernest accidentally unleashing an army of trolls upon a small town on Halloween. It was shot in Nashville,...
. They also released the film for the first time on Blu-ray on March 29, 2011 in a single disc Double Feature set along with Ernest Goes to Jail. The 2011 releases mark the first time the film has been available in widescreen.
Plot
A pow wow opening features a medicine man tossing a knife and tomahawk at a young brave warrior to test his faith in the Great OneGreat Spirit
The Great Spirit, also called Wakan Tanka among the Sioux, the Creator or the Great Maker in English, and Gitchi Manitou in Algonquian, is a conception of a supreme being prevalent among some Native American and First Nations cultures...
and true courage. He also shoots an arrow at him to test his purity of heart. Jim Varney
Jim Varney
James Albert "Jim" Varney, Jr. was an American stand-up comedian, actor, musician, writer, voice artist, and comedian, best known for his role as Ernest P...
reprises his role of Ernest P. Worrell
Ernest P. Worrell
Ernest P. Worrell is a fictional character most principally portrayed by the late American actor Jim Varney in a series of television commercials, and later in a television series as well as a series of feature films. Ernest was created by the Nashville advertising agency Carden and Cherry and was...
, working as a maintenance man at Kamp Kikakee and hoping to become a counselor. With his typical enthusiasm, he pours himself into the role and quickly becomes a valuable addition to the staff, in particular for his passion at learning the specialized sign language used by Kikakee's owner, Chief St. Cloud (Iron Eyes Cody
Iron Eyes Cody
Iron Eyes Cody was an American actor. He frequently portrayed American Indians in Hollywood films. In 1995, Cody was honored by the American Indian community for his work publicizing the plight of Native Americans, including his acting in films...
), who does not speak English.
Ernest gets his chance at counseling when he is assigned a small group of juvenile delinquents from Midstate Boys Detention Center that the regular counselors are hesitant to take on--primarily because the group hospitalized their first counselor, Ross Stennis (Eddy Schumacher), by pushing his lifeguard chair into the lake while he was sitting in it. Ernest quickly takes the side of the boys, due to his compassion and for having suffered his own abuse at the hands of the militant Counselor Stennis. However, the boys start to show a little respect during a campfire session when Nurse St. Cloud (Victoria Racimo) translates her grandfather's description of the warrior initiation ritual for his tribe. The initiate must hold still while a knife, a stone hatchet, and an arrow are thrown or shot at the target. It is implied that the courage of the young warrior actually alters the course of all three to prevent his death.
Meanwhile, an evil mining corporation run by the ruthless Sherman Krader (John Vernon
John Vernon
John Keith Vernon was a Canadian actor. He made a career in Hollywood after achieving initial television stardom in Canada.-Early life:...
) has its sights on Kikakee, a site rich with the fictional mineral petrocite. However, Chief St. Cloud refuses to sell. Krader manipulates Ernest, one of the few people who speaks the chief's language, into convincing St. Cloud to sign away the land, believing it to be a conservation petition. Using Ernest as an interpreter, St. Cloud signs the deed away. Nurse St. Cloud, tries to talk Ernest out of doing anything rash until she can get a lawyer. She firmly believes that they can win the case if they can get to court, but Ernest objects, knowing that by the time they can get to a hearing, Krader will already be tearing down the camp for a strip mine.
Ernest decides to fix the situation by storming into the construction site and picking a fight with the foreman (Lyle Alzado
Lyle Alzado
Lyle Martin Alzado was a professional American football defensive lineman of the National Football League famous for his intense and intimidating style of play....
), though he mainly chooses to do this out of a sense of guilt for his mistake and the risk of disappointing the kids. Ernest is savagely beaten; he leaves the camp for a while to be alone. When Nurse St. Cloud overhears the kids verbally demeaning Ernest's effort, she chastises them and reveals that Ernest is the only person who has defended them, both to the authorities and to the camp staff mostly because he was the only one who really cared about them. When they learn about the sacrifices that Ernest has made on their behalf, they resolve to find him and apologize. In doing so, Ernest and the campers quickly mend their relationship through their newfound respect for him.
Even so, Krader is poised to demolish Kikakee, and when the regular staff and campers are sent home, the group decides to risk openly attacking the construction site to stall for time. Recruiting the Second Chancers, the two regular campers who usually picked on them and the chefs Jake and Eddie, Ernest plans a full-scale assault as the construction company begins to demolish Kikakee.
The group works feverishly to create a series of improvised, non-lethal weapons. Prior to the attack, Chief St. Cloud arrives to pass along a native blessing, though Nurse St. Cloud begs them not to go through with it. The assault quickly cripples the construction site's equipment. The campers take small revenge against the foreman by filling the back of Ernest's motorized maintenance cart with explosives (including Jake and Eddie's Eggs Erroneous) and rolling it into the bulldozer. Ernest then knocks out the foreman.
Krader then arrives at Kikakee and pulls out his high-powered hunting rifle, targeting Ernest. Echoing Kikakee's ancient testimonial pow wow, Ernest faces down Krader and apparently passes the age old test as Krader takes three shots at him, missing every time. Ernest then plugs Krader's hunting rifle with his finger and laughs in his face, signaling his defeat. The boys and Ernest succeed in protecting the land and Kamp Kikakee remains for young campers to enjoy--particularly when Nurse St. Cloud returns with a restraining order. Ernest remains a counselor, although he also still remains his clumsy, inept (yet good-hearted) self. Mr. Tipton, the camp owner asks about what happened a moment ago and Chief St. Cloud replies "Ernest broke the sign" in his tribal language.
Cast
- Jim VarneyJim VarneyJames Albert "Jim" Varney, Jr. was an American stand-up comedian, actor, musician, writer, voice artist, and comedian, best known for his role as Ernest P...
as Ernest P. WorrellErnest P. WorrellErnest P. Worrell is a fictional character most principally portrayed by the late American actor Jim Varney in a series of television commercials, and later in a television series as well as a series of feature films. Ernest was created by the Nashville advertising agency Carden and Cherry and was... - Victoria Racimo as Nurse St. Cloud
- John VernonJohn VernonJohn Keith Vernon was a Canadian actor. He made a career in Hollywood after achieving initial television stardom in Canada.-Early life:...
as Sherman Krader - Iron Eyes CodyIron Eyes CodyIron Eyes Cody was an American actor. He frequently portrayed American Indians in Hollywood films. In 1995, Cody was honored by the American Indian community for his work publicizing the plight of Native Americans, including his acting in films...
as Old Indian 'Chief St. Cloud' - Lyle AlzadoLyle AlzadoLyle Martin Alzado was a professional American football defensive lineman of the National Football League famous for his intense and intimidating style of play....
as Bronk Stinson (Foreman) - Gailard SartainGailard SartainGailard Sartain is an American comedic and serious actor, often playing characters with roots in the South. He is also an accomplished and successful painter and illustrator.-Early years and education:...
as Jake (Chef #1) - Daniel Butler as Eddie (Chef #2)
- Patrick Day as Bobby Wayne
- Scott MenvilleScott MenvilleScott David Menville is primarily an American voice actor, actor, musician, and comedian.-Early life and career:The son of Chuck Menville, he was bassist for the Southern California rock band Boy Hits Car, which released three albums until he left the band in 2006. He was with the group since...
as Crutchfield - Jacob VargasJacob Vargas-Early life:Vargas was born in Michoacán, Mexico, and raised in Pacoima, Los Angeles, California, since 1971. He was raised in a devout Roman Catholic family.-Career:...
as Butch "Too Cool" Vargas - Todd Loyd as Chip Ozgood
- Hakim AbdulsamadThe Boys (band)The Boys is an American R&B quartet composed of the four Abdulsamad brothers, Khiry , Hakeem , Tajh , and Bilal . The group started out singing in Carson, California. The group had three #1 singles on the R&B charts but never had a mainstream pop #1.-Early years:The Boys were encouraged by their...
as Moustafa "Moose" Hakeem Jones - Eddy Schumacher as Counselor Ross Stennis
More people appeared in this film. They have been uncredited.
Reception
Ernest Goes to Camp was the best received of the franchise, earning a 62% "fresh" rating on Rotten TomatoesRotten Tomatoes
Rotten Tomatoes is a website devoted to reviews, information, and news of films—widely known as a film review aggregator. Its name derives from the cliché of audiences throwing tomatoes and other vegetables at a poor stage performance...
, indicating a mixed to positive response.
Soundtrack
The songs were written by Alice and Shane Keister.Gary Chapman
Gary Chapman (musician)
Gary Chapman is an American Contemporary Christian music singer-songwriter and former television talk show host.-Early life and music career:...
sings "Brave Hearts" during the film and in the credits.
Ernest sings "Gee I'm Glad It's Raining" when he and other campers are sad about the camp's closing.
The song used to detach the box turtle from Ernest's nose is "Happy Together
Happy Together (song)
"Happy Together" is a 1967 song from The Turtles' album of the same name. Released in February 1967, the song knocked The Beatles' "Penny Lane" out of the #1 slot for three weeks on the Billboard Hot 100. It was the group's only chart-topper. "Happy Together" reached #12 on the UK Singles Chart in...
," a song which was written and recorded by the musical group The Turtles
The Turtles
The Turtles are an American rock group led by vocalists Howard Kaylan and Mark Volman. The band became notable for several Top 40 hits beginning with its cover version of Bob Dylan's "It Ain't Me Babe" in 1965...
. It also serves as a theme song of the film.