Attempting to steal the mantel once held by the films of the “High School Musical” franchise, the new Christian-rock themed A Week Away, delivers a rewarding enough tale of a young man finding himself and partners it with somewhat catchy musical numbers that it makes the film’s running time not seem as though the end of the film is also seven days away.
The film follows troubled teen troubadour Will Hawkins (Kevin Quinn) after he is given the choice between attending Christian summer camp or being sent to juvenile detention after a run-in with the law. Of course, Will chooses camp and joins counselor Kristen (Sherri Shepherd), her son George (Jahbril Cook), and the camp’s director (David Koechner) as the fish-out-of-water character that just might find the redemption and family he has been searching for.
While some of the songs stray a little too much at times to the religiosity of the proceedings, there is a heartfelt earnestness at work here that makes the proceeding a bit more palatable than they probably deserve to me. Even the inevitable love story between bad-boy Will and good-girl Avery (Bailee Madison) manages to come across as endearing and uplifting. Despite the rather formulaic story and predictable outcome, there is enough enthusiastic participation from all those involved that you may simply be swept up in it before realizing what you are enjoying is pure cheese.
Kevin Quinn in “A Week Away.”
Although it will not give any of history’s great love stories any enduring competition, A Week Away manages to offer an occasionally feel-good musical romance (albeit one with far too many religious overtures).
| Producer: | Steve Barnett, Alan Powell, Gabe Vasquez |
| Release Date: | Streaming on March 26, 2021 |
| Running Time: | 94 minutes |
| Starring: | Kevin Quinn, Bailee Madison, Sherri Shepherd, David Koechner, Ed Amatrudo, Mari Kasuya, Rena MacMonegle, Brooke Maroon, Kat Conner |
| User Rating: | |
| Writer: | Alan Powell, Kali Bailey |
| MPAA Rating: | NR |
| Director: | Roman White |
| Distributor: | Netflix |
| External Info: | Official Site |
