By Bradley Towle
ROUND TOP — “The Miseducation of Cameron Post” is a 2018 film starring Chloë Grace Moretz as a high schooler who is sent to a gay conversion camp by her evangelical aunt after being caught with another girl by her boyfriend on homecoming night. Based on the 2012 novel of the same name, the film was directed by Desiree Akhavan and made for a lean $900,000. The majority of the film was shot in Greene County with assistance from the Hudson Valley Film Commission. Locations in Catskill and Saugerties serve as stand-ins for Pennsylvania, where the story takes place (the book was set in Montana). Riedlbauer’s Resort in Round Top is the primary setting for the film as the location for God’s Promise, the gay conversion therapy center run by the domineering Dr. Lydia Marsh and her brother, Reverend Rick, who was “saved” by his sister’s “treatment.” Cameron’s aunt has raised her since she was orphaned as a child, and although well-intended but certainly ill-informed and advised, drops the young teen off at God’s Promise, believing it will “correct” her impulses.
The history of gay conversion dates back to the late 19th century. It was considered and treated as a psychological disorder until 1973 when the American Psychological Association removed it (appropriately) from the DSM. Since then, religious organizations have taken on the damaging and preposterous task of attempting to “pray the gay away.” It should be noted that while Christian groups are most commonly affiliated with the practice, factions of other faiths also practice the denounced “treatment,” which is currently outlawed in twenty states (with a well-documented history of mental health issues and suicides as a result of the experience, twenty seems a bit low).
Early in the film, we know what kind of place God’s Promise will be. Reverend Rick confiscates a Breeders cassette as he examines Cameron’s luggage upon her arrival. “I doubt The Breeders are singing in praise of Jesus,” says Rick upon swiping the contraband. Rick, however, is never quite the villain; the film handles him with considerable empathy, which is a wise choice considering he is merely a product of his sister’s “therapy.” It’s Dr. Marsh who emerges as the villain, reminiscent of Nurse Ratchet from “One Flew Over The Cuckoo’s Nest at times,” and referred to by one of the campers (or “disciples” as they are called at God’s Promise) as a Disney villain (had the film not owned this it might have been a flaw). The Breeders cassette makes a second appearance, and in some ways, it’s a loaded gun that never quite goes off.
Cameron is too smart to be manipulated by the teachings of God’s Promise, and so are the friends she makes. It’s part of what makes them treat Reverend Rick with such empathy; they know he’s one of them but won’t ever have the chance to be himself. Other “disciples” are not so savvy, and some desperately want to understand how to change who they are, which is the precise response that led many survivors of these camps toward self-hatred. A trigger warning is likely in order, as the film does depict an incident of self-harm as a result of the damaging and barbaric practice of conversion therapy. The novel of the same name was influenced by the story of Zack Stark and his experience with Love in Action/Restoration Path. Another novel, “Boy Erased,” depicted Love in Action’s controversial conversion program and was also turned into a film in 2018.
The film’s dialogue sometimes feels anachronistic, leaning heavily on 2018-era lingo rather than its early 90s setting. Like the Cameron Post character, I was a 16-year-old in 1993. I don’t recall specific terminology around gender and sexuality in the lexicon (to be clear, that is not a criticism of modern gender conversations, merely the film’s incorporation of it into a period piece). In fairness, I wasn’t exposed to a conversion camp setting; perhaps such jargon existed in those cloistered domains.
There are plenty of “I know where that is!” moments for local viewers, despite most of the film taking place at Riedlbauer’s and presumably the woods across the street behind Glen Falls House (which does not appear on screen). A shot along the road at the end of the film will be familiar to anyone familiar with the area. I just wish we finally got to hear The Breeders. “The Miseducation of Cameron Post” is currently streaming across several platforms and is available for rent.
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