An American Girl Story: Summer Camp, Friends for Life (2017) Movie Script

[BUBBLING]
[RATTLING]
[SERVOS WHIRRING]
[HISSES]
Action.
- Z?
- Cut.
Exactly.
You know, sometimes,
when we immerse
ourselves in technology,
we cut ourselves off from nature
- and from each other.
- [INSECT BUZZING]
You know what? Try this.
Think of your minds
as powerful tablets
and nature as one never-ending
- Ew! Guh!
- and always evolving engineering challenge.
Now look around.
See everything
that is open to you
now that you have put
your cell phones away.
We had no choice.
You took them from us.
Yes, but that was in hopes
that you would interface
with each other
and not just your screens.
You know, humans,
we are social beings.
We thrive on interaction, right?
So just by simply
talking to someone,
you can expand your
individual body of knowledge
and exponentially increase
your collective power.
Isn't that amazing?
Yeah. When will we get
our phones back?
When you start communicating
with each other.
Yes, Z.
When will we be able
to use all the equipment?
When you show me
that you're ready.
Okay. I... I guess it's time.
Everybody, off.
Go off and explore.
Z: What does she mean,
show her I'm ready?
I was born ready.
When have I not talked about
wanting to be a filmmaker?
Hasn't happened.
[CHUCKLE] If I could have
filmed my own birth,
I would have.
That's commitment.
Rae's really nice and all,
but this nature
obsession of hers
is a little unnatural
at a STEAM camp.
Cosine. Nature would
be a lot cooler
if tablets grew on trees
and if trees were robots
and if robots were powered
by sustainable,
locally sourced ice cream...
ideally mint chocolate chip.
I'm working on a prototype
and open to other flavors.
If I got an allowance,
I would be your first investor.
The point is,
these hands came here...
- [BUZZING]
- ...to build things,
not to squash... bugs.
You're cultivating
a new challenge.
Hello, explorers.
Who was that?
Whoops.
Sorry about that.
I know I should stop
or at least slow down
when I talk to people.
My parents are always telling me
I'm going to give
somebody whiplash
one of these days.
Your parents
are on to something.
Hi. I'm Suzi,
but everyone calls me Z.
Well, that's E-Z to remember.
I'm Paws,
and you are...
So excited.
Don't you think our
collective new friends vibe
is absolutely
pulsatingly kinetic?
Well, I have to run
to the garden
to tend to my gourds,
tubers, pods,
and night shades,
but I can't wait
to get to know each other
and, as Rae says,
expand our minds.
Goodbye, explorers.
Forget wind turbines
and solar panels.
She's a great renewable
energy source.
Did she seriously just
forget to tell us her name?
Whoops! Drew!
My name's Drew!
[LAUGHING]
[GASP]
Ohh.
Here.
When we decided to come
here for the summer,
I said I did not want
to get up close and personal
with nature.
This...
is very close and very personal.
We just have to stick it out
until Rae changes her mind.
As long as she changes hers
before I lose mine.
Ohh.
I'm done.
Paws:
Stay up!
The left side is sort of...
Paws:
Stay up!
Now the right side is...
Paws:
Stay up!
The middle's
all kinds of messed up.
Paws:
Stay up!
Hey, look at you go.
In it to win it.
Good job.
Unless, you know,
it was raining or something.
[SIGH]
If we have to build a fire,
I am burning that thing.
Yes.
Yeah!
[IMITATES EXPLOSION]
Ha.
[GASP, GIGGLE]
Nice handiwork, Paws.
Bona fide genius up here.
That's really awesome.
Even upside-down.
Z: I've always
thought that filmmaking
is a great way to
bring people together.
Z: Everyone loves seeing
stories brought to life.
[GASP] Oh, no.
Look at all that cool equipment.
[SIGH]
You know what we need
at this very moment?
An ax?
I was going to say
fairy godmother.
I'm neither,
but maybe I can help.
Sorry. Didn't mean
to scare you.
I'm Jordan.
- Hi, Jordan. I'm...
- Z and Paws.
I know.
Because you really are
our fairy godmother?
Just your counselor,
but I used to be a camper here
for ten amazing summers.
I loved this place.
Wish we could say the same.
There's no way I could survive
nine more no-tech summers.
If Rae is conducting
some kind of deranged
science experiment...
does withholding tech
from kids make them crazy?
She can absolutely
conclude yes, it does.
It's true.
This camp used to be
run a lot differently.
Has hearing about
the good old days
ever made anyone feel good?
Where did she go?
But there's a lot
to race bio mimicry.
Without observing the
burdock plant's hooks and loops,
you can't invent
the Velcro on your wristband.
Without observing
birds in flight,
you can't invent an airplane.
Without observing water lilies
and starry nights,
you can't paint some of the
world's most beautiful paintings.
Nature is one big laboratory
and artist's studio
rolled into one.
Mind blown.
I have a feeling about you two.
No. A hypothesis.
That if you put
your heads together,
you'll figure out a solution
to your predicament
and maybe even come to realize
that Rae's experiment
isn't so deranged after all.
Whoa. What a cool
charm bracelet.
I've never seen one like it.
Thanks. I made it myself.
It's a constant reminder
of things I love.
I used this piece
of circuit board
as a pinhole projector
during the last solar eclipse.
Whoa.
And I use these for stargazing,
bird watching,
or just to find my way home
if I'm ever lost.
[CHIMES RING]
[SIGH] No. That's
the lunch bell.
I say we commemorate this moment
with a threefie.
Do you have a phone?
Rae confiscated ours.
Who needs a phone
when you have these?
Popsicle sticks?
They're an awesome
aerodynamic tool.
I never set off on a hike
without them.
That, my friends,
is what you call
a window of opportunity.
Now I just need
something for impact.
Perfect.
What are you making?
It's called a cobra-weave
stick bomb,
but for our purposes,
just think of it
as a remote control.
[CHIMING]
See if you can find
some pinecones
with sap on them. Hurry.
Is she amazing or what?
I'm voluntarily
looking for pinecones.
She's a miracle worker.
These are pretty sappy.
Nature's glue.
Ready?
Not sure what for,
but heck, yeah.
Bombs away.
Quick. Say STEAM.
- STEAM!
- STEAM!
I vote for calling Jordan
our fairy geekmother.
Cosine. She could almost
be an actual fairy,
the way she just appeared
out of nowhere.
You know, that thought
had crossed my mind.
- What thought?
- Why we didn't meet her
at the start of camp,
with the other counselors.
Hello, explorers.
I just foraged some yummy
grub for my glow worms.
Ew! We're eating.
So are they.
Today's special
is sea lavender salad,
also known as snail chow.
Seriously, Drew? Snails?
They're considered
delicacies by the French
and bioluminescent beetles.
Arthropod and chordataman,
we are all connected.
There's Rae.
Let's go ask her about Jordan.
- RAE: Hi, girls.
- Excuse us.
Oh. Okay.
Um, see you later, then.
CHILD: Can we go to
the tech lab after lunch?
- Hi, Rae.
- Oh, hi, girls.
How are you two coming along?
Great. In fact,
we're really starting
to get the hang of things,
thanks to Jordan.
Jordan?
Yeah. Our counselor.
We were actually wondering
why we hadn't met her
before today.
But we totally love her.
Yeah. Jordan is awesome.
I had so much fun with her,
I almost forgot I was outside.
Uh, there is no counselor
here by the name of Jordan.
Excuse me.
What just happened?
How could Rae not know who
one of her own counselors is?
What if Jordan isn't
really a counselor?
How could she not be? She knew
everything about the camp.
She knew who Rae was.
That's true.
But then why would Rae lie?
It doesn't make any sense.
I don't know.
Maybe she wasn't lying.
Maybe she just forgot.
She is a vegetarian.
Huh?
Sometimes they can
be low on iron,
which impairs brain function,
which could affect memory.
She's always drinking
spinach smoothies.
She can't be low on iron.
Yeah. Maybe not.
I've got it. Our threefie.
What about it?
It's proof Jordan exists.
We show it to Rae.
You're a genius.
- What in the world?
- Oh, my gosh.
Why isn't Jordan in the photo?
I don't know.
She was standing
right next to us.
- She was there.
- I know.
She was there...
her Popsicle sticks,
her charm bracelet.
They were all there.
They were all real.
[SCOFF] They don't
seem real anymore.
Z, that's insane.
She has to be real.
Wait a minute.
What's that in the upper
right-hand corner
of the photo?
I can't tell.
It's too small in the frame.
We have to zoom in somehow.
Here. Let me help you.
Thanks. My arms
are getting tired.
Hey!
You aren't going
to believe this.
What? What is it?
Take a look.
No way.
How did Drew photo bomb us?
She's really fast.
But we would have at least
heard her run away.
Fine. I'll say it.
This is now officially
extremely weird.
How is Drew in our threefie
photo but Jordan isn't?
There's only one explanation.
Don't say Jordan's a ghost.
Please don't say
Jordan's a ghost.
There might be
another explanation.
Which is?
Jordan's a zombie.
Fine.
Jordan isn't a zombie.
Rae is.
You said it yourself.
She's low in iron,
so she ate Jordan.
Not helpful.
Fine.
Let's investigate this problem
scientifically,
starting with what we observed.
Jordan,
a very nice,
very cool, very real,
and very alive-seeming
human being.
Further evidence of which,
I touched her arm,
and it didn't fall off.
Excellent clinical observation.
[CLATTER]
What's that noise?
Are we still investigating
things scientifically?
Always.
Mm, in that case,
based on the evidence,
I'd conclude that was
just the wind.
[CLATTER CONTINUES]
Just the wind?
Rattling a chain?
[CLATTER]
I'm going to go investigate.
I'm going to hide
under the covers.
[CLATTER]
[RATTLING]
I can't let you face this
seriously rude ghost alone.
Okay, on the count of 3...
Thousand?
[CLATTER]
BOTH: 1, 2, 3!
See? Nothing here.
It's just the wind.
[BOTH SCREAM]
Look. It's Jordan's
charm bracelet.
That's what was
making the noise.
Now we have empirical proof.
Jordan isn't a ghost
or a zombie.
Neither accessorizes
with jewelry.
Skulls, yes.
But where is Jordan?
And why would she leave
her bracelet on our door?
- DREW: Hello, explorers.
- Aah!
Drew, you scared us
half to death.
Are you a ghost?
I don't think so, but it
would be really cool.
No!
What are you doing out here
in the middle of the night?
Oh, uh, I saw you guys
come outside, and I...
I wanted to make sure
you were all right.
I like to think of myself as
the camp's watchful guardian
of the night realm.
What a curious coincidence.
"Watchful guardian
of the night realm"
is an anagrammatic
acronym for "wrong."
Wow. I didn't realize that.
You're fast.
Did you hang this on our door?
No, but it's really cool.
Did you see who did?
- No.
- Then how exactly
are you a watchful guardian
of the night realm?
Uh, it's more
of an honorary title
because I don't sleep.
Listen, Drew,
this is really important.
We're trying to find
our friend Jordan.
Is she the older girl you guys
were hanging out with today?
Yeah. Speaking of which,
how did you photo bomb
our threefie?
I didn't mean to.
I guess I'd just been
standing there so long,
I didn't realize you guys
were taking a photo.
It was really cool how she did
that thing with the Popsicle sticks.
How long had you
been standing there?
The whole time.
Why?
It looked like you guys
were having a lot of fun.
I guess I was hoping
you'd notice me
and invite me over to join you.
[SIGH]
Good night, explorers.
I think we actually
have proof of two things.
Which are?
Wherever she is,
Jordan's not a ghost.
And Drew's been wanting
to hang out with us.
Head up just a bit.
Perfect.
Hey, Drew.
Hi, explorers.
Drew, we've been a little blind.
What do you mean?
We mean,
for science-minded people,
we haven't been very observant.
And, as a result,
we've missed a big opportunity
to make a new friend.
We'd really like to start over.
I'd really like that, too.
If we're going to find Jordan,
we have to formulate a plan.
How do you formulate
a plan to find someone
who isn't a ghost
but acts like one?
Well, she gave you her bracelet,
so she's acting like a ghost
who wants to be found.
So maybe she'll
leave us another clue.
- Exactly.
- So all we have to do is wait.
Yep.
I hate waiting.
Z, isn't this
your flip book movie?
No. Mine's in the cabin.
Are you sure?
[GASP]
Oh, my gosh.
This is mine,
but this is ours...
I mean, it's Jordan's.
I mean, she made it for us.
It's another clue.
See? That wasn't
too long to wait.
This is the last page
of my movie
that flew out of the window.
How'd Jordan wind up with it?
That's another question
we'll have to ask her
if we ever find her.
What's all this
supposed to mean?
It's some kind of riddle.
And this is some type
of bug. I'm out.
No. That's
a bioluminescent beetle,
or, as I like to call
them, baby fireflies.
[CHUCKLE]
I know this one.
This dot orbiting the Earth
is a symbol for time.
Bug time? I'm out.
Come on, Paws.
We can do this.
What do you think these
are supposed to mean?
Those are geometric
dimensions for a blueprint.
- All right. I'm in.
- [GIGGLING]
Look, each of us can
figure out a part of this riddle.
I say we divide and conquer.
Too bad we can't use the
computers at the tech facility.
Hey, I know
the perfect work space.
Cool sundial.
That dot that looks like
it's orbiting the Earth
is actually a diagram
that represents the
coordinates of this camp.
Whoa.
Based on direction and position
relative to the sun,
I determine that whatever it is
we're supposed to do,
we're supposed to do
right here at noon.
Right here?
In the garden?
Yep.
But my alfalfa won't
be ready to harvest
for weeks.
Then we can safely
eliminate that.
Look, this blueprint
is unlike anything
I've ever seen.
It doesn't illustrate
a conventional space.
I can't really describe it.
It's... It... It's like
a factory with no walls.
A factory with no walls?
What's the point of that?
Beats me.
I've found the complex
chemical solution.
It's luciferin and oxyluciferin.
Great. What is that?
They're one half
of a compound enzyme.
The flip book didn't include
the solution for the other half,
but, whatever it is, together
they create bioluminescence,
which makes things like
our firefly friends glow.
So what does it all mean?
We're supposed to be
here at noon
to look for an unconventional
space with glowing beetles?
Look. We still
haven't figured out
what this isolated addition
sign's supposed to mean.
Holy cow. That's not
an addition sign.
What is it?
A first aid kit?
Which is where you put
hydrogen peroxide,
which must be the other
half of the compound
that makes things glow.
Let me get my goggles,
my gloves, and a mister.
[GIGGLING]
[MISTER SPRAYING]
Voil.
Mind blown.
Behold firefly footprints.

Whoa.
[GIGGLING]
Wow.
No more footprints.
How do we know which way to go?
[ELECTRONIC BEEPING]
- [Z GASPS]
- Pretty sure I did that.
But how?
Is there a trip wire?
- Ah.
- [BEEPING CONTINUES]
I think it's her
very first clue.
- Ah.
- [BEEPING STOPS]
You know what always comes in...
handy?
[LAUGHING]
Whoa.
So we have three keys.
What do they unlock?
And how do we find it
with no footprints?
And without getting lost?
Lucky for us
we have a telescope.
Oh.
This way, explorers.
Adventure awaits!

Wow.
A factory without walls.
A laboratory and an artist's
studio rolled into one.
Glad you could make it.
Z, PAWS: Jordan!
I'm sure my godmother
was very shocked
to hear you mention my name.
Godmother?
And Rae's mom,
my personal hero,
built the STEAM camp.
Back in the 1950s,
she made history by being
one of the very first female
civil engineers in California.
But the camp was her true
passion project.
She wanted to make STEAM
accessible to girls
from all walks of life.
I don't understand.
If Rae's your godmother,
why did she pretend
to not know you?
Yeah. And say you
weren't a counselor.
Because I'm not a counselor
anymore.
Rae's mom passed away last year.
It was a tough time.
Rae wanted me to run
the summer program,
but I couldn't.
I knew I could never
fill her mom's shoes.
But then you came back.
[CHUCKLE]
It seemed like the camp
was calling me back.
I was just going to sneak
around a little bit,
check things out,
but then I saw you two,
and you reminded me so much
of myself my first summer.
But I don't get it.
Why not just come back
and chat with us?
Why create the big mystery?
Because I knew,
with a little
bit of encouragement,
you'd realize Rae
wasn't preventing you
from doing what you loved.
Thinking creatively
and not backing down
from a challenge,
like solving a mystery,
is going to serve you well
for the rest of your lives.
Thank you.
Paws, you're welcome
here any time
to build absolutely anything
your imagination
can come up with.
Deal.
I don't suppose you could use
an extra set of hands
in your garden.
I was hoping you'd ask.
Deal.
So you digitally lifted yourself
out of our threefie.
And I promise to teach you
every shortcut from every
piece of software I know.
Why stop there?
Why not come back with us
and teach all the campers
everything you know?
Jordan, you were right.
Your mystery challenge
was really exciting.
And we learned so much
from working with each other.
That proves you're
the perfect person
to run the whole summer program.
Cosine.
When I saw all this,
I knew it was a good sign.
I'm sorry I let you down.
Let me down? No.
You gave me
all the hope I needed.
Welcome home.
[SNIFFLE]
- [BUBBLING]
- We can dream of anything we want
- Working together, we have so much fun
- [RATTLING]
We have all of the tools
right inside us
Every molecule
I've got your back,
and you've got mine
We can do this,
it's our time
- Show the world how much we shine
- [SERVOS WHIRRING]
Together we can
conquer whatever
Together we can
conquer whatever
Take a deep breath
out in the wilderness
Let's use our head,
make it fun instead
Things aren't always
what they seem
Let's find
what's in between
We can open up our eyes
Feels so good
to be outside
Together we can
conquer whatever
Together we can
conquer whatever
If we believe
and we persist
And keep asking questions
Stay curious
We'll find what
we're looking for
Using our minds,
we always score
- Together
- If we believe
- We can conquer whatever
- And we persist
And keep asking questions,
stay curious
- Together
- We'll find
- We can conquer whatever
- What we're looking for
Using our minds,
we always score
If we believe
and we persist
And keep asking questions
Stay curious
- Together
- We'll find
What we're looking for
Using our minds,
we always score