Troop Beverly Hills (B+ or 3/4 stars)
'Troop Beverly Hills' (directed by Jeff Kanew) cannot be mistaken for a great film. The direction? Eh. The story, itself? Juvenile. Howwwever, I watched this movie as a child, grew up with it, & must say that I still have enormous fondness for it. It made me laugh an awful lot as a kid. And as an adult, I laugh even harder; first, at the comedy, itself; and secondly, that I ever liked it in the 1st place.
Phyllis Nefler (Shelley Long), a Beverly Hills housewife going though divorce with entrepreneur husband Fred (Craig T. Nelson), decides to deal with it by becoming leader of a local troop of Wilderness Girls, of which her daughter, Hannah (Jenny Lewis), is a member. Phyllis' wealthy sensibilities result in a change in the program for the girls in her troop, who are all children of fellow socialites, to get them excited about the wilderness program. She demonstrates incredible commitment to the girls' well-being by showing an interest in them (whereas their own parents seem to neglect them). She also shows that she's not as head-in-the-clouds as you'd think: she is super nice to everyone & shows that despite her riches, she knows that $$ isn't everything.
Phyllis' strange ways of leading run afoul with district leader, Velda Plendor (Betty Thomas), a traditionalist who runs her troop (with her own daughter in it) like an army unit. Velda sends her mousy asst. troop leader, Annie Herman, to Troop Beverly Hills to infiltrate & try to destroy them, but she eventually is won-over by Phyllis & her kids when she realizes that Velda's troop are nothing but mean-spirited losers who'll do anything to win in competition. From customized achievement patches, to celebrity cookie sales, to dealing with $$ problems, & trying to save her marriage ... Phyllis throws her heart & soul into her troop.
And everything culminates in a campout competition, The Wilderness Girl Jamboree; where the girls & their leaders must prove themselves as a group in outdoor obstacle courses. During the Jamboree, Velda sabotages TBH. But Phyllis' group - having learned well from leader Phyllis - rally & help Velda once things go all wrong for her. In the process, TBH are deemed true Wilderness girls & Velda meets a certain fate. On the home front, Phyllis' commitments impress her husband Fred; and their iffy marriage may make a turn for the better.
'TBH' offers enjoyable camp fun. The class tensions & conceits of the narrative are packed with great satire. The 80's were all about glitz & glamour. So watching that overindulgence on display in this movie was a hoot. Many moments in this film made me bust a gut. I loved when materialistic Phyllis innocently takes her girls for a camp out in the Beverly Hill Hotel when the rain prevents them from continuing outdoors. Now, as I said earlier, 'TBH' can't be mistaken for good. It definitely starts to wear out its welcome with a good 20 minutes to go. And there isn't one aspect of it that is Oscar caliber; maybe the costumes?
But Shelley Long's line deliveries get me every time. She's just so oblivious to the fact that people don't take her seriously. So her earnest portrayal comes across as completely winning. I loved the overtly 80's directorial choices. I loved the patches that Phyllis & the girls make when they can't believe they'd have to get them in things like rock climbing & knot tying. Ugh, no. They prefer patches on grooming, jewelry appraisal, shopping, & gardening with glamour {haha}. I loved the firecracker dialogue: "Her recommendations for a campsite were totally unsuitable. There were no outlets. And there was dirt, and bugs, and... and it rains there. So anyway, we've found a place that's much more us: the Beverly Hills Hotel." "I may be a beginner at some things, but I've got a black belt in shopping!" And perhaps, my fave, "Velda: You call this roughing it? Phyllis: One bathroom for 9 people? Yes!" {haha}
I liked that Hannah is responsible for rebuilding her mother's confidence in herself (after the marital issues). There are a host of cameos: Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Dr, Joyce Brothers, Annette Funnicello, Frankie Avalon, Robin Leach, Cheech Marin, & Pia Zadora - too bad they couldn't be integrated into the film, more so. I enjoyed the wackadoo costumes. The ostentatious mansions. The cute kid performances. The corny music. The perfectly loathsome villain. The high spirited finale. I could go on & on. Cynics be damned, 'TBH' brings a smile to my face.
Phyllis Nefler (Shelley Long), a Beverly Hills housewife going though divorce with entrepreneur husband Fred (Craig T. Nelson), decides to deal with it by becoming leader of a local troop of Wilderness Girls, of which her daughter, Hannah (Jenny Lewis), is a member. Phyllis' wealthy sensibilities result in a change in the program for the girls in her troop, who are all children of fellow socialites, to get them excited about the wilderness program. She demonstrates incredible commitment to the girls' well-being by showing an interest in them (whereas their own parents seem to neglect them). She also shows that she's not as head-in-the-clouds as you'd think: she is super nice to everyone & shows that despite her riches, she knows that $$ isn't everything.
Phyllis' strange ways of leading run afoul with district leader, Velda Plendor (Betty Thomas), a traditionalist who runs her troop (with her own daughter in it) like an army unit. Velda sends her mousy asst. troop leader, Annie Herman, to Troop Beverly Hills to infiltrate & try to destroy them, but she eventually is won-over by Phyllis & her kids when she realizes that Velda's troop are nothing but mean-spirited losers who'll do anything to win in competition. From customized achievement patches, to celebrity cookie sales, to dealing with $$ problems, & trying to save her marriage ... Phyllis throws her heart & soul into her troop.
And everything culminates in a campout competition, The Wilderness Girl Jamboree; where the girls & their leaders must prove themselves as a group in outdoor obstacle courses. During the Jamboree, Velda sabotages TBH. But Phyllis' group - having learned well from leader Phyllis - rally & help Velda once things go all wrong for her. In the process, TBH are deemed true Wilderness girls & Velda meets a certain fate. On the home front, Phyllis' commitments impress her husband Fred; and their iffy marriage may make a turn for the better.
'TBH' offers enjoyable camp fun. The class tensions & conceits of the narrative are packed with great satire. The 80's were all about glitz & glamour. So watching that overindulgence on display in this movie was a hoot. Many moments in this film made me bust a gut. I loved when materialistic Phyllis innocently takes her girls for a camp out in the Beverly Hill Hotel when the rain prevents them from continuing outdoors. Now, as I said earlier, 'TBH' can't be mistaken for good. It definitely starts to wear out its welcome with a good 20 minutes to go. And there isn't one aspect of it that is Oscar caliber; maybe the costumes?
But Shelley Long's line deliveries get me every time. She's just so oblivious to the fact that people don't take her seriously. So her earnest portrayal comes across as completely winning. I loved the overtly 80's directorial choices. I loved the patches that Phyllis & the girls make when they can't believe they'd have to get them in things like rock climbing & knot tying. Ugh, no. They prefer patches on grooming, jewelry appraisal, shopping, & gardening with glamour {haha}. I loved the firecracker dialogue: "Her recommendations for a campsite were totally unsuitable. There were no outlets. And there was dirt, and bugs, and... and it rains there. So anyway, we've found a place that's much more us: the Beverly Hills Hotel." "I may be a beginner at some things, but I've got a black belt in shopping!" And perhaps, my fave, "Velda: You call this roughing it? Phyllis: One bathroom for 9 people? Yes!" {haha}
I liked that Hannah is responsible for rebuilding her mother's confidence in herself (after the marital issues). There are a host of cameos: Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Dr, Joyce Brothers, Annette Funnicello, Frankie Avalon, Robin Leach, Cheech Marin, & Pia Zadora - too bad they couldn't be integrated into the film, more so. I enjoyed the wackadoo costumes. The ostentatious mansions. The cute kid performances. The corny music. The perfectly loathsome villain. The high spirited finale. I could go on & on. Cynics be damned, 'TBH' brings a smile to my face.