Troop Beverly Hills

Source: Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.
Troop Beverly Hills
Theatrical release poster
Directed byJeff Kanew
Screenplay byPamela Norris
Margaret Grieco Oberman
Story byAva Ostern Fries
Produced byAva Ostern Fries
Starring
CinematographyDonald E. Thorin
Edited byMark Melnick
Music byRandy Edelman
Production
companies
Distributed byColumbia Pictures
Release date
  • March 24, 1989 (1989-03-24)
Running time
106 minutes
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish
Budget$18 million[1]
Box office$8,508,843[2]

Troop Beverly Hills is a 1989 American comedy film. It is produced by the Weintraub Entertainment Group and directed by Jeff Kanew, starring Shelley Long, Craig T. Nelson, Betty Thomas, Mary Gross, Stephanie Beacham and was the debut film of Jenny Lewis. The film features a host of young actors, including Carla Gugino, Kellie Martin, Emily Schulman, Ami Foster, and Tori Spelling.[3]

The film follows Beverly Hills housewife Phyllis Nefler (Shelley Long) as she decides to become a leader of a local troop of Wilderness Girls to help maintain a relationship with her daughter during a divorce.[4] Phyllis becomes an unlikely den mother to the girls, who aren’t taken seriously by other troops. When Phyllis falls afoul of a rival troop leader, the girls face the possibility of having their group dissolved—unless they can prove their wilderness skills at the annual jamboree.

Though the film was not a financial success during its release with negative critical reception, it has since acquired a cult following as a 1980s kids’ movie with a feminist message.[5]

Plot

Phyllis Nefler is a socialite wife recently separated from her husband Freddy, whom she supported[6] through law school but who never actually became a lawyer, instead becoming the wealthy owner of a chain of auto shops. In an attempt to maintain the relationship with her daughter Hannah during the contentious divorce, Phyllis becomes the den mother of Hannah's unruly, leaderless local girl scout troop of Wilderness Girls.

Their first campout results in the troop getting caught in a rain squall, prompting Phyllis to take the girls to "camp out" at the Beverly Hills Hotel. Despite her lack of wilderness skills, Phyllis demonstrates an unwavering commitment to the girls' well-being and becomes a surrogate mother to the troop. She resolves to teach the girls how to survive in "the wilds of Beverly Hills", even customizing new merit badges for her troop.

Phyllis' unorthodox methods run afoul of another scout leader, Velda Plendor, a mean-spirited, retired army nurse who runs the Culver City "Red Feathers", of which her own daughter Cleo is a member. Because Velda has considerable influence at the regional council level, she declares Phyllis' customized merit badges ineligible. Velda sends her assistant troop leader Annie Herman to infiltrate Troop Beverly Hills and sabotage them. Velda and Annie’s attempts at sabotage prove unsuccessful, as Velda’s boss and regional council leader Frances Temple states that while Phyllis may have unusual methods, she has taken an active interest in these girls and is trying to help them learn to survive their personal environment.

Troop Beverly Hills can gain recognition from the regional council by passing a series of tests at an upcoming Jamboree. In order to qualify, the troop needs to sell 1,000 boxes of cookies. To prevent this, Velda one-ups Troop Beverly Hills by selling cookies in their own neighborhood. Annie breaks ties with Velda and sides with Phyllis. The Troop ends up selling over 4,000 boxes of cookies, more than enough to qualify for the Jamboree. At a party for the Troop, Velda takes her anger out on Annie by threatening her with a job at Kmart; Annie snaps back, standing up to her superior for the first time.

Meanwhile, Phyllis reconnects with Freddy, who tells her he is proud she has accomplished something. However, Phyllis soon learns that Freddy still wants to proceed with the divorce, including seeking joint custody of Hannah, which devastates Phyllis. She decides to disband the troop, but Hannah and the other girls change her mind, telling Phyllis she has given them a new sense of self-esteem.

During the Jamboree, the Red Feathers trick Troop Beverly Hills during the competition by misdirecting them into a snake-infested swamp. Luckily, a skunk scares them into running through a shortcut, making them first in the qualifying event. The next day, Velda cheats again by cutting a rope bridge after her troop crosses and by leading them into a restricted area used only for hunting. However, Velda falls and breaks her ankle. The Red Feathers, now led by Cleo, abandon Velda for the sake of winning. Troop Beverly Hills repairs the bridge and finds Velda. Tessa diagnoses her broken ankle (and a severe personality disorder). The girls reluctantly carry her to the finish line after Phyllis reminds them of being considerate to those in need — especially a fellow Wilderness Girl.

Though the Red Feathers cross the finish line first, they are disqualified because council law stipulates the leader must be with the troop. Troop Beverly Hills is declared the winner of the Jamboree and is recognized as Wilderness Girls. Frances fires Velda for cheating and for placing the Troop Beverly Hills girls in jeopardy, as well as finally getting fed up with her overall rude and entitled behavior. At the end, Phyllis and Freddy show interest in calling off the divorce, and they seem to reconcile.

The next year, Troop Beverly Hills is the designated Poster Troop. Velda is forced to take a job at Kmart after her actions have made her virtually unemployable, and a final scene shows her making a store-wide announcement about cookies.

Cast

  • Shelley Long as Phyllis Nefler, a Beverly Hills socialite and the new leader of Wilderness Girls Troop Beverly Hills
  • Craig T. Nelson as Freddy Nefler, Phyllis's entrepreneur husband and Hannah's estranged father
  • Betty Thomas as Velda Plendor, the ruthless leader of a rival troop who is the main antagonist of the group and wants to get rid of Troop Beverly Hills
  • Mary Gross as Annie Herman, Velda's assistant and spy, and later Phyllis' assistant
  • Stephanie Beacham as Vicki Sprantz, Claire's mother, romance novelist, and Phyllis' friend
  • Audra Lindley as Frances Temple, the head leader of the Wilderness Girls of America's Southern California division who is undermined by Velda
  • Edd Byrnes as Ross Coleman, Emily's father and an unemployed actor
  • Jenny Lewis as Hannah Nefler, Phyllis and Freddy's daughter who just wants her mother to lead like a normal troop leader. She's also a skilled gymnast
  • Ami Foster as Claire Sprantz, a child actress/daughter of a romance novelist and a successful lawyer
  • Carla Gugino as Chica Barnfell, a stern girl who's generally left alone by her jet-setting parents
  • Heather Hopper as Tessa DiBlasio, the daughter of a well-known movie director, and in many ways a genius who has learned a bit too much from her therapist
  • Kellie Martin as Emily Coleman, the daughter of an unemployed actor
  • Emily Schulman of Small Wonder as Tiffany Honigman, the daughter of a prominent Beverly Hills plastic surgeon
  • Tasha Scott as Jasmine Shakar, the outspoken daughter of a well-known boxer
  • Aquilina Soriano as Lily Marcigan, the daughter of Dictator Bong Bong and Karina (based on Ferdinand and Imelda Marcos respectively) who rule an unspecified Southeast Asian country
  • David Gautreaux as Mr. DiBlasio, Tessa's father, a film director
  • Karen Kopins as Lisa, Freddy Nefler's new fiancée
  • Dinah Lacey as Cleo Plendor, Velda's daughter and a member of the Culver City Red Feathers
  • Shelley Morrison as Rosa, Phyllis' housekeeper who helps out with the troop
  • David Wohl as Dr. Honigman, a plastic surgeon
  • Tori Spelling as Jamie, Cleo's friend and troopmate who helps sabotage Troop Beverly Hills
  • Dan Ziskie as Arthur Barnfell, Chica's father
  • Willie Garson as Bruce
  • Mary Pat Gleason as a kindly troop leader
  • Kareem Abdul-Jabbar as himself
  • Frankie Avalon as himself
  • Dr. Joyce Brothers as herself
  • Annette Funicello as herself
  • Robin Leach as himself
  • Cheech Marin as himself
  • Ted McGinley as himself
  • Pia Zadora as herself
  • Hilary Shepard as Salesgirl

Production

The film is inspired by producer Ava Ostern Fries' experiences running her daughter's Girl Scout troop.[7][8]

Many landmarks in Beverly Hills are seen throughout the film, including the Beverly Hills Hotel, Cristophe Salon, Jane Fonda's "Workout", Wolfgang Puck's Spago, and Rodeo Drive. Various celebrities, including Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and Cheech Marin, also make cameo appearances in the film.[3]

Reception

Troop Beverly Hills was poorly received by critics during its release. On the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, 14% of 28 critics' reviews are positive, with an average rating of 4.3/10. The website's consensus reads: "Troop Beverly Hills is hamstrung by a one-joke premise, leaving this Shelley Long comedy woefully short on laughs."[9] Metacritic, which uses a weighted average, assigned the film a score of 32 out of 100, based on 11 critics, indicating "generally unfavorable" reviews. Audiences surveyed by CinemaScore gave the film an average grade of "B" on a scale of A+ to F.[10]

Roger Ebert criticized the film for not being the "merciless evisceration of the lifestyles of the rich" that he expected, but instead more of a morality story arc for Shelley Long's character.[11] Some reviews lambasted the script for its formulaic underdog story,[12] with The Washington Post's Rita Kempley chiding the film for its attempt to cast Beverly Hills youth in the underdog role. "Pity the poor little Beverlies: Children from lower income groups laugh at their Giorgio boutique backpacks. Then Velda strips the girls of the badges they've earned for facials and pricing jewelry. She further derides them for holding their camp-out at the Beverly Hills Hotel, where they tell horror stories about bad haircuts."[13]

Some critics called attention to Long's comedic performance as one of the film's strengths. Janet Maslin of The New York Times wrote, "Troop Beverly Hills is a one-idea movie, and the idea isn't new. But it isn't threadbare either, thanks to the indefatigable pluck of Shelley Long, who plays a spiritual sister to Private Benjamin".[3] However, Gene Siskel of the Chicago Tribune called the film "a limp copy of Private Benjamin" and said that "Long is no [Goldie] Hawn when it comes to comedy."[14]

In the years since its release, the film has become a cult classic for its subtle feminist message and being illustrative of the 1980s,[5][15] having gained newer audiences through repeat airings on Disney Channel in the 1990s.[16] Writing for Elle in 2014, Elissa Strauss contended the film's sympathy for its young protagonists, its refusal "to reduce the characters and setting down to a punch line", and an "unrestrained celebration of girliness, glorious girliness" are precisely what has helped the film endure as a classic.[17]

In a retrospective piece for Birth.Movies.Death, Ashlee Blackwell wrote,

In the end, it's the troop's persistence and support of each other, even in moments of doubt, that carries them to a win at the climatic Wilderness Jamboree competition…Troop Beverly Hills thoughtfully exposes the complexities of divorce, social/class culture and personal growth in a light comedy very much loyal to its time. The film tampers with audience expectations of people with money, blurring the lines of good/bad, rich/not rich. Troop Beverly Hills dared to tell young girls (and women) to never compromise the best of yourself for people or things…Even with its blemishes, Troop Beverly Hills' heart was always in the right place. What a thrill.[15]

In popular culture

In the music video for her song "She's Not Me", Jenny Lewis, who played Hannah in the film, referenced the movie as part of her roles as a child actor.[18] In the video, Lewis and actors Zosia Mamet, Vanessa Bayer, and Leo Fitzpatrick wear the Troop Beverly Hills uniforms.

References

  1. ^ "Troop Beverly Hills (1989)". The Numbers. Archived from the original on March 24, 2022. Retrieved March 24, 2022.
  2. ^ Troop Beverly Hills at Box Office Mojo
  3. ^ a b c Maslin, Janet (March 23, 1989). "Review/Film; The Lush Life, in 'Troop Beverly Hills'". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Archived from the original on March 24, 2022. Retrieved March 24, 2022.
  4. ^ "Troop Beverly Hills is a deceptively subtle take on glamour". The A.V. Club. July 14, 2015. Archived from the original on March 24, 2022. Retrieved June 4, 2023.
  5. ^ a b Steiner, Chelsea (March 24, 2019). "Top 5 Reasons Why Troop Beverly Hills Remains a Cult Classic". The Mary Sue. Archived from the original on March 26, 2019.
  6. ^ "Troop Beverly Hills is a deceptively subtle take on glamour". The A.V. Club. July 14, 2015. Archived from the original on March 24, 2022. Retrieved June 4, 2023.
  7. ^ Brockington, Ariana (October 8, 2021). "Ava Ostern Fries, 'Troop Beverly Hills' Creator, Dies at 87". The Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the original on August 17, 2023. Retrieved August 17, 2023.
  8. ^ Schedeen, Jesse (March 24, 2019). "10 Things You Never Knew About 'Troop Beverly Hills' on its 30th Anniversary". Moviefone. Archived from the original on August 17, 2023. Retrieved August 17, 2023.
  9. ^ "Troop Beverly Hills". Rotten Tomatoes. Fandango Media. Retrieved October 19, 2023. Edit this at Wikidata
  10. ^ "TROOP BEVERLY HILLS (1989) B". CinemaScore. Archived from the original on December 20, 2018.
  11. ^ Ebert, Roger (March 22, 1989). "Troop Beverly Hills movie review (1989)". Rogerebert.com. Archived from the original on April 9, 2022. Retrieved April 9, 2022.
  12. ^ Huffhines, Kathy (March 22, 1989). "Troop leader Shelley Long follows a well-traveled trail". Detroit Free Press. pp. 8B. Retrieved April 9, 2022 – via Newspapers.com.
  13. ^ Kempley, Rita (March 23, 1989). "Troop Beverly Hills". The Washington Post. Archived from the original on October 7, 2020. Retrieved April 9, 2022.
  14. ^ Siskel, Gene (March 24, 1989). "De Niro's Fine 'Jacknife' Recalls 'The Deer Hunter'". Chicago Tribune. Archived from the original on January 20, 2024. Retrieved October 19, 2023.
  15. ^ a b Blackwell, Ashlee (March 24, 2019). "Troop Beverly Hills, Still A Thrill". Birth.Movies.Death. Archived from the original on July 1, 2020. Retrieved March 24, 2022.
  16. ^ Reese, Ashley (March 25, 2019). "Cult Classic Troop Beverly Hills Still Rules 30 Years Later, and So Does 'Cookie Time'". Jezebel. Archived from the original on March 24, 2022. Retrieved March 24, 2022.
  17. ^ Strauss, Elissa (December 31, 2014). "In Appreciation of 'Troop Beverly Hills,' 25 Years Later". Elle. Archived from the original on January 4, 2015. Retrieved April 9, 2022.
  18. ^ Zaleski, Annie (July 14, 2015). "Troop Beverly Hills is a deceptively subtle take on glamour". The A.V. Club. Archived from the original on March 24, 2022. Retrieved March 24, 2022.

External links