Troop Beverly Hills (1989)

Troop Beverly Hills
Release Date: March 22, 1989
Director: Jeff Kanew
Starring: Shelley Long, Craig T. Nelson, Betty Thomas, Mary Gross
Rated: PG
Runtime: 100 minutes


The Slant / It's going to be a bumpy night.

I must have missed this movie in my youth, but I was not missing much. A few people I know busted this "classic" out last night and wrangled me into watching it. Apparently it has achieved cult status among some fans, although why this has occurred is beyond me.

To get right down to it, Troop Beverly Hills is about a group of Wilderness Girls, aka Cub Scouts for girls, that need a new troop leader. Judging by the title, you can probably tell that the group is from ritzy Beverly Hills. Phyllis Nefler (Shelley Long), a shopaholic soon-to-be divorcee and mother of one of the girls, takes the job and things spiral out of control from there. Nefler shows the girls how to brave the wilderness that is Beverly Hills, experiencing shopping, makeovers, and camp-outs at the Beverly Hills Hotel. But when the overzealous troop commandant attempts to run Nefler out of the organization, Shelley Long's character decides to fight back and teach her troop how to be real Wilderness Girls.

It's pretty much as bad as it sounds. Picture Police Academy with terrible characters, little humor, and no satire. The movie takes itself too seriously when it could have been a tongue-in-cheek portrayal of the Beverly Hills lifestyle. The random cameos are distracting and do nothing to add to the plot or the laughs.

Still there are moments of fun. Shelley Long wears about 30 different outfits int he movie, each one more ridiculous than the last. A few one-liners here and there beget a chuckle, but usually groans ensue. It has some redeeming qualities and watching it with people who clearly love it for its campiness is a good time. Hard to take seriously, yes, but sometimes the movie brings a smile to the face through its sheer ridiculousness. Maybe I'm being too critical about a movie clearly designed for a different demographic in a different era.

The film has a decent message about hard work and friendship, but I could not believe that the Neflers reconcile and decide not to divorce. Craig T. Nelson's character is a jerk and if this movie had any self-respect then Long would have walked out on him, realizing she was worthy of more from a man. But they get back together and the movie passes this off as a happy ending. Boy I would hate to see how things worked out in that marriage. Thankfully there is no sequel.