The Baby-Sitters Club (1995)

Watching this flick with my 11yo daughter wasn't really the experience I had hoped for. I remember watching this movie with my oldest daughter, now soon to be 23,and feeling like the cool, hip mom. But today, I just feel old. The clothing, the attitudes, the stereotypes. Ugh My 11yo daughter isn't really am 11yo. She's more like an old, kindred spirit. She enjoys movies with a believable story. Apparently, this TBT movie didn't quite cut it for her. Honestly, she just kept flashing me that sidelong look she had perfected by age 3,thanks to her sister, 11 years her senior. I kept waiting for her to get lost in the story, chuckle at the adorable story lines, but, well I'm still waiting. Needless to say, reading the books won't be appearing on her agenda any time soon. The only thing I really noticed was that the girls weren't that much older than their charges. And, each had a back-story that really didn't have anything to do with the plot. Aside from getting a glimpse at Peter Horton (Thirtysomething). But this flick came out after he'd hacked of his gorgeous tresses. So, no love there. As my daughter put it, "ummmm, you know that could never happen, right? " Sigh, yeah, I know.

My local public library got the DVD of this movie and I snagged it free for a week. I didn't really know what it was about and, after watching it, came away disappointed that I spent the time. For the younger set, mostly 10 to 13 year old girls, it would probably be fairly entertaining.The only two girl actors in this movie who appear, now 10 years later, to be on a career track are Schuyler Fisk (Sissy's daughter) as Kristy Thomas and Rachael Leigh Cook as Mary Anne Spier, best friends in this story. Fisk was the right age, 12, during filming, but Cook was 15. She could get by with that because she is so small and young-looking.I have become a fan of sorts of Cook, I think she does a credible job in her more recent movies. However in this movie her acting is very "high schoolish." Then, when I looked at her profile, realized this was her very first acting job. She had a lot to learn, and has come along very nicely since then.The only really good character was created by Ellen Burstyn, who was the lady next door, who loved to garden, and ended up with a greenhouse after the summer was over.The movie has a simple premise -- a group of 6 or 7 young teen girls band together to form a baby-sitting club. An adult can call a central number and they book whomever is free that evening. For the summer they decide to form a sort of summer camp for the little kids, they figure they can earn maybe six or 7 thousand dollars. It doesn't quite work out that way, but they do have enough at the end to buy potted plants for the lady next door, and still buy a very large pizza.The movie has the usual cliché' characters, the geeky boys who want the girls' attention, the clueless parents, the mean girls who hang together and plot to mess things up. Directing, camera work, and dialog are all very mediocre.

This movie was made in a little town called Stoneybrook were a group of 13yr. old girls created a club called BabySitters Club. This begins at the end of the school year and the club wants to give the kids a chance plus the club to be able to have fun and stay together all summer. One day while meeting one of the girls come up with an idea that was marvelous and began trying to make things happen that brings more activities for their clients' children. This began well but things started going bad when 2 girls in the neighbor tried to make things hard for them, but the club did what it had to be done not ruin their fun. This club began when the girls were 11 yrs. old, it began as they were all living in the same neighborhood but now they live in different parts of town as have more clients. They ran into one more situation that summer but guess what BSC became more involved with their neighbors since that busy summer. I enjoyed this movie because not is it a great children's movie but also a movie for the whole family. Ann Martin did a great job going from writing books to making a great movie.

The babysitters club were a very popular line of books that all the girls were reading, and now it came on a feature length film. all 6 or 7 of the girls have a different personality, and come together with the purpose of earning some extra cash.. and staying friends forever. I believe that the girl power isnt faked, unlike the spice girls views of the power that girls possess. the friends all go through this summer, with a lot of teenage drama that leads us down the path of growing up. and there is no loss when they bring 2 attactive young men to be falling in love with some of the babysitters. kristy was not a favorite of mine, she seemed to be into the club for the wrong reasons, but in the end she puts the problems on the table rather than her sneaking around and not telling her friends that care the truth. dawn, the earth loving plant eater, falls for an 18 year old and they have some fun together. the art girl (dont remember her name) wants to go to new york to fill her artsy moods, and the others were there to fill in the void. mary anne was the conservative organized one with the babe of a boyfriend. rachael leigh cook and larisa o. probably launched their movie careers from this, making them the teen screens. its a good movie for the potential babysitters across the nation, and the moral is friends will always be there for each other. isnt that a unique moral? (B- C+)