The Buttercream Gang (1992)

That was an excellent one.

Simply A Masterpiece

I cannot think of one single thing that I would change about this film. The acting is incomparable, the directing deft, and the writing poignantly brilliant.

The movie turns out to be a little better than the average. Starting from a romantic formula often seen in the cinema, it ends in the most predictable (and somewhat bland) way.

I don't know what the other people who've rated this movie are thinking... but this movie is horrible... it was given to us as a gift, for Christmas. We got 15 or 20 minutes into it and turned it off. The acting was lame, the story line cheesy - a kid from a "good" small town (which seems to be stuck in some sort of weird time warp between the 50's and 80's) goes to the "bad" big city and becomes corrupted - casting a bad light on all big cities. The icing on the cake was the scene where the perfect, angelic kids, in their perfectly clean clothes and perfect hair-dos (soooo unrealistic) help the poor fallen widow by climbing through her 2nd story window... what about all the windows on the ground floor? Even before that, they ride for what seems like kms on their bikes, past numerous adults, not once asking for help - and has anyone there heard of 911?? We turned it off shortly after this and explained to our kids that if anyone they know is ever hurt or in trouble, they are to dial 911 immediately or ask an adult for help. We decided, as a family, to not finish watching the movie. This film... from the 15-20 min that I saw of it, is so cheesy and unrealistic I would never buy one! The copy we have will go into our infamous "garage sale" give away bin. I would much rather have my kids watch something they know is not real and not intended to be real, such as a good fantasy movie that may have some questionable content, than encourage them to watch something crappy and misleading, masquerading as "real" and "good".

This was possibly one of the most offensive movies I've ever seen. It is set in a town in which everyone is blonde, goes to the same church, sweeps their huge porches all day, and generally acts the part of good, clean Americans. It's the sort of town that might have Wilford Brimley as mayor. The only "troubled" kid (there must be one) loses his father and moves to (horror) Chicago to live with his aunt. Of course he then joins a gang, starts a life of crime, decides to use his mother's last name, Valdez (a sure sign of a troublemaker), and gets sent packing back to ideal land by his aunt. Well, he then wreaks havoc on the town until all the good Christians help him mend his ways. He shapes up, and we know this because he drops the clearly dangerous Valdez and resumes his good American name, Turner. Oy vey.

My sister and I used to watch this movie, which we somehow got at school at least ten years ago, and we would make fun of it, loving it at the same time. We knew how ridiculous it was, even in elementary school. We were entertained all the same. I haven't seen it in a few years, so I'm not sure what I'd think of it if I saw it with "fresh" eyes, which would be hard to do considering we must've watched it on about 50 rainy days over the years. We still sing the song sometimes.The acting is ridiculous, and the characters are so corny it's unbelievable. The plot is so unrealistic- rescuing the Widow Jenkins? The kids are far too old to be behaving as they do, like someone else pointed out. You gotta love the scene with the robbery- the guy wearing the pantyhose on his head, and the kids trapping him. Let's not forget all the drama that goes down at the store, and the amazing pyrotechnics at the school dance."The Buttercream Gang" is not very progressive in its character portrayals and storyline, but just because it comes from a conservative standpoint, I don't think it's full of hatred. Also, it does take place in a small town, where it is unlikely there would be much diversity. I don't find it misogynistic, except for perhaps how they always call her "Widow Jenkins." Really, that is not misogynistic, just lame, traditional, and somewhat sexist. There's a difference between that and misogyny, the hatred of women. C'mon, sweeping the porch while wearing a dress isn't a misogynistic image! You're reading too much into this movie. Plus, this film does feature a somewhat strong and untraditional girl, Margaret, who reads a lot and asks Scott to the dance. Then again, they do show her being taunted by Pete's "tough" friends, so you could see it either way.The most troubling thing is how Hispanics are shown as gang members. It would have been just as believable if they'd been white, but no, they had to contrast the gang members with the Buttercreamers as much as possible. (Those awful city kids! Thank goodness for sheltered kids from small towns!) The only good character in the whole movie is the father, a Vietnam vet, who shares some solid advice with his son. All the other moralizing in the movie is pretty lame. The ultimate message- unconditional love- is valid, in my opinion, but it certainly isn't very compelling or moving here.Ultimately, I can't hate this film, although if I were seeing it for the first time I probably would. It's a part of my childhood. "The Buttercream Gang" is just so laughable- the rampages, the cheesy dialogue, the "scary" gang, the early 90s cultural references, the hideous clothes (which weren't even very fashionable when the movie was made). "Help, I've fallen and I can't get up!" It shouldn't be seen as representative of Christianity, in my opinion, other than its promotion of unconditional love. Very few Christians would act like these people, and most would see this film for what it is- a laughable kid's film, trying to tote values.I feel like in writing this comment, I have taken "The Buttercream Gang" far too seriously.

One of the great masterpieces of our time, the buttercream gang takes a subtle approach to such important issues as the aryan nation, homo eroticism between childhood friends, and cheese. Younger viewers may not pick up on these themes and appreciate the movie as its makers intended- a commentary on how ideal our world would be if we all were fundamentalist conservative christians. Some concerned parents will object to the risqué dancing scene, and secular music, but this is where the film finds its "edge." The riveting story of pete, scott, lenny and eldon will have every viewer at the edge of their seat. Will the widow jenkins fall down again? will another flower bed fall victim to the harrowing actions of pete and his gang of troublemaker?? smiley face graffiti and broken bottles?? (you may want to cover the young ones eyes, these parts get pretty intense.) The climax of pete beating the p*ss out of canned goods is a moment in film history. So, strap on to this emotional roller-coaster if you dare, its worth the ride!