Troop Beverly Hills (1989)

Although it has its amusing moments, in eneral the plot does not convince.

It’s sentimental, ridiculously long and only occasionally funny

This movie tries so hard to be funny, yet it falls flat every time. Just another example of recycled ideas repackaged with women in an attempt to appeal to a certain audience.

This film is so real. It treats its characters with so much care and sensitivity.

I absolutely adore Shelley Long AND Craig T. Nelson (though admittedly this is the first -and prob only- film I have seen them costar.) They are wonderfully 'matched' as estranged spouses on the brink of divorce, and juggling a peacemaking preteen daughter. At first I wasn't sure what to think as my Shelley memories are stuck in CHEERS. However, this role was perfect for her personae, and the film, absolutely enjoyable.What it boils down to, humorously, is the a-typical "diamond in the rough" indulged Beverly Hills housewife; challenged to take on an area in which she is unfamiliar but at the same time intrigued. Enter The Wilderness Girls which her daughter is involved. The fun only begins when their chairwoman snidely challenges Nefler to prove herself as a Wilderness leader.

There are really not any words that can properly describe Troop Beverly Hills, except maybe "average", "not great" or perhaps to be more offensive "bomb". Bomb is a little unfair because the movie is really no worse than a lot of mainstream 80's movies that somehow got more popular than this one.I first saw this when it was just put out on video in Denmark and at the same time the show "Cheers" was still on the air both here and of course in the U.S. We also became aware of Shelley Long's reputation here in DK because of the increasing popularity of tabloid magazines and TV. Long was embarrassed about being typed as a mere TV actress but to leave a hit show like Cheers to do this - well, the whole event speaks for itself.But just for laughs, let's try to describe the actual movie. Long is actually pretty good but it's a shame that what she is doing was basically the same thing done by Goldie Hawn in Private Benjamin, (there even was a time when I couldn't remember if they were actually one person - don't let that get out - oh, crap it's out now) that means playing a spoiled snob who transforms herself into a caring person. However, Hawn's turn was superior because of one thing, her Benjamin character was really quite unsympathetic in the beginning of "Benjamin". In Troop Beverly Hills we get a lengthy explanation of how Long got the way she is by having her and the husband (played by Craig T. Nelson) argue about it. That was a fatal mistake because Long's character is made out to be more of a victim than simply a snob right from the beginning and it makes her transformation so much more contrived for a lack of a better word. Sorry to get so upset by this. I know you are not supposed to take this so serious but it just annoys me.Like many comediennes, Long also longs (sorry again) to be taken seriously and therefore there are many sappy scenes between her and her daughter and also other characters that are supposed to be high drama but really just makes you wanna click the off-switch. In the end there isn't really much to either upset you or to get you laughing in this movie. Betty Thomas of Hill Street Blues was born to play the role of the head Wilderness Girl but she is not given a lot to work with. Her role is purely one-dimensional. Mary Gross is also here but she plays the ditz once more and therefore it's not really her day in the sun either.To say that this is the best film ever gross exaggeration and Long's film career pretty much stagnated until the name "Brady" creeped up. Thank god that she didn't try to make another buddy movie with Bette Midler because that was ten times more creepy than seeing this.

If only all girls scouts were as fun as Troop Beverly Hills! The film about a down and out divorced house wife with a passion for fashion becoming a girl's scout leader is both hilarious,exciting and thoroughly entertaining.Comedic actress Shelley Long shines as Phyllis Nefler,the woman who dares to make alterations to her daughter's scout uniform,and modify the location of their bushland camping trips to the Beverly Hills Hotel! Phyllis rejects traditional scout activities such as bush walking for manicures and pedicures,preferring her troops to live in the lap of luxury.Needless to say,the girls adore her,the leaders of the other scout groups despise her,and this is all makes the delightful,hilarious and wacky comedy that is Troop Beverly Hills!

An interesting side note to the production of Troop Beverly Hills. The studios that produced the film were actually producing another project while filming the low budget comedy. As the camera rolled for Shelly Long on the set of the film, a second camera crew was filming the zero budget corporate video for the 2nd Asst. Directors Program that is offered in Hollywood. The tape included interviews of a number of 2nd AD's in the industry alongside clips of the crew working on the set of Troop Beverly Hills.In one scene during the end of the movie, one of the Wilderness Girls falls and hurts her leg. It was up to one of the Asst. 2nd Directors to pick up the girl and bring her to a medic. This footage was filmed on video for the corporate tape. In the end, the studios saw this as an opportunity to save money to promote the AD program by shooting footage of the production of Troop Beverly Hills. Shot over 15 years ago, the corporate tape is still used today for students wanting to enter the program in 2004.