Towards the end of summer vacation in 1995, a movie based on one of the most popular book series to ever hit the Scholastic Book Fair was released, and while it didn’t rake in the big bucks like ‘Jumanji’ and ‘Casper‘ that year, it landed in the heart of every kid who’d ever picked up one of those books. Yup, ‘The Baby-Sitters Club’ movie might not have been a box office success, earning only $3 million more than its budget, but VHS releases back in the day helped movies cement themselves into the zeitgeist when theatrical runs were low. So that’s what happened with ‘The BSC’ movie, but a VHS tape isn’t the reason this movie continues to resonate with fans; it’s the overall story and the foundation of this series, and the movie that is celebrating its 30th anniversary this year – it’s the friendships.
As corny as it is to say, ‘The Baby-Sitters Club’ would be nothing without the innate heart that surrounds the friendship dynamics in the club. You have the best friends for life with Kristy and Mary Anne, new besties bonding over being cool with Claudia and Stacey, friends to sisters via Mary Anne and Dawn, as well as young friends with Junior members, Jessi and Mallory. Of course, they’re all friends and business partners as well. And that is the true basis of the books, and in turn, this movie. As is lies, ugly dresses, and a summer camp in the middle of a neighborhood. I talked more about the movie in this week’s episode, but right now I want to focus on why I personally love this movie, the characters, and miss movies like this.
The movie is a picture-perfect representation of the books I poured myself into as a kid. Having been eight when the movie dropped, I was already reading the series and knew what was what when I would eventually pop this one in the VCR upon its home release. I immediately loved everything about the movie, from the soundtrack to the fashion to how they got Mary Anne just right. Rachael Leigh Cook would go on to play a few other personally beloved characters following this film, but this was where I started to take note of her. She also played my favorite BSC member, so it was only natural that she was my favorite on-screen as well. Every other character was spot on as well, and not until the 2020 Netflix series did I think they could improve upon the casting. The movie and the series each hold special places in my heart for different reasons.
Not only are the characters perfectly placed on screen, but the movie is just a fun kids’ movie, which we don’t get too often anymore. Yes, ‘Minecraft’ was one of the biggest box office smashes, but hear me out…while kids’ entertainment has always been aimed at selling products, at least back in the day, kids’ entertainment didn’t dumb down stories. They were written well enough. They just weren’t thrown together to only sell a product like, say, ‘Minecraft,’ which was soulless and just plain dumb. I don’t mind dumb. I just think kids deserve more than stupid slop. Which ‘The Baby-Sitters Club’ movie is far from. Yes, it can be a little silly at times, but you’re also hit with stories that revolve around children of divorce, dating, and parental educational pressure – just to name a few. It was relatable and felt, like many kids’ movies at the time, genuine.
Again, movies like this just don’t exist in mass like they once did, with ‘Diary of a Wimpy Kid’ being one of the last times a silly, yet decent movie, was made for younger audiences that wasn’t just a cash grab, but rather was given the love and attention that was necessary. Animated series aside because franchises like ‘Despicable Me’ and plenty of Disney movies are legitimately good movies. However, in the live-action realm, it appears all they have is what…’The Descendents.’ Those villain-born children truly are carrying a lot on their backs, and I do wish Hollywood invested more in the art of kids’ live-action movies than they currently do because current kids deserve more than their iPhones and iPads to look back on when they get older. They deserve stories and characters that help them not only escape their reality for a moment in a way that feels less capitalistic and creepy than automated algorithms and whatnot, but that also inspire creativity. Many writers spawned from enjoying ‘BSC’ growing up, as did educators, dancers, and entrepreneurs. Yes, Mr. Beast might make your kid want to be a YouTuber – but in what capacity is that inspiring anything but their future wallet? Time will tell.
As for ‘The Baby-Sitters Club’ movie, it will forever be a favorite of mine, and many around my age, because it took the characters from the series we loved so dearly, and placed them in a movie that felt relatable enough, inspired on multiple levels, and had a killer soundtrack that forever invokes the beauty of friendship and summer vibes.
Crushgasm 