The Baby-Sitters Club (1995) User Reviews

Cute, but not the books

[Sparrow_in_flight · 5/10 · 19 March 2004]

Ok, so the BSC movie is good - but it was, to me, a bit of a letdown. Now, it's possible that I don't remember the books as well as I would like to think I do. Five years since reading a BSC book can make a difference.

The plot I had no complaints with; I remember there being a BSC book or two with similar storylines. It's the character development I didn't like. Some of the behavior, mostly Kristy's, seemed slightly off. On the other hand, I like the actors/actresses picked for the roles.

I also missed some faves from the books (I always enjoyed Kristy's older brothers, whenever they showed up, and some of my favorite charges were missing.) but i know that not every character could be cast - finding ways to involve each one would result in an insanely long movie.

Overall, it's cute. But I'll take the books any day.

Corny But Pleasant

[utgard14 · 5/10 · 5 June 2014]

My only knowledge of "The Baby-Sitters Club" book series was that I used to see it in the Scholastic ads when I was a kid. I have no idea how faithful this movie is to the books. I gotta admit I found myself mocking a lot of this movie, as it is definitely made from corn. But I remind myself that I am not part of the demographic this was made for and try to be fair. If you can suppress your grown-up cynicism for awhile, it's actually pretty cute. The girls are all fun to watch and seem to enjoy being in the movie. Marla Sokoloff is a great little villainess. Rachel Leigh Cook would go on to be the most famous of any of the Club girls. She's "all that" here, too.

Some of the girls have little subplots. One girl has boy problems with the kid from Last Action Hero. The lead girl has daddy issues due to her absentee father showing back up. Another girl has diabetes and talks about it like it's leprosy and she's deathly afraid of telling her new Swiss boyfriend about it. He's a dork, by the way. But my favorite is the girl who is worried about flunking summer school and whines about it every chance she gets. Her friends reassure her that they will help her study and everything will be fine. This leads to the movie's highlight, a hilarious scene where the girls perform the most epic rap song ever to help her. It has to be seen to be believed.

I found myself liking this movie more as it went on. It's easy to dismiss it as fluff, and I guess it is, but it's enjoyable fluff. The actors, young and old, are decent. The direction is a little flat and the whole thing kind of looks like a made-for-TV movie but I liked it anyway. I think little kids might like it most or perhaps people who grew up in the '90s and are nostalgic about it.

My favorite 90s actresses in one movie!

[jpmjr-54639 · 7/10 · 14 August 2023]

To paraphrase a line from a song by the Gin Blossoms: If you don't expect too much from this movie you might not be let down.

I did like seeing some of my favorite childhood actresses in the film. Hey! It's the girl from Alex Mack! It is the redheaded girl from Alex Mack! It is the girl from She's All That! It is that mean girl from Full House! It's the girl from Snow Day! Speaking of which Schuyler Fisk is great in this movie. I liked Marla Sokoloff as the mean girl who is just mean for no reason. I love Larisa Oleynik.

I did enjoy the story about the girls setting up their own summer camp and all the obstacles they face. It reminded me of another movie that came out the year before: Camp Nowhere. I liked how in the end of the summer after all their work and trouble they barely made any profit and had just enough money for a pizza. I thought that was funny.

The whole plot about the 13 year old girl (Bre Blair) dating the 17 year old boy is completely inappopriate! I can't believe her parents are cool with it. Stacey's Mom seems more upset that Stacey is dodging his phone calls rather than the fact that He tried to take her unchaperoned to a club in New York City. I acknowledge this is a movie about teenage girls meant for teenage girls so I guess there's some element of "teen fantasy" involved.

What was really problematic for me in this movie though was the whole story of Kristy's Dad. Her biological father just waltzes into town, meets up with her, and tells her not to tell her family (i.e. Her mom and stepfather) or her friends that He's there. Uh, say what? An adult is asking his teenage girl to lie by omission? Why? Does the guy have a restraining order filed against him? Does He owe her Mom child support? Yeah, not cool. At the end of the movie the deadbeat stands Kristy up at an amusement park on her birthday in the pouring rain. Kristy's Mom is then all reassuring and saying "Well, you can't be that mad at your Dad. He's a dreamer and He just chases dreams. He loves you but He can't be tied down and you just have to love him despite that." WHAT?! What kind of malarkey is that? Why is She so calm? She should be as mad as hornets and calling the cops on him!

If they had just eliminated the whole deadbeat dad plot and the completely inappropriate relationship plot and just focused on the girls trying to run the summer camp by themselves plot I would have liked the movie more than I did.

I liked the scene between Mrs. Haberman (Ellen Burstyn) and Dawn (Larisa Oleynik). Mrs. Haberman plays Dawn's neighbor who's annoyed by the summer camp going on next door. Dawn visits to try to make peace with her. I like how they bond. As corny and trite as some of Dawn's lines are ("I think hummingbirds are magical") Larisa just sells it. She is just sweet and sincere enough to make it work. The ending where the girls decide to give her the greenhouse was really nice.

I never read the books so I don't know and frankly I don't care how it stacks up as an adaptation.

To repeat: To paraphrase a line from a song by the Gin Blossoms: If you don't expect too much from this movie you might not be let down.

BTW Dreams by the Cranberries and Good by Better Than Ezra did not appear in this movie at all which is weird since I remember both songs prominantly featured in the trailer.

I liked it once I stopped hating it.

[ZoeBean · 20 September 2002]

When I first saw this movie, I wanted to run far, far away. The cheese! The corniness! The horror! But years later, I have come to appreciate it. Everyone who's familiar with the BSC will definitely watch this movie looking for any discrepancies from the series, and discrepancies abound. As for the actresses who play the Baby-Sitters? Well, one's wearing a wig, another is way older than the others, and one just seemed like a bad casting choice altogether. And as for the plot? Kristy's dad coming to town and everything involving that was a real downer. Plus, the Stacey/Luka thing (despite the fact that Luka is HOT!) was just WEIRD. The best parts in the movie were those involving the play group. What also saves this movie is its hidden talent(s) -- look for Kyla Pratt, Scarlett Pomers ("I've been to the moon!"), Larisa Oleynik, Rachael Leigh Cook, Marla Sokoloff, and Austin O'Brien. So all in all I've chosen to look past the cheese and realize that this movie is just a G-rated romp about friendship that really isn't a waste of your afternoon to watch. 7 stars out of 10.

Kids Flick with Depth

[eshaines_zuke · 6/10 · 4 August 2020]

I liked this movie a lot as a kid because it is all about kids being proactive in pursuing their own goals and happiness. There is drama, conflict, social pressure, and family pressure, set to an overarching backdrop of friendship. One of the primary motifs pertains to Christi's relationship with her estranged father, and I think this helps a lot of kids today deal with the very sensitive and often silenced topic. It certainly helped me growing up. I would recommend this to anyone trying to introduce kids to the Baby Sitters Club stories, or to parents helping their kids cope with estranged parents/divorce/etc....boys or girls alike, but particularly girls!

Hardly Oscar-winning but fair

[cosmic_quest · 5/10 · 12 April 2004]

I used to read the books when I was around nine years old so it was quite nostalgic moment for me catching this film one morning. Unlike the lacklustre series, this was quite a nice portrayal of the books and the child actors were able to bring the characters to life.

The plot is easy enough to follow, even for those who have never read the books before, and the film would probably appeal very much to young girls who are at an age when they have a hundred best friends. But I don't think anyone older than twelve (with the exception of the teenage and twenty-something former fans of the book!) would be very interested other than to reminisce on that innocent, childish period when life revolved around homework, best friends and relishing in the freedom of the summer hols.

One thing, however, that struck me while watching the film. It did remind me how ridiculous the whole concept of eleven- and thirteen-year-olds forming a babysitting group was. At that age, I'd be hiring a babysitter for *them* since they're as young as the kids they babysit!

Good tween film

[sgmi-53579 · 6/10 · 7 March 2022]

This is a well made film based on the wildly popular book series from the era. There's enough story elements stuffed into this film for two parts, but somehow they finish under ninety minutes. So, a lot is skipped over or hurried, but ends up being a very enjoyable film, even outside the demographic. Good soundtrack and solid direction and performance. Give it a spin.

Good for young girls to see, but not for anyone older.

[Darlawood80 · 5/10 · 29 October 2002]

I saw this movie a couple times after reading the book. The characters in the movie look way too young, but they fit the storyline well so all young girls in the audience could relate. Some plots in the movie don't make sense at all, especially when an unlikely figure comes into Kristy Thomas' life. I like the fun the girls have with the day camp they run and how Cokie the girls rival always put on a prank. I also like how this is not only an all girl movie, that the parents of the girls do get involved in their lives, more so of Stacy's and Kristy's families, which I feel brings warmth into a movie like this, and gives any young girl a sense of security to come to their parents when any situation occurs.

Though I must say, this is not a fairy tale movie with all happiness in it. There are problems each of the seven girls are facing, some that each girl in the audience could probably relate to, especially with bullying. This is a movie that all girls could relate to, and I highly recommend for girls between the ages of nine and twelve years old to watch this film. They will realize that no girl is alone when facing their problems.

Not as good as the series but still good

[Mattswife97 · 10/10 · 14 June 2002]

I really didn't know that Sissy Spacek(from Stephen King's Carrie), had a daughter till I looked up this movie last night as I was watching it. I loved and grew up with the Baby-sitters Club books. Every once in awhile I will stll watch this. It is about seven best friends who have a baby-sitter's club. During the summer the girls make a day camp for the kids, Kristy's father comes to town and doesn't want Kristy or MaryAnne, who was with Kristy the night she saw he was in town, didn't want them to tell anybody that he was in town. Kristy had to lie to her friends, didn't help Claudia with her science, or help that much with the camp.

I do have a few complaints about this movie. 1. when the girls got to the Kishi's house the very first time, they knocked on the door. In the books, they went right in and up the stairs past Jeanne's room. Did anybody else catch that? 2. somebody already mentioned this but ROSEY SHOULD HAVE BEEN CHAROLETTE. Didn't the writers read the book before they made this movie?

I thought the actress(well most of them) were so cute. The girl who played Stacey(april 3rd is her birthday like mine) is beautiful but i haven't seen her before. The girl who played the shy and sensitive MaryAnne was also a cutie but haven't seen her before. The girl who played Dawn,I've seen her in 10 things i hate about you. I can't believe how young she looked. I gave it a 10.

babysitters are friends forever!

[emilie8605 · 7/10 · 21 January 2004]

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+)

disappointing

[novella053 · 1/10 · 3 February 2005]

First of all, I'm a huge fan of Babysitters Club books. However at the time I went to go see the movie, I was reading the Little Sister books (the series about Kristy's stepsister Karen). So of course I was terribly disappointed that Karen only had one line in the film. They could of used her more. And they could of showed her friends too maybe. Plus Jessi and Mallory didn't even have a storyline. Also (correct me if I'm wrong) in the book series, didn't Alan Gray have a crush on Kristy? In one of the books, (book 2, i think) they go to the Halloween dance together. Yet in this movie he seems to want Dawn. Plus where's Shannon Kilbourne? (the associate member of the BSC who lives across the street from Kristy) They could of used her. And Bart Taylor? (Kristy's sorta boyfriend) It would of been great to put him in there. And Kristy has two other brothers!!!! It's like they don't exist. And Claudia's the one who bonds with Rosie Wilder, NOT Stacey. Charlotte is Stacey's favorite baby sitting charge. That is mentioned in like every single book of the whole series!!!! Plus if it's summer, then that means the Pikes go to Sea City, not to camp. They could of done a movie about that.

Also at the beginning of the movie, Kristy rides her bike to the meeting. This is wrong because the Brewers live across town for the Kishis and it has been implied several times that Kristy has to get to Claudia's house by car.

Other people not shown: Claudia's older sister Janine, Dawn's younger brother Jeff, Jessi's brother and sister (although there is a scene with a little black girl and you can assume that's Jessi's little sister Becca because the Ramseys are the only black family in Stoneybrook), and all of Mallory's siblings.

Bottom Line: The producers should of read the books BEFORE they wrote the screenplay.

Don't mess with the master!!!!! :)

Wonderful film in the eyes of a girl who grew up reading the series

[dayer629 · 9/10 · 22 August 2013]

The Baby-sitters Club series defined by childhood reading experience. I loved all of the characters and even got into the spin-off specials and series. As a baby-sitter my self and girly girl, these books were my favorite. I found out that there was a 1995 film years later, as a matter of fact right when I had passed my phase of reading the series. I was in a for a wonderful ride.

It was an amazing series to see the characters I grew up with come to life in this film. I got to see the traits I loved and hated about them in a movie setting. The movie draws on so many emotions as it makes you laugh, cry, and feel tender.

When I return to this movie as a young woman, it makes me feel so nostalgic and get more out of it than as a child. It explores friendship, family conflict, coming of age, and so much more. I recommend it to anyone who has read the books.

Adorably Stereotypically 90's

[ItalianBombshell · 6/10 · 13 April 2015]

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.

Loved this Movie...

[QueenMakeda84 · 5/10 · 11 January 2005]

...As a preteen. I was the number one fan of the books by Ann M. Martin. I loved these characters and just the story lines. They were a great for accompanying a young girl as she was growing up. So naturally, when the movie came out, I was more than a little excited. I didn't go to the theaters much when it came out, so when it arrived on VHS, I had to beg my mom to buy it. I loved the movie, but as usual, when you're well acquainted with a book, you feel you know the characters better than the idiots making the movie. I would fire the casting director, because they obviously were just looking to fill the racial roles with no thought as to really getting someone close to the character.

For starters, Zelda Harris could not dance the way the character "Jessie" could in the novels. When they first introduced her, I was so pi$$ed off. I connected to Jessie's character a lot with the book because she was the only black in the group (and in the town period apart from her family) and she was the dancer. Jessie was an excellent dancer who always walked from toe to heel. It was a special dancer thing she acquired (even though I didn't and I did the same types of dance she did. an embellishment of Martin's I think), but she was serious about her technique. In the movie, they introduce Zelda with the girl just flinging her leg up into the air with a flexed foot like she has no idea what the move she did was called. I was so embarrassed for her.

The girl who played Claudia was obviously older than the rest of the girls. They barely looked the ages of 12 and 13. As I watch it as an older person, I see the youth in their faces, but it was pretty evident that these chicks were more on their way to college than high school. Beyond that, Tricia Joe probably wasn't even Korean, which Claudia was. I assuming the casting director just wanted "Asians". Like that meant anything. And Mary Ann should have had long hair, but I digress. I'm being nit-picky, but I was very invested in these characters for a long time, so I can afford to be and have the right since I have all the freakin books, lol.

I understand that when they make a movie out of the books, that it won't be EXACTLY like the book, but at least try to keep certain facets of it similar. A lot of young girls grew up with these characters, and they were the target audience. The least you could do is respect that. All in all, the movie is great for its target audience. It had the necessary forms of trouble that are believable for that age. The story of Kristy's father returning was a very mature touch and I appreciated that about the movie. These girls are at a turning point in their lives where people go to high school and change on people. They also start to deal with real-life issues that will make them do things they never thought they would. I like how the movie dealt with that. That's exactly what happens in the books. They grow apart and we can all relate to that by remembering friends we had in junior high that we didn't have in high school. It was a good story for them to enjoy the time they have before it all falls apart...how dramatic, lol.

However, I must say: I think the Disney version that came on TV was much better than the movie and more sympathetic to the novels and the way the characters looked.

Cute, some good acting, good plot

[indiewastelander · 9 September 2001]

For some people who take their kids to see this movie, they say it's cute, and it is. But some of the acting was just poor. Sissy Spacek's daugter was all right, her best work was the scene at the rainy carnival. Larisa Olenik and Rachel Leigh Cook were my favorite. Ellen Burstyn even had a small role. But the other actresses were just poor. But the teen actors were good, like Austin O' Brien. I didn't read many of the books, but I watched the old series, and I'm not saying that it was better, but it was just like the movie.

A Bittersweet, Cliché Take on the Adolescent Life

[StevePulaski · 7/10 · 6 August 2010]

For a movie close to home and with girls near my age group I expected there to be characters I could relate too and characters I can practically replace the names of the people with people I knew. That wasn't the case. These girls are probably the most stereotypical stock teenagers I've seen in any movie. All of which have some sort of quality making them blend in, none standing out. Thats not a horrible thing, but the only girl I found I was making connection to was Mary Ann Spier (Rachel Leigh Cook). She was a shy, good listening, and sensitive girl. One I could really see myself relating and hanging out with. Pretty much the good girl, stays out of trouble and popularity, is herself and nothing more. I look for that.

With The Babysitters Club though, its exactly what you expect. About twenty minutes in this movie, I took out a voice recorder (compliments to the Motorola Droid) and recording my audio saying what I believed will happen event to event. I was right. Pretty much down to the sentence accurate with the movie. Its cliché beyond belief. Nothing unique, nothing is colored outside of the lines. "The story you expect from a group of adolescent girls" should be the title.

The plot is about a girl named Kristie a thirteen year old tomboyish girl who is the founding member of "The Babysitters Club" a club where girls...babysit. The Babysitters Club consists of Her, Mary Anne Spier, Dawn Schafer, Claudia Kishi, Stacey McGill, Mallory Pike, and Jessica Ramsey. Some girls don't get more than ten lines in the film (Mallory and Jessica mainly). The girls open a day-care in Kristie's backyard where they handle dozens of kids and try to keep them in control. They face numerous problems like the kids being a hazard to the neighbor ladies garden, them attracting a group of girls who are out to destroy the club, and Kristie facing troubles when her biological father returns to her side making her keep the secret he's back from her friends and her mother, causing Kristie more stress that is showing on the club and her life all around.

The movie is cliché, beyond cliché, non-realistic. Its a movie where everything is resolved the easy way out. If my folks were divorced and my dad told me not to tell my mom he's back you damn well better not trust me. Then the mom doesn't seem mad or concerned when her child is acting as strangely as possible. If my mom saw me behaving like that, she'd lock me in her room and make me fess up. Realistic situations, handled unrealistically.

I also would like to say for a movie to be called The Babysitters Club. There's more day-care action then babysitting which is bizarre. Its a coming of age film that is clearly just riding off the book series' popularity by using the title and characters. There are no scenes of babysitting at all, just some day-care shots then the rest of the points are dedicated to Kristie's personal life and other issues involving the character's life.

So much could have been done with this. It could have been extended with some babysitting scenes gone wrong. Get more into the characters, from what I hear they were extremely built on character development. So one 94 minute movie based on various books doesn't cut it. Especially when the main point, BABYSITTING, is completely abandoned. Still a fair kids movie, but not much of a movie itself. The Babysitters Club will amuse kids from age eight to twelve, but most likely bore kids older. But if you understand the difficult times when adolescents are put under pressure, this will show it in good context.

Starring: Schuyler Fisk, Bre Blair, Rachael Leigh Cook, Larisa Oleynik, Stacy Linn Ramsower, and Zelda Harris. Directed by: Melanie Mayron.

Worst Movie Ever

[dreakathy · 1/10 · 27 April 2012]

This movie was horrible. Forget the cheesiness and campiness, the fact that they turned Stacey into a lying little witch so she could get Luka was just pathetic. And Kristy's father coming to town wasn't until the bio books on the girls, not the series itself.

With the exception of Larissa and Rachel, the actors were horrible. They should have kept to the actual books and not just changed everything.

They should have brought in the actors from the TV series as they were better. Karen, Hannie, and Nancy should have been included, as well as Sam and Charlie, Charlotte Johannsen (NOT Rosie Wilder!) Jeff, Becca, and Mary Anne did NOT have short hair!

i agree with lilygirl90

[faiqah1610 · 7/10 · 13 December 2006]

i totally agree with lilygirl90. the books are great but the movie was a little different. still, i enjoyed it just the same. the actors and actresses are really good and the movie is supposed to be based on the book but it turned out a little differently. i think that this movie is a great movie about friendship and how true friends really are like. i also think that kristy's character is very boyish, but hey! that's how kristy's supposed to be! i really enjoyed the movie and i watched it with my parents. they enjoyed it as much as i did. which is very much a lot!i totally enjoyed the movie. not one of my favourites, but i enjoyed it.

Why is it ok for a 13-year-old child to date a 17-year-old?

[thehapagirl · 1/10 · 9 September 2021]

I don't understand why anyone thought it was ok to let a 13-year-old character date a 17-year-old character. Also, at the end of the movie the girl says she'll be 14 next year when she sees him again. She'll be 14 and he'll be 18 and if he has sex with her he'll be convicted of rape. That's a bad message to send.

A club full of fun

[hcalderon1 · 10/10 · 16 February 2005]

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.

BSC:I kinda like it

[garden52 · 7/10 · 29 November 2005]

I first saw this movie when I was young like 8 after I starting reading the books. I absolutely loved the books and altho I haven't read all of them (i'm still searching for some and i'm trying to get into the newest series in which the BSC breaks up), I can justify that the movie is OK. Kristy(Bre Blair) is the main character. Her father comes to town and doesn't want anyone to know he's there, so Kristy starts lying to her friends and family and it turns into a big mess. The babysitters start a play group and they have to deal with Cokie Mason (from the books) and her evil plots. Stacey meets this boy who is 17. Stacey was always the "fast" one in the books so I wasn't surprised. Claudia has summer school...not surprised. Dawn and Mary Anne are involved. Jessi and Mallory are in it, but not to a huge extent. The movie basically revolves around Kristy. To me, she acts very selfish in the movie. I like it, but it could've been better. Kristy was never my favorite character in the books so I wasn't pleased with her being the star of the show but oh well. I own the movie and I watch it from time to time, but if you haven't seen it and you love the BSC, get it ASAP.

Not as good as the BSC video series

[chellycat · 5/10 · 13 September 2005]

The BSC movie wasn't all bad, but it could have been better. I didn't like the casting choices at all. None of the actresses (and actors) in this movie match the description of their characters in the books. However, the cast of the video series is more faithful to the books.

The movie, while fun, is very stockish and predictable. There isn't much focus on the kids, either! Sure, we get a glimpse of a child here and there (Jackie Rodowsky is no where near a Walking Disaster in the film), but the primary plot centers on Kristy Thomas.

It's too bad that the character of Jessi was horribly underwritten. I'd hate to think that the screenwriter deliberately reduced her to token black person status, but that's pretty much the way Jessi comes across in the film. She only has a few lines to say, and most of them are pretty stupid.

The only performances I did enjoy were those of Elizabeth and Watson (Kristy's mother and stepfather).

All in all, viewers who are just looking for some mindless entertainment might get some enjoyment out of this film. However, fans of the BSC books and videos would probably be disappointed unless they aren't looking for a faithful adaptation.

You'll love this fun teen movie.

[famousgir1 · 10/10 · 9 October 2001]

I used to love reading The Baby-sitters Club books, (Still do sometimes.) and I was really glad when they made a movie about it. The Baby-sitters Club is a brilliant fun teen movie, with a some pretty good acting and a great story-line to it. Each character has something cool and different about them, which is nice. The cast here, including Schuyler Fisk, (Sissy Spaceks daughter.) Bre Blair, Larisa Oleynik and Rachael Leigh Cook all fit into there characters well which of course is great. I give The (Brilliant.) Baby-sitters Club a 10/10.

Shattered memories...

[David_Niemann · 6/10 · 7 June 2003]

I first seen this movie when I was about 14 or 15, and I loved it. For years I have wanted to see it again. Today I had the chance to watch "The Baby-Sitters Club" once more. Maybe I shouldn't have...

The movie essentially follows a group of girls who are all involved in a baby sitting club. As the summer approaches they think of ways to stay together, coming up with the idea of hosting their own summer camp. Over the course of the movie we follow the characters as they deal with the summer camp, an angry neighbor, parents coming back into their life, summer school and love, among other things.

I am a big fan of Ellen Burstyn, so it was a joy to see her in this movie. It was also a nice surprise to see a very young looking Marla Sokoloff, who plays Lucy in the television drama "The Practice".

The characters that make up the baby-sitters are all really stock characters. The tom-boy, the environmentalist, the creative one, the smart one, etc. The movie also contains yet another stock standard spoiled brat "bad girl", and as always is docked by two "side-kicks", who hardly respect their "master". It's been done so many times, when will people stop writing characters like that? It even happens in Harry Potter! Why can't we have an insight into why this girl acts this way? I know this is "just a children's" movie, but I think you'd be insulting the intelligence of many young people by saying they couldn't handle such writing and depth of character.

And the character of Jessi seems serverly under-written. She only has a few lines in the whole film. I get the feeling she was just a stapled on "black character" to add a diversity to the movie. (I haven't read the book series, so sorry if she is in the books.) Which is a huge shame as she seems like a really nice girl. And the opportunity of a racism sub-plot has gone missed, which is another shame, as many young people will probably see this at some point. When a movie starts preaching at least one area you should discuss is racism. Oh well.

And the whole relationship story with Luca was really quite pointless. I did, however, enjoy the scenes with Kristy and her father. It added a lot of realism to the story, and I'm sure a lot of kids watching could relate to what was going on up on the screen.

The movie has some really poor pacing. And a lot of the dialogue sounds corny. Plus the science rap is just awful. I wanted to be sick!

Don't get me wrong, this isn't the worst movie ever made. There are a lot of good things to like about this movie. But the bad out weights them. I might revisit this movie one day down the track. I had expected this to be a guilty pleasure, but it turned out to be a real disappointment. Maybe some memories should just be left.

6/10

A Fun Time Had by All

[NeglectfulKiller · 6 June 2003]

TBC is a riot a minute! I've never read the books, but I saw this movie when I was 13 and I was in love with all of the girls in it. The storylines in it are perfect for adolescents. The movie abstains from boredom with some entertaining and hilarious scenes and comments, and the overall cheesiness of the film is endearing in a way. The storyline between Luca and Stacey is magic, and very funny.(SPOILER) At the end of the film, she says that next summer she'll be 14, and he says, "I know." It is absolutely gut-splitting fun. Watchable for all ages of movie fans, and afficionados of every genre and niche of movies. 8 out of 10.