THE BABY SITTER'S CLUB

REVIEWED BY CHARITY BISHOP

Our rating: 4 out of 5

Because of: thematic elements

Rated:

Based on the best-selling series by Ann Martin, The Baby Sitter's Club follows the adventures and torments of a group of girls on the brink of adulthood. The club, which was formed when it became apparent that it was a royal pain in order for a parent to locate a babysitter, consists of its leader and "brilliant-idea" think-tank Kristy (Schuyler Fisk), the shopaholic Stacy (Bre Blair), the art-loving Claudia (Tricia Joe), the environmentalist Dawn (Larisa Oleynik) and her quiet sister Mary Anne (Rachael Leigh Cook), the would-be-author Mallory (Stacy Linn Ramsower), and the ballet dancer Jessie (Zelda Harris). Desperate for some summer cash, the girls plan to set up a day-camp for kids. Mary Anne's father reluctantly agrees to allow it in the backyard as long as they stay out of the house, but there's a problem -- their pesky next-door neighbor (Ellen Burstyn) hates children, hates noise, and hates babysitters.

When things start going wrong, the least of their problems is a girl who locks herself in the inside upstairs bathroom. In the meantime, Kristy's father, who left her mother several years before, returns to Stoneybrook and tries to become part of the family again. There's just one catch... he makes Kristy promise that she won't tell her mother he's back in town. Pretty soon she's lying to all her friends except for Mary Anne in order to keep her secret... and her family life is going to pieces. Her mother is suspicious. Her stepfather is getting pretty tired of her temper. And she's neglecting her siblings.

Stacy has a few problems of her own -- namely, Luka, a New York City boy who mistakenly believes she's seventeen instead of thirteen. She's terrified that when he finds out, he'll dump her, so she keeps both her age and her diabetes a secret. Her best friend Claudia is struggling with her grades, and her parents have put their foot down: Bring your grades up, pass the science test, or quit the Club. And then there's Cokie, the girls' worst enemy. She's out to destroy their day camp and steal Mary Anne's boyfriend Logan. And this is merely the tip of the iceberg. There's the clubhouse that they discover and decide to restore. A broken birthday promise. A sibling squabble. Can the Baby Sitter's Club stay together, or has their friendship come to an end?

There isn't a girl under sixteen who hasn't read The Baby Sitter's Club. Based on a number of the books and starring both familiar and unfamiliar faces in the lead roles, it's a very nice production, with a few flaws. Technically, there's nothing objectionable about the film, unless it's Stacy's dating a much older guy. Kristy learns the dangers of lying to friends and family and not taking responsibility. Stacy learns a similar lesson in that honesty is always the best policy. The girls pull together to help Claudia with her science test. Dawn reaches out to their cranky neighbor. The music is hip, the storyline fast-moving and worthwhile. The single flaw is that most girls over the age of fifteen will have very little interest in it. Compared to real-life situations that teens face every day, some of the Baby Sitter's more horrific problems seem trivial. On the other hand, some problems arise all through high school and into college -- boy problems, family trials, mistakes.

A few qualities are less than desirable -- Luka, believing Stacy and Claudia to be older than they really are, try and get the girls into an "eighteen and up" New York Rave. Some of the skirts are too short, a few pranks not to be applauded. The film is neither offensive nor particularly memorable. It's a lot of fun for a first spin or two, but isn't something I'd put on my Wish List. The one bright spot is the acting itself -- introducing Rachael Leigh Cook to the world, an Anna Paquin look-alike in the role of Kristy. Much better than the Disney Channel TV series, and very true to the books. If you know a Baby Sitter's Club fan, this film is going to be a sure-fire hit.