The Beniker Gang

Its been awhile since I have seen this movie but reading the places where The Beniker Gang was filmed at, I noticed one town was missing. Parts of this movie were filmed in Winchester, Virginia. I noticed the Winchester Star newspaper box in the movie.

I also seem to remember a scene of a car with a bumper sticker that said "Shenandoah County...Q102". Q102 is Winchester's country music radio station and they have been calling themselves "Shenandoah Country" since 1982. They still do to this day.

Oddly around the same time Beniker was filmed, just a few miles away in nearby Martinsburg, West Virginia another movie was being filmed.

The Patsy Cline bio-flick Sweet Dreams with Jessica Lange.

I saw this movie as a kid (now you can guess about how old I am), and saw it recently, and it's still fun to watch. A little fairytale-like. Andrew McCarthy was the male equivalent of Molly Ringwald in the 80's. Just a fun light-weighted way to pass an hour and a half.

I'm still not clear about how an orphan Andrew McCarthy was allowed to write a Dear Abby like column, but the story about how a group of orphans who created their own family is an intriguing plot premise even if the story could be told better.

McCarthy was a member in good standing of Hollywood's famous Brat Pack of the 80s is involved here in a most un Brat Pack like story. When a group of orphans don't want to be split up with adoptions, McCarthy takes them out of the orphanage and they flee all the way to a small town in Missouri where they become his sister and 3 younger brothers, taking his name and becoming The Beniker Gang.

Eventually they're caught, but it kind of sort of turns out OK. Imagine Kurt Russell's kids with a girl in Overboard and you have some idea of what the Benikers are like.

Best scene in the film is McCarthy made up to look like his own grandfather to fool some nosy neighbors. The kids are resourceful no doubt.

An interesting story, could have used improvement.

These are one of the 1980's movies that aren't pointless. This movie I like because the actors and actresses portray themselves with real feelings. They really have to fight for themselves in order to keep together. Of course Edmond may get into his fights, Ben eats his paper, and Cassie feels unpopular, but that is what makes the movie real. Whoever says this movie is boring, they need to look again. Sticking together isn't pointless at all!

I thought this was a good film with an emotional storyline based on a 'family' of five orphans. The five realise they have a special bond together, and see themselves as a family. Arthur, the leader of the family is 18 and has an unusual job but it pays the bills. There are two teen boys, one teenage girl and a six year old boy. They all decide to leave their orphanage so they won't be fostered and then separated from each other. On the run, they eventually find their dream house and have the time of their lives finally living as a family at last. However, they encounter problems when their neighbours suspect that they are runaways without parents and Arthur and the rest of them have to fight to stay together. There is a great bond between these orphans which makes it a good film to watch, especially for the family.