La Guerre des cookies

Though I'm not the maternal type and particularly enjoy movies with kids, this one's charm was irresistible. It wasn't overly predictable and the storylines were enjoyable.

I am a lifetime Girl Scout and while it was a cute Hallmark movie, I was disturbed to see how they would place an adult in a troop role with no suggested training for her. She clearly was not provided training which is not he Girl Scout way and the very first meeting she attended she took the girls off site in her vehicle. I understand there are some artistic licenses but I was watching it going that would never happen! Another discrepancy was the two troops discounting the price of the cookies! Again, this never would fly and I'm a bit surprised Girl Scouts agreed to this script as shown. A cute movie in general but not the known standard for what goes on in troops.

Julie Sterling (Jessalyn Gilsig) is a real estate agent who doesn't like kids. Her boss Lola (Patricia Richardson) forces her to volunteer as a girl scout troupe leader. Her girls are a ragtag group of misfits led by the motherless Daisy (Bailee Madison).

These are nice actresses. The premise is rather bland but nice. It's the standard lesson-learning feel-good girl-empowerment family film. It's nice that Julie learns to love the girls but it's the bare minimum. It is nice that she and the girls become the best of friends. This movie could use more humor. Otherwise, this is nice.

This movie is well done but you have to wonder how someone could write this and not feel like they're plagiarizing Troop Beverly Hills.

By Margie Barron on August 10th, 2012 Printer-Friendly

"Smart Cookies" airs on the Hallmark Channel.

Winding down the two weeks of the television press tour, one of the last great gatherings was for the Hallmark network to make some big announcements. During an elegant luncheon at the Beverly Hills Hotel, Hallmark's president and CEO Bill Abbott talked about the full schedule of movies, specials, and daytime shows. Bragging about the "incredible talent we have," Abbott looked around the room at the stars of the upcoming original movies, which are at the core of the Hallmark Channel's "robust family content."Abbott announced that Smart Cookies, premiering Aug. 18, is another great movie with a mission, "to help celebrate the 100 year anniversary of the Girl Scouts of the USA,".

Patricia Richardson (of Home Improvement fame), who stars with Jessalyn Gilsig (Glee) and Bailee Madison (Just Go With It)said "Smart Cookies" is about a real estate agent who helps a hapless Girl Scout troop with their annual cookie sale competition. Behind the scenes, executive producer Jimmy Hawkins, who was a popular child actor in the '40s '50's &'60's and played Jimmy Stewart and Donna Reed's son Tommy Bailey in the Frank Capra classic It's a Wonderful Life."Smart Cookies" is based on Hawkins story "Be Prepared". Nowadays he's producing great family friendly movies for a new generation. Richardson said she was "so delighted to work with him because when you do a production like this, we all become like a family. He's one of the nicest guys in show business, and when you are working with children, when you have a producer who knows what it's like, it brings a great quality to the set."