Movie Review: Cookie Queens

 

Michael's Movie Grade: C

An okay documentary. 

This documentary follows four girl scouts as the each try to reach a certain cookie selling goal that they set for themselves. 

The best thing about this documentary is the four main girl scouts themselves. They are all very likable and have a charm about them that comes through on camera. We can see a bit of ourselves in each of them and it is enjoyable to spend time with them. Ara is especially adorable and sweet. She was definitely a little scene stealer and there is a moment towards the end that is quite sweet and heartwarming. 

This was supposed to be a very uplifting movie that would make us cheer. However, perhaps I am too much of a cynical adult, but I found it anything but. This movie actually made me kind of hate the girl scouts as an organization. Being pushed to sell so many cookies at such a young age by a company that takes most of the profits seems wrong to me. The pressure obviously takes a real toll on them. Some of them are having their childhood's taken away for them by being pushed to do a job that would be this reviewer's personal hell (then again, I am an introvert). Meanwhile their parents (some who aren't well off financially) have to pay for any cookies their children can't sell. This movie briefly touches on these problems but refuses to truly delve into them. Instead, it just goes back to trying to be a feel-good family film. It is hard to feel uplifted when you are so angry at the reason these girls are setting these goals. It doesn't help that many of the so-called uplifting scenes, are so obviously staged. There were moments where the audience is being so obviously manipulated that they are put off rather than charmed. The above-mentioned scene with Ara is the only heartwarming scene that doesn't feel manipulative. It helps that that scene has little to do with the selling of cookies and instead focuses on the sweetness of one little girl. 

While the girls were charming and likable, I would have preferred a more honest and less cowardly documentary on the Girl Scouts.