The Baby-Sitters Club (film)

The Baby-Sitters Club is a 1995 American comedy-drama film directed by Melanie Mayron, in her feature film directorial debut. It is based on Ann M. Martin's novel series of the same name and is about one summer in the girls' lives in the fictional town of Stoneybrook, Connecticut. The film was shot in the California cities of Los Angeles, Altadena, and Santa Clarita.

The film was released on August 18, 1995. The film received mostly mixed to positive reviews, and grossed $9.6 million against a budget of $6.5 million.

Plot
At the first meeting of the summer, Kristy Thomas, the president and founder of a babysitting club called "The Babysitter's Club", has the great idea of holding a day camp for their babysitting charges for the entire summer. She and her co-founders (Claudia Kishi, Mary Anne Spier, Stacey McGill, Dawn Schafer, Mallory Pike, and Jessi Ramsey) vow to keep an eye on the children. Mary Anne and Dawn, who are stepsisters, offer their parents' backyard to serve as the campsite, as long as the kids do not come inside the house and the barn (leading the club to rent a porta potty for the summer). The summer camp annoys Mary Anne and Dawn's neighbor, Mrs. Haberman, who becomes increasingly upset because of the camp activities that are taking place next door, and keeps threatening to have the camp shut down.

Kristy's father Patrick also comes back into town to see her but cautions her to not tell anyone he is there. This leads to a summer of lies and secrets (only Mary Anne knows he is in town), while Kristy and her father re-build their bond over baseball and mouse pancakes. Kristy's 13th birthday comes, and her father promises to take Kristy to the local amusement park Fun Land for her birthday but never shows. Then a thunderstorm comes and Fun Land closes. Kristy then tries to get out but the guard already closed the gate, leaving Kristy to use a pay phone to call Mallory what happened. Kristy, having run out on her friends, tries to walk home in the rain, but is picked up by the members of the club in Luca's car when Mary Anne tells Kristy that Patrick finally came back in Stoneybrook. Kristy then finally celebrates her 13th birthday with her friends over a melted ice cream cake that the club members ate before Kristy came.

Claudia is forced to attend summer school because she failed science. Her parents have told her that she needs to bring up her grades and pass summer school or else she is kicked out of the club forever and will have to repeat the 8th grade, and Claudia is worried about not passing her test, Until the kids, club members, and Alan Gray at the day camp perform a rap song based on the material, helping Claudia pass the test, which she did.

Mary Anne has a boyfriend named Logan Bruno, who is also a club member, when Cokie Mason likes him too and wants to steal him from Mary Anne. The fight ends when Jackie Rodowsky hits his first home run, hitting Cokie, who is sitting in a tree nearby, in the process.

Stacey has a crush on a 17-year-old boy named Luca from Switzerland, who is Rosie Wilder's cousin. As their relationship ensues, she faces problems telling him about her diabetes, and later, her age. This is revealed after a trip to a New York City club with Claudia, in which a bouncer does not allow her into a club because she is underage. Luca is outraged, unable to believe that Stacey is 13 years old. Luca and Stacey break up briefly until Stacey calls on Luca to help them rescue Kristy from her rainy walk home from Fun Land. As Stacey is saying goodbye to Luca, he tells her that he will be coming to Stoneybrook again next year. Delighted, Stacey tells him that she will be 14 years old when he returns. They share a kiss just before Luca departs.

Alan Gray has a crush on Dawn Schafer, and tries to impress her by going to the day care camp and when the kids perform the rap song for Claudia. Finally Dawn likes Alan, after all.

Mallory and Jessi have problems with the day care camp by the kids, who, always misbehave and drive them crazy. Everything ends when the kids give Mrs. Haberman a green house since her summer went terrible.

The club is also on the hunt for a new headquarters, believing they are close to outgrowing the space at Claudia's house. They find an old greenhouse and spend the summer with the kids cleaning it up and fixing it up. After the renovations and cleanup is complete, the members realize that Claudia's room is perfect as club headquarters and decide to turn the greenhouse into a garden for Mrs. Haberman as a way of thanking her for putting up with the day camp. Mrs. Haberman takes a photo of the BSC and the children, and they are remembered forever.

Box office
The Baby-Sitters Club was one of two nationwide theatrical releases on the weekend of August 18, 1995. It suffered a disappointing debut, opening in ninth place with $3 million, which placed it behind Mortal Kombat. The total domestic gross was $9.6 million.

Critical response
Audiences surveyed by CinemaScore gave the film a grade "B+" on scale of A to F.

Kevin Thomas of the Los Angeles Times gave the film 4.5 out of 5 calling it "A beautiful film that possesses the power to enchant all ages." Hal Hinson of The Washington Post called the film "A colorful, buoyant, loving tribute to the notion of girlfriends forever." Edward Guthmann of the San Francisco Chronicle gave the film 2 out of 4 and was critical of the film saying "85 minutes doesn't provide an adequate format for developing seven distinct characters."

Soundtrack
The Baby-Sitters Club: Music from the Motion Picture is a soundtrack that was released on August 8, 1995. The trailer memorably included such hit 90s songs as "Cornflake Girl" by Tori Amos, "Good" by Better Than Ezra, and "Dreams" by The Cranberries.