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Based on Ann M. Martin's phenomenally popular books (which also spawned a popular cable-TV series), this sweet-natured 1995 live-action film unfolds over the course of one unforgettable summer. School is out, and the close-knit members of the Baby-Sitters Club decide to branch off and start a summer camp. But don't expect Daddy Dare Care-like shenanigans. At the heart of this film are the coming-of-age crises -- some comic, some dramatic -- that are destined to test the girls' friendship. The most vivid of these involve club founder Kristy (Schuyler Fisk, daughter of Sissy Spacek), who is reunited with the feckless father (Peter Horton) who abandoned the family and now compels Kristy to keep his presence in town a secret from her mother and stepfather. Stacey, 13, develops a crush on a 17-year-old Swedish visitor. Claudia, an aspiring artist, must pass a summer school science test, or her parents will pull her from the Club. Oscar winner Ellen Burstyn adds her expertise to the stock role of the camp's neighbor, who is initially cranky but will later become the girls' champion. The Baby-Sitters Club is more grounded in reality than such recent wish-fulfillment fantasies as What a Girl Wants and The Lizzie McGuire Movie, and the characters' universal struggles with impending young adulthood will make a more lasting impression. Donald Liebenson

All Movie Guide

Based on the characters from the series of best-selling books by Ann M. Martin, The Baby Sitters Club concerns a group of seven girls, each edging into their teenage years, who are close friends and have formed a co-operative baby-sitting service. Their business has become so successful that the girls decide to expand their horizons and start a summer day camp for kids; however, they soon discover that not all the adults in the neighborhood think this is a good idea, and they learn a lesson about cooperation and responsibility. Meanwhile, Kristy (Schuyler Fisk), the leader of the group, lives with her mother (Brooke Adams) and stepfather (Bruce Davison); when her father (Peter Horton), an undependable wanderer, shows up, he asks Kristy not to tell her mother that he's in town, and Kristy is torn about what to say. Stacy (Bre Blair) has another sort of dilemma to deal with; she's tall and pretty and has met a boy who likes her. However, he thinks she's older than she actually is, leading her into a dating dilemma that she may not be ready for. The Baby Sitters Club was the first theatrical feature for actress-turned-director Melanie Mayron; Schuyler Fisk is the daughter of actress Sissy Spacek and director/designer Jack Fisk. Mark Deming

Product Details

• UPC: 043396100565
• Source: SONY PICTURES
• Region Code: 1
• Aspect Ratio: Pre-1954 Standard (1.33.1)
• Sound: Dolby Digital Surround
• Language: English, Français
• Subtitles: English, Français
• Time: 1:34:00
• Sales Rank: 16,365

This DVD is also available as part of a box set:

• Slumber Party Pack: the Baby-Sitters Club/Troop Beverly Hills

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