In rural 1977 Georgia, a misfit girl dreams of life in outer space. When a competition offers her a chance to be recorded on NASA’s Golden Record, she recruits a makeshift troop of Birdie Scouts, forging friendships that last a lifetime.
Pam says: This is a story of friendship, belonging, and finding your place in life and the universe. Christmas Flint (Mckenna Grace) is the epitome of an outsider. To win a contest hosted by NASA, she must join the Birdie Scouts, but of course, this group is comprised of the “mean girls” run by an equally uptight and discriminating Troop Leader, Miss Massey (Allison Janney). Undeterred, Christmas rounds up the entire lot of misfit kids to create Troop Zero. Earning their badges and competing against Miss Massey’s group leads to many difficult situations for the girls, all of which become life lessons and strengthens them in some way. It’s a heartwarming family-friendly film and a refreshing change of pace for parents and kids to see a film with a positive message and create a conversation about bullying and walking your own path. And it’s obvious that the adults, Gaffigan, Davis, and Janney, are having a blast making this movie that may surprise you with its non-Hollywood story arc. Now streaming on Amazon.
Chuck says:
If good intentions were all that was needed to make a good movie, Troop Zero would be a four-star effort. To be sure, its message is worthwhile but the execution here undercuts its sincere sentiments. Directors Bert & Bertie lay on the sentiment with a trowel as many of the emotional moments come off as obvious and overplayed. The solid cast does what they can and McKenna Grace continues to embrace, but in the end, none of them can save this misguided effort.
