Film Review: Cookie Queens

5 Stars

As a middle-aged man who has never been a Girl Scout, I was probably not the top target audience for the new documentary Cookie Queens, a sweeping portrait of innocence and capitalism that follows a remarkable set of young girls as they navigate the intensity of one cookie-selling season. But there I was, sitting in the theater with tears of sadness and joy rolling down my cheeks, for a story about Thin Mints, Samoas, and Peanut Butter Patties. I adored it.

That’s because writer/director Alysa Nahmias and her creative crew not only managed to capture a narrative of iconic American grit, but more importantly a deep-dive into parental love and selflessness, and an exploration of girlhood itself.

Rather than opening with a stodgy predictable history of Girl Scout Cookies (a fundraising project turned into an almost billion-dollar business for the organization dedicated to “building girls of courage, confidence, and character, who make the world a better place”), this documentary drops you right into the action, presenting five unforgettable girls across the country as they engage in a tradition that began in 1917.

Each family is wholly unique and entirely memorable, even as the basic steps of the cookie ritual remain the same: set a goal, make a plan, and don’t give up.

Ara, Shannon, Elizabeth, Nikki, and Olive are the undeniable diverse heroines of this epic journey, and along the way they will steal your hearts as they use their creative energies, struggle with the realities of achieving their goals, and dream about what it means to grow up. And we’re given a front row seat through unprecedented documentary access and luck.

In the business task at hand, the girls are all fierce and talented. In friendship, they are all thoughtful and trusting. In growing up, they are vulnerable and self-aware. In spirit, they are simply unstoppable.

Backing them up are the parents and troop leaders, all equally engaging characters in this film of unexpected twists and turns, ups and downs, and raw emotions.

Hungry audiences may be surprised to know that parents must pay for the sometimes thousands of dollars of cookie inventory, even if it remains unsold. And while the annual charm of seeing smiling scouts with pop-up tables in our parking lots is generally good for business, there comes a saturation point as 11,000+ girls compete to sell over three million boxes of cookies, all at the same time. Eventually, some question fundamental fairness as they learn their troops only receive $1.10 for each $6.00 box sold, provoking them to realize the imbalance of their work and efforts during the grueling six-week sprint and the toll it’s taking on their families.

There are some heavy hitters behind this gem of an independent film, including producers Geralyn Dreyfous with Prince Harry and Meghan Markle, among others. With a lovely score from composer Amanda Jones and some feminist punk tracks mixed in for fun, there’s also a simple elegance to the visual landscape and cinematography that seamlessly bounces us around the country as we follow the sub-plots.

Far from being a feel-good stunt piece or a rah-rah-rah for the GSUSA, which did not originally participate in the production but was later won over by its honesty, Cookie Queens left me with a buoyant sense of optimism for the future. I hope you seek it out and feel that delicious gladness for yourself.

After premiering at the Sundance Film Festival earlier this year, artisanal distributor Roadside Attractions has Cookie Queens in limited theatrical release at our local AMC, with VOD expected next month. Rated G and running 91 minutes, the film is not only appropriate for the family to watch together—it should stimulate some true quality time (with or without cookies).

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