What a thrill! Troop Beverly Hills has captivated audiences since it hit theaters in 1989 due to its heartwarming message, hilarious lines and, of course, the iconic fashion by troop leader Phyllis Nefler (Shelley Long).
After her husband, Freddy Nefler (Craig T. Nelson) leaves her for a younger woman, Phyllis, a Beverly Hills socialite, must find something else to focus on. She decides to become the den mother to a group of Wilderness Girls in the area, including her daughter Hannah (Jenny Lewis).
The girls include the daughters of some of the biggest names in Hollywood — a washed-up actor’s kid, a dictator’s baby girl and more. While leading the troop to get their patches — the jewelry appraisal patch is one of the most memorable ones — she finds purpose and confidence in herself.
Phyllis, however, doesn’t do anything without making some noise, causing rival troop leader Velda Plendor (Betty Thomas) to send in a spy to try and sabotage the girls. Despite her best efforts, Phyllis and her band of rich misfits sell cookies in style, survive the muddy wilderness at the annual jamboree and prove that there is more to life than wealth and winning.
Thirty years after the film made a splash with fans, some of the cast reunited to celebrate its staying power in March 2019.
Tori Spelling, who played Jamie, one of the rival Red Feathers troop girls, recalled learning from her den mother Thomas, despite her mean demeanor onscreen.
“Obviously, I had a small part, but I just loved watching,” she told Entertainment Tonight at the time. “On set, [Betty] was definitely my mentor and I was taking everything in the comedy. I mean, we did everything.”
The Beverly Hills, 90210 alum added: “I had a great time. But it was the flip for me. I was coming from Beverly Hills, I grew up in Beverly Hills, then I was playing the opposite. We were from Culver City, which is super chic now, by the way.”
Long explained that while they were filming, she “knew it was special as we were doing it.” The Cheers alum admitted you “never know how that’s going to translate” but the fact that everyone was “having a lot of fun” was a good sign.
Kellie Martin, who played Beverly Hills trooper Emily, said when she watched it back as an adult, she understood why fans still love it.
“I think it’s amazing that it holds up. I actually just watched the movie for the first time in a long time and I couldn’t believe how funny it was, because I didn’t get the jokes when I was 12 years old,” she said. “It was like watching it for the first time because I really got all the jokes and appreciated all these amazing performances. It was totally over my head.”
During the reunion at the Beverly Hills Hotel — which was where the troop “camped out” early on in the film — the stars also addressed rumors of a movie reunion. “I think we should do it,” Thomas said, noting there has been a script at Sony for years. Long chimed in saying, “We could have some cameos!”
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Scroll down to see what the cast of Troop Beverly Hills has been up to since selling cookies and singing campfire songs in the film.
