Cookie Queens rules Girl Scout movies

A childhood spent selling Camp Fire Girls candies has not kept me from appreciating Cookie Queens and its Girl Scout focus. The documentary follows four girls on their quest to sell huge numbers of cookies and learn life skills along the way. Writer-director Alysa Nahmais starts by making great choices, finding four girls who share certain charms but come from distinct backgrounds.  Twelve-year old Olive sets the tone while conducting orientation for her own North Carolina troop, asking, “Does everyone know what upselling means?” Olive certainly does; her personal record stands at 8,000 boxes sold in a season. In other parts of the country, Nikki, Ara, and Shannon Elizabeth follow their own goals, aided by strong support from their families.  Though incomes vary, that backing from mom and dad remains key in the cookie selling world. First comes the requirement that girls purchase the cookies they sell, which means they need money. Shannon Elizabeth seems upset at first, but her dad explains that businesses require product, ant that comes with a cost—not a bad life lesson. Wise beyond her years, Olive calls the Girl Scout split of $1 for the seller and $5 for the national organization unfair but rather than simply grumble, she takes her complaint to top management. Meanwhile, diabetic Asa experiments with her own idea, baking tasty, sugar free cookies. Letting action flow naturally, Nahmais presents a cohesive story line, one that acknowledges criticisms about the cookie selling scheme while celebrating the ingenuity and strong qualities it engenders in many participants. Above all, Namais shows girls who are cute, clever, and fully capable of stealing your heart while selling you a cookie.