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EP 109: TROOP ZERO - Christmas in Wiggly

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Good Morning!!!!

Alyssa's back to guest host our movie this week, Troop Zero!!

We'll follow along as these little kids teach adults a lesson in friendsportsmanship. Starring Viola Davis and Allison Janney, this movie is a real gem.

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Bridget:

Good morning.

Alyssa:

Good morning. I'm Bridget and I am your guest.

Bridget:

Host, sub host Alyssa, back for a second time. And you had very high praise last time.

Alyssa:

Thank you.

Bridget:

Anytime you want to slip into the Flicking Beans bean pod sounding like it's going a direction.

Alyssa:

Maybe I married.

Bridget:

It was. It was going wrong from the start.

Alyssa:

Well, get the two of us together and that just goes that direction. We're secretly like middle school age.

Bridget:

Wait, and this is Flicking beans. Almost forgot.

Alyssa:

So our movie this week Bridget recommended.

Bridget:

Was Troop Zero and what did you think?

Alyssa:

I liked it.

Bridget:

Yeah.

Alyssa:

It had very similar themes to many other movies that we have seen. But I like that it was portrayed by children because they're great, right? And they did a great job. And Smash is my favorite. Just have to say, I don't think that was ever going to be a question, but Viola Davis, one of my all time faves, just absolutely love her. But this has the themes of individual uniqueness, friendship, inclusivity, even though you don't see that, but that's what you end up feeling at the end. You know, everybody's got a place. So I did like it.

Bridget:

Right away we meet this little girl, Christmas Flint.

Alyssa:

Yep.

Bridget:

God, I love that name so much. And you can tell she is a character, but she also is just lonely.

Alyssa:

The idea you get right away is obviously she is a child without a mother and she's being raised by her father. So this is set, it takes place in wigley, Georgia in 1977.

Bridget:

And she's grieving every night.

Alyssa:

Yes.

Bridget:

Her mom gave her a flashlight and.

Alyssa:

She flashes that on and off because.

Bridget:

Of course, there's life out there.

Alyssa:

Yeah. So honestly, the beginning of this reminds me of Elio, which is a Disney film. So as a mother of three younger children, I get to see a lot of Disney animated films. I'm gonna tell you that they're all pretty cute. But Elio is the same where, I mean, he's this little boy. He even has an eye patch that is a callback to one of the other characters here. But he has a colander on his head and he believes in outer space. And he's laying there waiting for them to come. Like, so. So I just, I love that that's the idea that we have that children, this is how they must. We know that or we understand that they believe in outer space and aliens because they're wearing a colander with foil on it and they lay down and look at the sky all the time. But yeah, so we know she lost her mother. So her father's Trying to raise her on his own. And obviously he doesn't know what he's doing. It's just he's doing the best that he can. But again, in 1977, that wasn't necessarily what men were learning to do was to be the primary caregiver, to be the mother and the father, or completely true, you know, to fulfill all the roles that are necessary. So it takes me back to my mom. She was born in 1950 and. Which is weird because I'm only 22 years old, so she, her mother actually passed away during childbirth. And in 1950, Carl Murphin was expelled. Expected to take care of this little girl who was premature. And you know, they didn't have all the same medical devices and interventions. So it's kind of a miracle that she did live, thrive. You know, she's still around 70. I won't, I won't spare 76, 75 years old. That's it. But same thing. Like men in 1950 weren't raised or prepared to be a single parent, especially to a girl. Yeah.

Bridget:

Cuz roles were so split.

Alyssa:

Oh yeah. Absolutely. Still now it's, it's, it's late, you know, 2020, it's mid 20, whatever. I wouldn't say like in the last year or so, but Shelly and I even have been asked in our relationship, you know, who's the man who does the. And it's like, wait, what? That's kind of the point of us being together. There's no man. No, no, no. You know what I mean? Like. Right. Like who's the guy in the relationship? It's like, that's not right. That's not a thing. Like, my parents had a even division of, like, it wasn't a division at all. Like, my dad did cook, my mom cooked, my dad cleaned, my, my mom cleaned. I mean, and what would the, what.

Bridget:

Would they take away from it? If you had an answer?

Alyssa:

Right.

Bridget:

What's that mean?

Alyssa:

Right. Then that's, that's one of those questions I need to flip back on them and, and find out too, you know, but. So I guess my point is, you know, she's grieving and, and we know in 77, we understand that men aren't necessarily mentally equipped for, for that role. But she also doesn't believe that she can talk about that because at the end we see her tell him. I know I'm not supposed to say this stuff, but I miss Mom. And you know, that's where it's like, grab the tissues. Cause you're just like, you know, he's like. He understands her, too. He's not dismissive.

Bridget:

Right.

Alyssa:

And that's what I love, too, is that he is doing the best he can and he. He's loving her.

Bridget:

Right.

Alyssa:

That's all. That's all we need. Right? Right.

Bridget:

His assistant, Raeleen.

Alyssa:

Ms. Raeleen.

Bridget:

That's the Viola Davis.

Alyssa:

Yep.

Bridget:

She's the only positive female role model in her orbit. And yet she. What does she say? Little girls creep me out.

Alyssa:

Yeah.

Bridget:

And you can't hit them anymore either.

Alyssa:

Which in 77, I think they still were, but. Yes, exactly.

Bridget:

She sees her as this weird little child. She's not really interested in being. Being a mother. That's not her job.

Alyssa:

I think that Ms. Raeleen also can see some of herself in Christmas as, you know, somebody who. Ms. Rayleen talks about how she didn't. She kind of gave up on herself. She didn't have that support and stuff. So she just kind of was like, whatever. That's it. I think maybe what she's seeing is she can be this support for Christmas and she ends up coming to the need even though she works for the boss. Right. She works for Jim Gaffkin's character and he's ordering her. Nope. You're going to be this troop leader because they need it.

Bridget:

The backstory there is that there's a contest put on by NASA and Christmas is absolutely obsessed with outer space.

Alyssa:

I am Christmas Flint, Human Female. And I think you would really like me. So she says that to outer space. I mean, she just truly believes in it. And NASA is going to be putting out a record in the space because.

Bridget:

The sound waves will travel, which actually happened in 1977.

Alyssa:

Really?

Bridget:

This particular story is made up. But they did send with gold records that are still playing.

Alyssa:

That's awesome.

Bridget:

Yes.

Alyssa:

So that backstory is Birdie Scouts. Kind of like what we would know as, like, Brownies or Girl Scouts. So in this small town, there's Troop five. And they look like they are very put together. They have matching outfits and they're all cleaned up. Christmas has some really thick, white blonde hair. Those twats end up taking her and cutting one of her braids off. So then she ends up cutting her own hair. It's lopsided for the entire movie. It just. It's very much. You can tell who's the misfit.

Bridget:

It's abstract. I like it.

Alyssa:

Is that Joseph the friend? Yeah. NASA says, hey, we're gonna do this. The winner of the jamboree, which is like a big talent show, the winner gets to have Their voice out in space. And these girls want nothing to do with it. They don't really care. And even Ms. Massey's like, they're girls, they don't care. And Christmas wants this, wants it so badly and for all the right reasons.

Bridget:

And the only way for her to get it is to put together a troop, collect the misfits.

Alyssa:

Yep. So she goes around town, her and Joseph. And of course Joseph's like, well, she.

Bridget:

Calls him a girl boy.

Alyssa:

Yeah. They're at the library and she has a stack of books. And the librarian's like, look, you're already at your max on what you can check out. You can only get one more book.

Bridget:

And she looks at books about space planets.

Alyssa:

And then the only other one is the rule book for the Birdie Scouts.

Bridget:

Excellent.

Alyssa:

So that's what she picks. Of course, she is determined because the only way to get on this record is to win the jamboree. So she reads the rules and Joseph is the girl boy that she's like, come on, we're gonna do this. And because it's pretty obvious maybe that he may be gay and he's very effeminate presenting. Yeah. And which isn't really. No, it's what we would say. Yeah. Like gender non conforming at this point.

Bridget:

When you're a kid and you don't have another word for it.

Alyssa:

Yeah, yeah, yeah. And so they go around asking people and they're like, no. And these two girls at the beginning, h*** no and smash. We see h*** no and smash at the beginning and they're kind of bullying everybody and including Christmas a little bit. And they come around, they're like asking these people to join their group and they eventually do. You know, one of the famous things that you're going to see in any of these movies with this theme of friendship is, well, I'm in this group, but we're not friends. Yeah, duh. They're going to become friends. Obviously they're going to have that bonding experience. And Claire is the girl with glasses. She is, praise Jesus. She's got one patch on her, you know, glasses. Because they're talking about how she's only got one eye. Well, of course I looked at her and I was like, there's my Quinny. Red hair, glasses. Quinn had a patch on one of her glasses, you know, lenses for a while as well. She has, she does have both of her eyes while we were patching the one for a hot minute. But it just is so just cute like to see her. And then also Christmas reminds me of My Charlie. Because, Charlie, she just a little wilder. Yeah, yeah. She. She really does go to the beat of her own Dr. And the outfit that we see Christmas in at the beginning, where she's got, like, the red rain boots on, and then she's, like, running through the field, falling like, that's Charlie. Charlie will have on her princess shoes and a soccer outfit or a princess dress and, like, soccer cleats. Like, she'll mix and match and do all the things as a princess, but also rough and tumble, like, not afraid to get in on anything. So it was just cute to be like, oh, those remind me of my kids. Which, of course, as a mom, I relate a lot of stuff to, like, my kids now.

Bridget:

And it reminded me of me because in 1977, I was seven.

Alyssa:

Oh, my gosh.

Bridget:

One of those kids would have been me. That's exactly my time period. Everyone in the group has some. Somebody has a reason to tease each of the misfits. Somebody in the mean girl group, if you will. We forgot to mention Christmas is teased as Christmas is a falsely accused bedwetter.

Alyssa:

She. We don't see her pee the bed.

Bridget:

No. And I don't know that she does pee the bed because she's very adamant, but she will pee her pants when she gets nervous.

Alyssa:

And maybe they just say bed Wetter because it's me. Everybody just. Yeah, that's the way that they would pick on each other.

Bridget:

Yeah.

Alyssa:

You would say something like that. I mean, just because it's easier to tease somebody with that nickname than, hey, Pants wetter.

Bridget:

Oh, yeah. So as they work on their badges, it's funny because only one person has to earn the badge, so they all kind of support that person while they're going through the work.

Alyssa:

Yeah.

Bridget:

Baking a cake.

Alyssa:

Well, they didn't get there.

Bridget:

Well, they. They tried. And I was thinking of the wilderness patch. I was like, oh, come on. You're not really leaving them alone in the woods. But then you see Miss Raeleen peeking out from behind the bush. And I was thinking to myself, where is she sleeping?

Alyssa:

In her car?

Bridget:

Yeah.

Alyssa:

Around the corner or something. In her car? Yeah. No, she wouldn't leave them out there. Although that was a time when we could do that.

Bridget:

Maybe.

Alyssa:

I mean. Anyway, it was great to see them all come together and see what their special skills were. Joseph doing the hair just reminded me of Edward Scissorhands.

Bridget:

Yes.

Alyssa:

And, you know, except they weren't crazy hairdos. They were really good.

Bridget:

And they were out on the front lawn so all those b****** driving by.

Alyssa:

Could see that's another iconic mean girl scene where they're driving by slowly and they're, like, glaring at them. I mean, I wrote Meet the Birdie Scouts sneer because I was just immediately like, ugh.

Bridget:

Well, I was thinking, when they were camping, it was Christmas, and the bully who.

Alyssa:

H*** no.

Bridget:

H*** no. Who got super close Christmas was afraid to go to sleep because she was afraid if she wet her bed, everyone would make fun of her. And then I'm just thinking, that's a true friend that'll stay up all night with you just so you don't possibly wet your bed or possibly face embarrassment.

Alyssa:

That bond is strong already. And I think it was going through all of that with. With all of them and earning their badge. I loved when they were listing off what was left of the. Of the scraps. Oh, the. The scraps of the badges.

Bridget:

Yeah.

Alyssa:

There was, like, a job, leftover badges, dressage. Like, isn't that for horses?

Bridget:

Yeah.

Alyssa:

And. But do humans dressage? No. Okay. Because that's what she said. She's like, dressage. And then Ms. Massey's like, dressage, ceramics, survival, table setting, childcare, cookie selling. This is their way of creating a woman of substance. I always wanted to do competitive grocery bagging. I thought I could really nail that.

Bridget:

Oh, yeah. Tetrising is what I call it.

Alyssa:

Yeah. That's the only thing I ever stayed up late doing in. In my school age years. My other question was, like, when Ms. Massie. So they go to say, hey, we want this troop, right? They need a troop mother. And it's now Ms. Raylene. They go to Ms. Massie. Nasty Ms. Massie, or whatever, mean Ms. Massie. And as a dig, she says, well, look at that. There's only one number left for troops. Troop Zero. And guess what? Ms. Christmas raises her hand and she's like, what? And she's trying to use Troop Zero as a dig. You guys are a bunch of zeros. And she says, zero is the number for infinity. I was just like, yeah. Like, again, she somehow is able to believe enough in herself and what she is passionate about that she doesn't know she's passionate about. Right. But she. She doesn't let these people in their digs get her down.

Bridget:

Joe Dir.

Alyssa:

Yeah.

Bridget:

How is she?

Alyssa:

We're talking about something so sweet, and we're like, Joe Dirt. Yeah.

Bridget:

It's the same.

Alyssa:

It is. It is.

Bridget:

Life's the garden. Dig it.

Alyssa:

Right. It just. It doesn't. I. I love a movie about a misfit child who continues to be herself. I think I Masked and has hope. Yes. And like I masked most of my life, whether it was because I knew I was neurodivergent. And that was different because teachers then didn't understand the differences. Except for Mrs. Poon. I don't even know if she's still alive. Mrs. Mrs. Poon, my fifth grade teacher. My favorite ever. She saw me. She saw me. But then that or then trying to not be found out. As gay as a lady golfer. And so just to see these kids as who they are and they're not trying to be anybody else, that just pulls at my heartstrings all the time.

Bridget:

Yeah.

Alyssa:

And it makes me think of my kids and I just want them to be who they are, so.

Bridget:

Right.

Alyssa:

Yeah.

Bridget:

Well, my thing with her, too, is just the same thing. Like, she's grieving so hard for her mom, but she has so much hope. She really believes that our voices keep going. And eventually that whole idea of those stars in the sky, our loved ones, you know, that hope is still there. And again, never let anything bother her. Adults will lose hope in a minute.

Alyssa:

Yeah, we're all jaded.

Bridget:

Yeah.

Alyssa:

Yeah, Cynical.

Bridget:

Right?

Alyssa:

But. And if something's hard, it's easy for us to, like, give up hope as well.

Bridget:

Well, let's get to the. Well, the heartbreak is the final scene. Well, hold on.

Alyssa:

We gotta get to the heartbreak of stupid Miss Massie.

Bridget:

Oh, right.

Alyssa:

She's like, well, looky here. Sorry. You actually can't have Ms. Raylene as your troop mama because she's been arrested. And then you go through that whole thing, and that's where Ms. Rayleen talks about how she never, like, did anything for herself. Kind of stunted her own growth and she's great. I'm gonna go off to law school. But now this troop is left without a troop mom. And then, h*** no. She gets all mad and she starts running off, cuz she's like, why? Why did you give me something to hope for? Correct. I have never wanted anything. And you gave me that and you made me want something. And now it's gone. And that was just like a really heartbreaking scene. But then Christmas kept going. She is Miss persistent. And they get through that moment together and they still have that hope. Like, she shared hope with these other kids who didn't have it.

Bridget:

And h*** no. Her whole thing was she doesn't care about anything because no one cared about her. So every.

Alyssa:

Well, where do you think her name came from exactly?

Bridget:

H*** no.

Alyssa:

She was born and her mom probably was like, h*** no.

Bridget:

Yeah.

Alyssa:

And that's it like, when they kept saying this, I had to look up the cast because I was like, is that the character's name?

Bridget:

And it is, but it's like, yeah, they all feel worthless and don't hope for anything. Because another quote is, life gets easier if you don't want so much. That is the saddest thing ever.

Alyssa:

It is. But it's also so true. And what so many people do.

Bridget:

Lower your expectations, they settle. Lower your standards and you won't get hurt. I got to say, wish for nothing and you won't be disappointed.

Alyssa:

But, gosh, it's good. It feels good to dream and have a vision and have ideas. Otherwise, are you just, like, basically going through the motions of life? There is no joy with any of. Without any of that.

Bridget:

I wanted that the movie to end. Like, movies end.

Alyssa:

Yeah.

Bridget:

Where she would be triumphant and it would be the best day of her life and win the contest. And I can't believe they didn't.

Alyssa:

But I think that's also the truth, because that is how it would go. These children went out there. All these other mean girl groups went out and they did their choreographed routine, and these kids with a different way of thinking came out and they performed their a**** off. I'm so upset because all these kids get to laugh and the adults do nothing.

Bridget:

And many of the adults are like, oh, my God, this is great.

Alyssa:

Yeah. And then some are like, this is embarrassing. And then poor Christmas, who stops the music. The other troop lady was like, that's enough. That's enough. I mean, even the NASA guy was like, well, this is kind of odd. And they're like, yep, they're a bunch of odd girl. Like, they were like, yeah, this is who they are. Like, they do these things. This is who they are. They are.

Bridget:

They made all their costumes and they didn't have adults helping them. No, it was a adorable.

Alyssa:

Joseph was David Bowie.

Bridget:

Yes.

Alyssa:

It was perfect ground control. Oh, my God. That was amazing. I loved it.

Bridget:

The song was space themed. Come on.

Alyssa:

Who wants this more than this group of kids?

Bridget:

Yes. And her idea was gold.

Alyssa:

Yeah. But it wasn't like everyone else's.

Bridget:

Correct.

Alyssa:

That is the other theme. If you don't do it like everybody else, then you're just the weirdo.

Bridget:

Right? Yeah.

Alyssa:

And people aren't willing to go outside of their own norms or sense of.

Bridget:

Comfort and then to stand there to be mortified and wet your pants. That's where I cry.

Alyssa:

Then she got up and just addressed it, you know, instead of running away and pretending like it didn't happen. She says, I'm Christmas Flint and I'm human. And sometimes I pee my pants when I get nervous, and I don't know why and I don't want to do it. And I'm like, good Lord, because that is all of us with that one thing, right?

Bridget:

Horrible.

Alyssa:

Yeah. And then they continue, and then her troupe comes up. They all hold hands. They all have a little Billy Madison moment where they all pee their pants in front of everybody that are dancing. And I even think they, like, slip on the pee on the stage. And then Smash runs up in her cute little alien outfit, and she pulls the plug and this confetti shoots out of a rocket ship that they had even constructed. Amazing. I mean, theatrics of this whole performance, minus the moment where they pee their pants. And she has this vulnerable time where she talks about it, and then they still don't win. But she does the big thing. She doesn't win. Ms. Raylene checks on her immediately. You doing okay? And she gets up, and you're like, oh, what's gonna happen? And she walks right up to Ms. Massie, and as the bigger person, this little child is bigger than this adult in the moment, sticks her hand out to shake her hand. I was like, this is amazing. But where I lost my suspension of disbelief was right after that, when Ms. Massie stands up, asks Ms. Raylene for a drag of the cigarette, and all of a sudden they're like, besties, where she' you go kick a** at law school. I'm like, stop it.

Bridget:

I think it's just like, stop it. The competition is over. Let's move on.

Alyssa:

She's always been a b****, though. What?

Bridget:

They're not rivals anymore at this point. She is a b****. I think that that really disarmed her when Christmas shook her hand like, you know, a good sport.

Alyssa:

Yeah.

Bridget:

I'm going to tear up again. Just because she doesn't get on the record. She still sends her call out.

Alyssa:

Yep. And they all stand out there together. And they're like, we hope that you have friends. We hope that you have. What does Joseph say? Aretha Franklin and Freddie Mercury. What does Christmas say? I hope my mom's up there.

Bridget:

And then they all yell and, yes, I am here.

Alyssa:

I thought that that was. It was good. I want to go back to the slow mode Food fight scene.

Bridget:

Oh, God.

Alyssa:

I bet that was a dream come true for those child actors.

Bridget:

Oh, yeah, you're right.

Alyssa:

Holy.

Bridget:

You're right.

Alyssa:

Crazy. And also, though, Christmas didn't get involved in that. And then, of course, it's Troupe Zero that gets in trouble. They're the troublemakers. They're responsible for it. It's like, Ms. Massie, I don't know. Overall, fantastic movie. It was very well done. I. And then Troop five gets the trophies, right? But then at the end, the dad's body stole them all anyway from the children. Remember, he steals a motorcycle. Ms. Rayleen's like, oh, but you're on parole. He's like, I'll give it back. But then they're driving off to the jamboree, and he's like. Some guy's like, hey, he stole my motorcycle. Well, then that guy goes and steals all the trophies. But I don't know. I guess it's just like this message of never losing hope. And it always feels a little more powerful when it comes from children. And that is, you know, my kids.

Bridget:

And for one of the other things that I wrote down that struck me especially for a child to say is, who decides what's good and what's worth it? We flick some beans. Okay.

Alyssa:

Love you. Bye. Bye. How do we Bonkas party all night long.

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Bridget

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Wendy

Co-host