The Trouble with Angels

Starring: Rosalind Russell, Hayley Mills, June Harding, Binnie Barnes, Camilla Sparv, Mary Wicks
Directed by: Ida Lupino
Rating: PG
Genre: Comedy
1966

Times Seen:
Tim: 1

Summary: Two young girls (Hayley Mills, June Harding) go to an all-girl's school run by nuns. They clash with the head nun (Rosalind Russell) and cause havoc throughout the school.

Review:

Tim: Maybe I'm crazy, but I thoroughly enjoyed this film. They really don't make movies like this anymore. It is a film appropriate for viewers of any age, and discusses some important themes- religion, friendship, faith, redemption, life and death, and more. And yet, the film is a pretty straightforward comedy. I liked this movie because it's so different than films being made today.

The Trouble with Angels is a coming-of-age story about two girls in an all-girls school run by Catholic nuns. The two girls are played by Hayley Mills and June Harding. The comedy comes in because they are incredibly rebellious, wrecking havoc on the nuns and on their fellow students. The movie is basically a series of misadventures where the two girls come up with some scathingly brilliant idea that backfires and gets them in trouble with the head nun (Rosalind Russell). Their adventures and pranks are genuinely funny, and keep the movie moving.

I really enjoyed this aspect of the film. The pranks they pulled weren't really mean-spirited, but the kind of tricks we all pulled in our formative years as we pushed back against authority figures. There was a big of a nostalgia factor for me, remembering what it was like to be at that age, and the trouble that seemed far too easy to cause. There really was no thought to the repercussions, or the effect that trouble might have had on others. This film captures that innocent time of so long ago.

The movie really works because of the cast. Hayley Mills and June Harding just work so well together. You really buy their friendship- their chemistry is quite good. They are the kind of people you wanted to hang out with at that age- defiant enough to cause trouble for the sake of fun, and willing to pay whatever punishment was dolled out. They were both excellent. It's a shame that Mills' career took a nosedive shortly after this film, because she was one of the greatest child actors I've ever seen. Rosalind Russell adds in a very good performance as Mother Superior- the tough, no nonsense nun that really has a huge heart underneath that icy exterior. Russell is such a good actress, and just nails this role perfectly.

I admit that I can see how someone might not like this movie. The message is certainly not for everyone, as it does have some religious and spiritual themes prevalent throughout the film. The pacing is occasionally off, and the movie drags a bit in the middle. Despite that, though, I'm a huge fan of this film. Maybe some of it is that this was one of my dad's all-time favorite movies as a kid, I don't know. Regardless, I really loved watching this movie- it was entertaining in a way movies seldom are today. I thought this was a great movie.



Rating 1-10
Tim's Rating: 8



If You Enjoyed This Movie, We Recommend: Where Angels Go, Trouble Follows!