Parents' Guide to Gold Diggers: The Secret of Bear Mountain

Good performances by Ricci as Beth and Chlumsky as Jody give this otherwise run-of-the-mill story some weight and interest. Even the title, Gold Diggers: The Secret of Bear Mountain, seems off, misleading in its use of "gold diggers," words with connotations of underhanded schemers who befriend others for financial gain. This is at its best the story of teen friendship, of one girl recognizing the good in someone who has been ostracized for her bad luck and quirky behaviors. But too often the script veers into sloppy narrative techniques, and cliched, well-worn plot turns seen in dozens of other movies that came before.

Despite the overly simplistic storytelling, tweens and young teens will probably get something from the action and the likable two leads. Both girls may take a few more risks with their safety than most parents would prefer. But they do set examples for the way that girls with agency can sometimes correct grown-ups and save the day. This could be seen as a mild precursor to such scarier and more violent movies about resourceful girls such as The Hunger Games and Divergent.