Smart Cookies

The film opens with Julie Sterling, a ruthless and successful realtor, using 'rent-a-kids' to stage a house as a family home, demonstrating her 'everything I touch turns to sold' mentality. Her boss, Lola, informs her that to secure a merger with World Realty, the company needs a better community footprint. Julie is assigned to lead Troop 114, the Fireflies, a group of misfits who have been without a leader. The troop includes Daisy, a former 'virtual scout' from Alaska; Frank, a tough girl who is actually named Francine; Emma, who is constantly hungry; Mattie, who refuses to speak; and Paris, who is obsessed with boys. They are frequently belittled by Hazel Hill Burn, the leader of the elite Monarchs troop. Julie initially treats the troop like a business project, even taking them to house showings and putting them in laundry rooms to keep them out of sight of clients. She meets Tom Royce, a handyman and Daisy's father, after she wakes him up with late-night work calls; their relationship is initially antagonistic. A turning point occurs during a disastrous river clean-up trip where Julie forgets the marshmallows and is humiliated by Hazel. Seeing the girls' low self-esteem, Julie goes 'rogue,' using her marketing expertise to help the Fireflies compete in the annual cookie sale. As the sale progresses, Julie learns that Frank and her grandmother are facing foreclosure and eviction. Meanwhile, Julie's romance with Tom blossoms as he helps her realize there is more to life than work. In the climax, Julie is one sale away from being Realtor of the Year, but she realizes the house she is selling to a pregnant client is a 'death trap' for a family and talks the client out of the offer, sacrificing her professional goal. The Fireflies end up neck-and-neck with the Monarchs in cookie sales, but they decide to secretly use their profits to pay off Frank's grandmother's mortgage instead of claiming the prize—a spot in the Rose Parade. At the final ceremony, the Girl Scout Council reveals they know of the Fireflies' selfless act. They award the Fireflies the spot on the Rose Parade float for embodying the true spirit of scouting. Julie, whose 90-day commitment is up, realizes she can't leave the girls behind and hops on the bus to join them, finally choosing community and love over her solitary career.