Anniversary Trouble: Kids, Cash, and Chaos

Is it worth your time?

If you have a soft spot for the Our Gang shorts, then absolutely. It’s light, quick, and features that specific brand of childhood panic that only these movies seem to nail. But if you’re looking for a tight, high-stakes plot or something that doesn’t feel like it was filmed in a backyard on a Tuesday afternoon, maybe skip it.

It’s really just a short story about Spanky messing up, which is basically the premise of half their films. Honestly, seeing Hattie McDaniel pop up is a nice little treat that reminds you how much talent was passing through these sets. She steals every frame she is in, even when the kids are doing their best to scream over each other.

There’s a moment where the money mix-up happens, and the way Spanky just stands there with that wide-eyed, 'uh oh' look is pure gold. It’s not complex acting, but it’s definitely effective. I found myself wondering if they actually gave them real cash or just those prop bills that look like they’re made of construction paper. 😅

The pacing is a bit all over the place, though. Sometimes it moves at a breakneck speed, and other times it just kind of sits there while the kids try to figure out their next move. It feels like they were trying to hit a runtime rather than tell a perfectly paced story.

Some random thoughts while watching:

• Pete the Dog is basically the MVP of the whole production. He doesn’t even have to do anything to be better than half the human cast.
• The dialogue is classic, but man, some of the lines feel like they were written by someone who hasn't actually talked to a child in thirty years.
• It reminds me a bit of the frantic energy in The Five Dollar Plate, though maybe a bit less focused.
• The lighting in the living room scenes is weirdly harsh. It feels like high noon even when it’s supposed to be a quiet afternoon.

Is it a masterpiece? No. Is it a fun way to kill ten minutes while you’re waiting for your laundry to finish? Definitely. There’s something charming about how Anniversary Trouble doesn't try to be anything more than a small, silly story about a missing pile of coins. It doesn't have the weight of The Kreutzer Sonata, but then again, thank goodness for that.

I caught myself smiling when Buckwheat started crying. It’s just so predictable, yet it works every single time. Sometimes, you don't need a deep dive into the human condition to have a good time watching a film. Sometimes you just need a dog and a kid who lost his lunch money.