The North Avenue Irregulars (1979)

People are voting emotionally.

It's a mild crowd pleaser for people who are exhausted by blockbusters.

This is one of the best movies I’ve seen in a very long time. You have to go and see this on the big screen.

Yes, absolutely, there is fun to be had, as well as many, many things to go boom, all amid an atmospheric urban jungle.

huh? is that a bear in the back of Barbra Harris's station wagon? this is a pretty kooky, quirky little Disney comedy that is pure, wholesome Disney fun with a little social comment thrown in as well.this family comedy was made at a time when a mainstream film was not embarrassed by having good, wholesome Christian and family values. but despite some good Christian messages, this is not really a movie about Chritianity or the Church really, it's actually a film about average, American middle class nobodies attempting to make a difference in their mostly ordinary world. in a sense the Church is only a kind of metaphor, if you want, of the soul and spirit of the average American.the message of this film is true social commentary. it's about average people fighting back against local corruption that even goes as high as the city office (whoa think about it). pretty intense for usually non-committal Disney fare. but there is no heavy handed commentary and it's done with a EXTREMELY light weight touch. but it's simple little message is clear, the average person can make a difference. even if you are a housewife and church lady.this is also a film with a mild feminist message. these Church ladies are no mere Stepford wives, they are as resourceful as any gal from 'The First Wives Club'. their resilient strength is evident in the hilarious opening scene where the ladies save the church maintenance man after he falls off his ladder and is left hanging on to the Church roof. scene after scene of incompetence, but these ladies keep on coming and are determined to get the job done.most of this film is just mildly amusing, but it is capable of some truly hilarious moments at times. like where the cop yells at Barbra Harris to pull her station wagon over to the side of traffic and instead she evades arrest by driving her family wagon onto the sidewalk and peels away. the ending crash up at the crook's money bank and hide-out is also, ahem, a total crack-up.there's nothing to offend the puritanical or prudish because this is so obviously 'G' rated family fare. and very respectful of the Church. the only things that might unnerve are a scary Church bombing and scenes of child endangerment when the ladies race around in their family wagons with babies and little children in the back seat.this movie is also a little more off the cuff then you would think. i mean little miss goody two shoes Karen Valentine going under cover as a trampy lady and Ruth Buzzi as the "Ecumenical Enchantress" is going a little out there. and is that a BEAR in the back of the mom's station wagon when she's taking all the kids and their pets to the pet show?!this is not a great movie or even a great classic Disney film, but it is a good movie and a very funny one. and it's message is a constructive one, YOU can make a difference if you put your mind to it. and also with a little help from your friends.

I watched this as a child and thought it was hilarious!!!! Even after twenty years (yes, I have seen it again as an adult) it is still hilarious! I can't wait to watch it again with my kids. I would definitely recommend this one! There is a lot of physical humor in this movie. (i.e.-like the humor in the classic TV series Lavern and Shirley) One of my favorite scenes is when all of the ladies are trying to follow one of the crooks and are soooo conspicuous! The Rev. says, "Everybody peel off, peel off" and well.....you really just need to see the movie.

I saw this in the theater with my mom in 1979 (I was 9) and we still have a laugh every now and then when we see something that reminds us of the car chase scene.Lots of good, clean fun for when you want to enjoy a comedy with kids--without having to explain any embarrassing stuff or naughty words. Also, the 70's are "in" again as well...and they make for a fun trip down memory lane for folks of Gen-X vintage (or their parents).

One of the last of Disney's live-action features that truly appealled to kids and parents, THE NORTH AVENUE IRREGULARS concerns a newly-arrived minister(Edward Herrman)who suggests that his flock look for ways to increase the church budget. When the ne'er-do-well husband of one of the church ladies bets the church funds on a fixed horserace, the minister sets out to recoup the funds and uncovers an illegal betting racket in his town. At the prompting of the local authorities, the good reverend and a group of church ladies go undercover to catch the crooks. What ensues is equal parts car chase/slapstick/G-rated comedy, as the motley assortment of soccer moms, little old ladies, and well-coiffed housewives race thier station wagons, pickup trucks, and Lincoln Continentals towards the inevitable happy conclusion. One sour note is a gratuitous rock group enlisted to liven up church services. The group, Strawberry Shortcake, looks and sounds about ten years behind the times, like the 1910 Fruitgum Co. after having gotten religion. Oh well, it is an Disney flick . . .