Synopsis

Two ambitious waitresses from Decatur, Georgia, head to Los Angeles hoping to become music-video stars and raise money for their dream restaurant and beauty salon. After their audition fails, they are recruited into a scheme involving a wealthy, ailing man and a disputed inheritance. Their flamboyant style and big personalities unexpectedly transform the Beverly Hills household and challenge its rigid social order.

Factoids & Trivia

• The title stands for "Black American Princesses," a playful reworking of the slang term "BAP," traditionally associated with an affluent or spoiled Black woman.

• Troy Byer wrote the screenplay, making it her first credited screenplay. IMDb's trivia notes that Byer was disappointed with the finished film.

• Principal photography took place from May 29 through July 29, 1996. Locations included Rodeo Drive, the Beverly Hills Hotel, Bel Air, and the Cicada restaurant in Los Angeles.

• The film marked Halle Berry's first leading role in a comedy and Natalie Desselle's first leading role after her film debut in "Set It Off" the previous year.

• Celebrity cameos include appearances connected to hip-hop, television, basketball, and popular music, reflecting the film's late-1990s entertainment-world setting.

• Kim Kimble received an early film credit as a hair consultant and special-wigs designer. The exaggerated hairstyles are among the movie's most recognizable visual elements.

• Released by New Line Cinema on March 28, 1997, the film earned approximately $7.3 million worldwide.

• Although contemporary critics largely dismissed it, "B.A.P.S." has gained a more appreciative audience over time and is now often described as a Black cult classic.