Directed by Jim Sotos, the film stars Peter Billingsley, Martin Sheen, Burt Young, Terry Moore, George Kirby, Ruby Keeler (in her final film) and Whoopi Goldberg in a cameo role.

Scooter devises a plan to fake his own kidnapping to get his parents' attention and enlists the help of two bumbling crooks, Clive and Elmo.

After Scooter is "kidnapped" and a ransom is demanded, he quickly realizes that his plan failed to work and his parents don't miss him.

According to a review at TV guide, "Martin Sheen is reported to have said that he got involved with BEVERLY HILLS BRATS mainly to prove that he could do comedy, and--though the film itself is a comedy in intent only--neither he nor his son Ramon does a bad job here.

[4] The Motion Picture Annual found: "is merely a movie made in Beverly Hills for people who live in Beverly Hills" and that "this relentlessly unfunny comedy that wastes the talents of some of Hollywood's better character actors (without whom it) probably would not have seen the light of day.