.gif)
Harriet the Spy (film)
Encyclopedia
Harriet the Spy is a 1996 comedy-drama
and mystery
film adaptation
of the 1964 novel of the same name
by Louise Fitzhugh
, and starring Michelle Trachtenberg
as the title character.
This film was directed by Bronwen Hughes
, produced by Paramount Pictures
, Nickelodeon Movies
and Rastar
. This was the first film that was produced under the Nickelodeon Movies
banner, and the first of two film adaptations of the Harriet the Spy books. In theaters, the pilot episode of Hey Arnold!
was shown before the film.
The film was shot in the Florida
cities of Fort Lauderdale and Miami, plus Toronto
, Ontario
.
) is an eleven-year-old sixth grader young spy who is best friends with Simon "Sport" Rocque (Gregory Smith) and Janie Gibbs (Vanessa Lee Chester
). She lives a privileged life with her parents and her nanny, Katherine "Ole Golly" (Rosie O'Donnell
) who's the only person who knows all the things that Harriet has been spying on. Harriet and her friends are enemies with mainly Marion Hawthorne (Charlotte Sullivan). For awhile, Harriet lives a well life being a spy and having fun with Golly.
One night, Golly invites a friend over and things turn into a disaster. Mrs. Welch fires Golly for letting Harriet stay out late and then begs her to stay. Golly tells her that Harriet is old enough to take care of herself much to everyone's protests. After Harriet bids Golly goodbye, she becomes depressed and withdrawn. She even gets caught when investigating the mansion of Agatha K Plummer (Eartha Kitt
).
The next day, she plays wth her friends at the park and disaster strikes. Marion Hawthorne finds Harriet's private notebook and begins reading out all of Harriet's notes. Everyone finds that they're all hurtful and even Sport and Janie turn their backs on Harriet. The kids create a Spy-Catcher club and torment Harriet on her spy routes.
After running into a police officer, Harriet gets her notebook taken away by her parents. Her parents tell Harriet's teacher Mrs. Elson (Nancy Beatty) to search Harriet everyday for notebooks much to Harriet's embarrassment. One day, during art, a classmate pours paint all over Harriet and she does things to get back at everyone individually.
Harriet's parents find out and send her to be evaluated by a psychologist who assures them that Harriet is fine. Harriet then tries to apologize to Sport and Janie and soon gets appointed as the School Paper Editor by her classmates. She apologizes to everyone and all is well. On opening night of the 6th Grade pageant, Janie and Harriet light off a stinkbomb and dance until the end of the film.
is the composer for the movie.
The songs Ran Kan Kan by Tito Puente
and Straitjackets by Los Straitjackets
are absent from the soundtrack.
theaters on July 10, 1996, and the film grossed $6,601,651 on its opening weekend, averaging about $3,615 per each of the 1,826 screens it was shown on. The film went on to gross a total of $26,570,048 by November 10, 1996, and was considered a box office
success, earning back double its $13,000,000 budget. The film currently has a 48% "rotten" rating on Rotten Tomatoes
.
Comedy-drama
Comedy-drama is a genre of theatre, film and television programs which combines humorous and serious content.-Theatre:Traditional western theatre, beginning with the ancient Greeks, was divided into comedy and tragedy...
and mystery
Mystery film
Mystery film is a sub-genre of the more general category of crime film and at times the thriller genre. It focuses on the efforts of the detective, private investigator or amateur sleuth to solve the mysterious circumstances of a crime by means of clues, investigation, and clever deduction.The...
film adaptation
Film adaptation
Film adaptation is the transfer of a written work to a feature film. It is a type of derivative work.A common form of film adaptation is the use of a novel as the basis of a feature film, but film adaptation includes the use of non-fiction , autobiography, comic book, scripture, plays, and even...
of the 1964 novel of the same name
Harriet the Spy
Harriet the Spy is a children's novel by Louise Fitzhugh published in 1964. It won the Sequoyah Book Award and the New York Times Outstanding Book Award in 1964.-Plot summary:...
by Louise Fitzhugh
Louise Fitzhugh
Louise Fitzhugh was an American author and illustrator of young adult and children's literature.Her work includes Harriet the Spy, its sequels The Long Secret and Sport, and Nobody's Family is Going to Change.-Early life:Born in Memphis, Tennessee, she soon experienced her parents' divorce, from...
, and starring Michelle Trachtenberg
Michelle Trachtenberg
Michelle Christine Trachtenberg is an American actress. She is best known for her roles as Dawn Summers in the television series Buffy the Vampire Slayer and as Georgina Sparks in Gossip Girl...
as the title character.
This film was directed by Bronwen Hughes
Bronwen Hughes
Bronwen Hughes is a Canadian film director. She was born in Toronto.-Filmography:* The Journey is the Destination * Fairly Legal 2011 * Tangled 2010* Cutthroat 2010* White Collar 2009...
, produced by Paramount Pictures
Paramount Pictures
Paramount Pictures Corporation is an American film production and distribution company, located at 5555 Melrose Avenue in Hollywood. Founded in 1912 and currently owned by media conglomerate Viacom, it is America's oldest existing film studio; it is also the last major film studio still...
, Nickelodeon Movies
Nickelodeon Movies
Nickelodeon Movies is the motion picture production arm of children's cable channel Nickelodeon, originally launched in 1995. Its first film was Harriet the Spy. It has produced films based on Nickelodeon programs, as well as other adaptations and original projects...
and Rastar
Rastar
Rastar was an American film company founded in 1966 by Hollywood producer Ray Stark , who was involved in most of its productions. Its first film was 1968's Funny Girl....
. This was the first film that was produced under the Nickelodeon Movies
Nickelodeon Movies
Nickelodeon Movies is the motion picture production arm of children's cable channel Nickelodeon, originally launched in 1995. Its first film was Harriet the Spy. It has produced films based on Nickelodeon programs, as well as other adaptations and original projects...
banner, and the first of two film adaptations of the Harriet the Spy books. In theaters, the pilot episode of Hey Arnold!
Hey Arnold!
Hey Arnold! is an American animated television series created by Craig Bartlett for Nickelodeon. The show's premise focuses on a fourth grader named Arnold who lives with his grandparents. Episodes center on his experiences navigating big city life while dealing with the problems he and his friends...
was shown before the film.
The film was shot in the Florida
Florida
Florida is a state in the southeastern United States, located on the nation's Atlantic and Gulf coasts. It is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the north by Alabama and Georgia and to the east by the Atlantic Ocean. With a population of 18,801,310 as measured by the 2010 census, it...
cities of Fort Lauderdale and Miami, plus Toronto
Toronto
Toronto is the provincial capital of Ontario and the largest city in Canada. It is located in Southern Ontario on the northwestern shore of Lake Ontario. A relatively modern city, Toronto's history dates back to the late-18th century, when its land was first purchased by the British monarchy from...
, Ontario
Ontario
Ontario is a province of Canada, located in east-central Canada. It is Canada's most populous province and second largest in total area. It is home to the nation's most populous city, Toronto, and the nation's capital, Ottawa....
.
Plot
Harriet (Michelle TrachtenbergMichelle Trachtenberg
Michelle Christine Trachtenberg is an American actress. She is best known for her roles as Dawn Summers in the television series Buffy the Vampire Slayer and as Georgina Sparks in Gossip Girl...
) is an eleven-year-old sixth grader young spy who is best friends with Simon "Sport" Rocque (Gregory Smith) and Janie Gibbs (Vanessa Lee Chester
Vanessa Lee Chester
Vanessa Lee Chester is an American television and film actress. She has worked on a variety of projects, most notable for her roles as Kelly in Steven Spielberg's The Lost World: Jurassic Park , and as Becky in Alfonso Cuarón's A Little Princess...
). She lives a privileged life with her parents and her nanny, Katherine "Ole Golly" (Rosie O'Donnell
Rosie O'Donnell
Roseann "Rosie" O'Donnell is an American stand-up comedian, actress, author and television personality. She has also been a magazine editor and continues to be a celebrity blogger, LGBT rights activist, television producer and collaborative partner in the LGBT family vacation company R Family...
) who's the only person who knows all the things that Harriet has been spying on. Harriet and her friends are enemies with mainly Marion Hawthorne (Charlotte Sullivan). For awhile, Harriet lives a well life being a spy and having fun with Golly.
One night, Golly invites a friend over and things turn into a disaster. Mrs. Welch fires Golly for letting Harriet stay out late and then begs her to stay. Golly tells her that Harriet is old enough to take care of herself much to everyone's protests. After Harriet bids Golly goodbye, she becomes depressed and withdrawn. She even gets caught when investigating the mansion of Agatha K Plummer (Eartha Kitt
Eartha Kitt
Eartha Mae Kitt was an American singer, actress, and cabaret star. She was perhaps best known for her highly distinctive singing style and her 1953 hit recordings of "C'est Si Bon" and the enduring Christmas novelty smash "Santa Baby." Orson Welles once called her the "most exciting woman in the...
).
The next day, she plays wth her friends at the park and disaster strikes. Marion Hawthorne finds Harriet's private notebook and begins reading out all of Harriet's notes. Everyone finds that they're all hurtful and even Sport and Janie turn their backs on Harriet. The kids create a Spy-Catcher club and torment Harriet on her spy routes.
After running into a police officer, Harriet gets her notebook taken away by her parents. Her parents tell Harriet's teacher Mrs. Elson (Nancy Beatty) to search Harriet everyday for notebooks much to Harriet's embarrassment. One day, during art, a classmate pours paint all over Harriet and she does things to get back at everyone individually.
Harriet's parents find out and send her to be evaluated by a psychologist who assures them that Harriet is fine. Harriet then tries to apologize to Sport and Janie and soon gets appointed as the School Paper Editor by her classmates. She apologizes to everyone and all is well. On opening night of the 6th Grade pageant, Janie and Harriet light off a stinkbomb and dance until the end of the film.
Cast
- Michelle TrachtenbergMichelle TrachtenbergMichelle Christine Trachtenberg is an American actress. She is best known for her roles as Dawn Summers in the television series Buffy the Vampire Slayer and as Georgina Sparks in Gossip Girl...
as Harriet M. Welsch - Gregory Smith as Simon "Sport" Rocque
- Vanessa Lee ChesterVanessa Lee ChesterVanessa Lee Chester is an American television and film actress. She has worked on a variety of projects, most notable for her roles as Kelly in Steven Spielberg's The Lost World: Jurassic Park , and as Becky in Alfonso Cuarón's A Little Princess...
as Janie Gibbs - Rosie O'DonnellRosie O'DonnellRoseann "Rosie" O'Donnell is an American stand-up comedian, actress, author and television personality. She has also been a magazine editor and continues to be a celebrity blogger, LGBT rights activist, television producer and collaborative partner in the LGBT family vacation company R Family...
as Catherine "Ole Golly" - J. Smith-CameronJ. Smith-CameronJ. Smith-Cameron is an American actress.Smith-Cameron was born Jean Isabel Smith in Louisville, Kentucky, the daughter of architect Richard Sharpe Smith. She was raised in Greenville, South Carolina, and attended Florida State University where she was enrolled in the School of Theatre...
as Mrs. Welsch - Robert JoyRobert JoyRobert Joy is a Canadian actor. He is best known for his role as Dr. Sid Hammerback in CSI: NY and playing Charlie in Land of the Dead.-Early life:...
as Mr. Welsch - Eartha KittEartha KittEartha Mae Kitt was an American singer, actress, and cabaret star. She was perhaps best known for her highly distinctive singing style and her 1953 hit recordings of "C'est Si Bon" and the enduring Christmas novelty smash "Santa Baby." Orson Welles once called her the "most exciting woman in the...
as Agatha K. Plummer - Charlotte SullivanCharlotte SullivanCharlotte Sullivan is a Canadian actress. Her first on-screen role was an extra in a Liza Minelli music video. She has had a starring role in The New Ghostwriter Mysteries and Harriet the Spy as well as smaller parts in How to Deal and Fever Pitch...
as Marion Hawthorne - Teisha Kim as Rachel Hennessy
- Cecilley Carroll as Beth Ellen Hansen
- Dov TiefenbachDov TiefenbachDov Yosef Tiefenbach is a Canadian actor and musician.Tiefenbach was born in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. He began his acting career at the age of 12, first starting off in commercials before playing the role of 'Josh Avery' in the television series RoboCop , and landed his first starring role as...
as Boy with Purple Socks - Nina Shock as Carrie Andrews
- Connor Devitt as Pinky Whitehead
- Alisha Morrison as Laura Peters
- Nancy Beatty as Miss Elson
- James Gilfillan as Archie Simmons
- Gerry QuigleyGerry QuigleyGerry Quigley was a trade unionist and political activist in Northern Ireland.Quigley grew up in the Donegall Pass area of Belfast. He studied at St Joseph's Training College before working as a primary school teacher.Quigley was appointed Northern Secretary of the Irish National Teachers'...
as Sport's Dad - Jackie Richardson as Janie's Mother
- Roger Clown as Dr. Wagner
Soundtrack
The original motion picture soundtrack for Harriet the Spy was released on CD and audio cassette on July 23, 1996 by Castle Records, 13 days after the film's theatrical release and Jamshied SharifiJamshied Sharifi
Jamshied Sharifi was born October 17, 1960 in Topeka, Kansas to an Iranian father and an American mother. At an early age, Sharifi was exposed to Jazz and Middle Eastern music by his father and to European classical and church music by his mother. He began to study classical piano at age five and...
is the composer for the movie.
- "Harriet the Spy" (Jamshied Sharifi)
- "Trash Tower" (Jamshied Sharifi)
- "Wack Wack" (Young-Holt UnlimitedYoung-Holt UnlimitedYoung-Holt Unlimited were an American soul and jazz instrumental musical ensemble from Chicago, Illinois.Drummer Isaac "Red" Holt and bassist Eldee Young, formerly members of Ramsey Lewis' jazz trio, formed a new outfit called the Young-Holt Trio with pianist Don Walker in 1966...
) - "Sous Le Soleil De Bodega" (Les Négresses VertesLes Negresses VertesLes Négresses Vertes, formed in 1987, is a French music group that is best described as a fusion of world music and some aspects of alternative rock. Their tracks often feature acoustic guitar and accordion, as well as some tracks containing many other 'traditional' instruments such as piano and...
) - "Harriet Runs" (Jamshied Sharifi)
- "Golly Leaves" (Jamshied Sharifi)
- "Sad Harriet/No Cats" (Jamshied Sharifi)
- "Agatha Exterior" (Jamshied Sharifi)
- "Agatha Interior" (Jamshied Sharifi)
- "Uska Dura" (Eartha KittEartha KittEartha Mae Kitt was an American singer, actress, and cabaret star. She was perhaps best known for her highly distinctive singing style and her 1953 hit recordings of "C'est Si Bon" and the enduring Christmas novelty smash "Santa Baby." Orson Welles once called her the "most exciting woman in the...
) - "Arrollando" (Jamshied Sharifi)
- "Reading The Notebook" (Jamshied Sharifi)
- "Harriet Confronts Marion" (Jamshied Sharifi)
- "Crate With Legs" (Jamshied Sharifi)
- "Evil Harriet" (Jamshied Sharifi)
- "Her Own World" (Jamshied Sharifi)
- "Class Vote" (Jamshied Sharifi)
- "Get Up Offa That ThingGet Up Offa That Thing"Get Up Offa That Thing", sometimes subtitled "'", is a song performed by James Brown. It was released as a two-part single in 1976 and also appeared on an album of the same name...
" (James BrownJames BrownJames Joseph Brown was an American singer, songwriter, musician, and recording artist. He is the originator of Funk and is recognized as a major figure in the 20th century popular music for both his vocals and dancing. He has been referred to as "The Godfather of Soul," "Mr...
) - "Coyote Mambo" (Jamshied Sharifi)
- "Cruisin" (Jamshied Sharifi)
- "The Secretive Life" (Jill SobuleJill SobuleJill Sobule is an American singer-songwriter best known for the 1995 single "I Kissed a Girl", and "Supermodel" from the soundtrack of the 1995 film Clueless...
)
The songs Ran Kan Kan by Tito Puente
Tito Puente
Tito Puente, , born Ernesto Antonio Puente, was a Latin jazz and Salsa musician. The son of native Puerto Ricans Ernest and Ercilia Puente, of Spanish Harlem in New York City, Puente is often credited as "El Rey de los Timbales" and "The King of Latin Music"...
and Straitjackets by Los Straitjackets
Los Straitjackets
Los Straitjackets is an American instrumental rock band that formed in Nashville, Tennessee in 1988. Originally comprising guitarists Danny Amis and Eddie Angel and drummer L. J. "Jimmy" Lester under the name The Straitjackets, the band split up soon after forming and reunited as Los Straitjackets...
are absent from the soundtrack.
Box office and release
The film was released in USUnited States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
theaters on July 10, 1996, and the film grossed $6,601,651 on its opening weekend, averaging about $3,615 per each of the 1,826 screens it was shown on. The film went on to gross a total of $26,570,048 by November 10, 1996, and was considered a box office
Box office
A box office is a place where tickets are sold to the public for admission to an event. Patrons may perform the transaction at a countertop, through an unblocked hole through a wall or window, or at a wicket....
success, earning back double its $13,000,000 budget. The film currently has a 48% "rotten" rating on Rotten Tomatoes
Rotten Tomatoes
Rotten Tomatoes is a website devoted to reviews, information, and news of films—widely known as a film review aggregator. Its name derives from the cliché of audiences throwing tomatoes and other vegetables at a poor stage performance...
.
See also
- Harriet the Spy: Blog WarsHarriet the Spy: Blog WarsHarriet the Spy: Blog Wars is a 2010 Canadian/American television film starring Jennifer Stone which premiered on March 26, 2010, on Disney Channel. It is the second film adaptation of the book, Harriet the Spy, by Louise Fitzhugh, after the 1996 Harriet the Spy film that starred Michelle...
, a 2010 American-Canadian television film starring Jennifer StoneJennifer StoneJennifer Lindsay Stone is an American actress best known for playing Harper Finkle on the Disney Channel series Wizards of Waverly Place and Harriet Welsh in the Disney Channel film Harriet the Spy: Blog Wars.-Life:...
in the titular role.