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Movies / On DVD / Harriet the Spy
Harriet the Spy

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Harriet the Spy (1996)

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38 %
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Reviews Counted:26

Fresh:10

Rotten:16

Average Rating:4.8/10

Runtime: 1 hr 42 mins

Genre: Action/Adventure

Synopsis: The film adaptation of Louise Fitzhugh's bestselling children's novel, about Harriet, an independent, intelligent girl whose aspiration to become a writer ultimately lands her in some very hot... The film adaptation of Louise Fitzhugh's bestselling children's novel, about Harriet, an independent, intelligent girl whose aspiration to become a writer ultimately lands her in some very hot water... Encouraged by her sharp nanny, Harriet secretly begins writing about her observations of the world around her. This includes VERY candid (and often uncomplimentary) things about her schoolmates and buddies, including her two best friends. But Harriet's life is turned upside-down when classmates find her treasured notebook and read it aloud for everyone to hear. Feeling insulted and betrayed, the kids then retaliate against Harriet in the cruelest of ways. The young writer, now hated, isolated and embarrassed, must find a way to rebound from this unenviable situation. [More]

Starring: Michelle Trachtenberg, Rosie O'Donnell, Vanessa Lee Chester, Gregory Edward Smith

Starring: Michelle Trachtenberg, Rosie O'Donnell, Vanessa Lee Chester, Gregory Edward Smith, Eartha Kitt

Director: Bronwen Hughes

Director: Bronwen Hughes
Story: Louise Fitzhugh
Screenwriter: Douglas Petrie, Theresa Rebeck
Composer: Jamshied Sharifi

[See More Credits]

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Release:

May 27, 2003

No Details Exist
 
 

Reviews for Harriet the Spy

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1 - 20 (sorted by date)
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A below mediocre adaptation of the popular novel that is nonetheless served well by the two female leads, but all representative of the adults world (parents, teachers, psychologists) are narrow, standard-issue constructions.

Full Review Source: EmanuelLevy.Com | comment Comment
10/30/06
Emanuel Levy
Emanuel Levy
EmanuelLevy.Com

No review available.

comment Comment
09/21/05
Michael Szymanski
Michael Szymanski
Zap2it.com

No review available.

comment Comment
02/24/03
Philip Martin
Philip Martin
Arkansas Democrat-Gazette

A better-than-expected kid's-book adaptation.

comment Comment
07/27/02
Scott Weinberg
Scott Weinberg
eFilmCritic.com

The whimsical and meaningless first part dissolves into a mean spirited and disturbing concluding section.

Full Review Source: Internet Reviews | comment Comment
07/25/02
Steve Rhodes
Steve Rhodes
Internet Reviews

Like the novel, Harriet the Spy is a rare children's story that celebrates the budding artistic spirit.

Full Review Source: Northwest Herald (Crystal Lake, IL) | comment Comment
07/17/02
Jeffrey Westhoff
Jeffrey Westhoff
Northwest Herald (Crystal Lake, IL)

Click to read the article

Full Review Source: Globe and Mail | comment Comment
04/12/02
Globe and Mail
Top Critic Icon Top Critic
N/R

Click to read the article

Full Review Source: Sacramento Bee | comment Comment
02/14/02
Joe Baltake
Joe Baltake
Sacramento Bee
N/R

Click to read the article

Full Review Source: Washington Post | comment Comment
02/14/02
Washington Post
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

Click to read the article

Full Review Source: Detroit News | comment Comment
02/14/02
Susan Stark
Susan Stark
Detroit News
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

A very draggy affair because Harriet’s exploits are treated like an episodic laundry list.

Full Review Source: Washington Post | comment Comment
02/09/02
Desson Thomson
Desson Thomson
Washington Post
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

At least they didn't make the nanny's umbrella handle a talking parrot.

Full Review Source: E! Online | comment Comment
01/01/00
E! Online
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

...in busily updating the '60s story for the more worldly '90s, the filmmakers have ended up, ironically, with a product much more naively juvenile than the original.

Full Review Source: Slate | comment Comment
01/01/00
Ann Hulbert
Ann Hulbert
Slate

While the well-loved novel was apparently about the admirable battle a kid must wage in order to become an artist in the face of peer disapproval, the movie seems to be about a mean-spirited tyke who has no scruples.

Full Review Source: San Francisco Examiner | comment Comment
01/01/00
Barbara Shulgasser
Barbara Shulgasser
San Francisco Examiner

...doesn't live up to its promise as a movie that could have had a lot of fun exploiting the ingenuity-themed construct.

Full Review Source: Boxoffice Magazine | comment Comment
01/01/00
Christine James
Christine James
Boxoffice Magazine

Click to read the article

Full Review Source: Austin Chronicle | comment Comment
01/01/00
Hollis Chacona
Hollis Chacona
Austin Chronicle

...smart, good-natured and fun.

Full Review Source: Empire Magazine | comment Comment
01/01/00
Ian Freer
Ian Freer
Empire Magazine

Harriet the Spy is an intelligent, insightful look at the tribulations of being a creative, misunderstood misfit at age eleven.

Full Review Source: ReelViews | comment Comment
01/01/00
James Berardinelli
James Berardinelli
ReelViews
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

Fresh and charming, it never plays down to kids.

Full Review Source: Boston Globe | comment Comment
01/01/00
Jay Carr
Jay Carr
Boston Globe
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

[The] movie really is supposed to be for kids after all, and since none of the material is too dark, it should do a decent job of keeping them entertained.

Full Review Source: Deseret News, Salt Lake City | comment Comment
01/01/00
Jeff Vice
Jeff Vice
Deseret News, Salt Lake City
 
 
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