Sparkle (2012)
Average Rating: 5.7/10
Reviews Counted: 86
Fresh: 50 | Rotten: 36
While undeniably melodramatic and old-fashioned, Sparkle transcends its formulaic trappings thanks to Salim Akil's empathetic direction and strong performances from a committed cast.
Average Rating: 5.8/10
Critic Reviews: 29
Fresh: 18 | Rotten: 11
While undeniably melodramatic and old-fashioned, Sparkle transcends its formulaic trappings thanks to Salim Akil's empathetic direction and strong performances from a committed cast.
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Average Rating: 3.8/5
User Ratings: 40,338
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Movie Info
Musical prodigy, Sparkle (Jordin Sparks) struggles to become a star while overcoming issues that are tearing her family apart. From an affluent Detroit area and daughter to a single mother (Whitney Houston), she tries to balance a new romance with music manager, Stix (Derek Luke) while dealing with the unexpected challenges her new life will bring as she and her two sisters (Carmen Ejogo and Tika Sumpter) strive to become a dynamic singing group during the Motown-era. -- (C) Sony
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Cast
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Jordin Sparks
Sparkle -
Whitney Houston
Emma -
Derek Luke
Stix -
Mike Epps
Satin -
Carmen Ejogo
Sister -
Tika Sumpter
Dolores -
Omari Hardwick
Levi -
Ceelo Greene
Black -
Curtis Armstrong
Larry -
-
Tamela Mann
Ms. Sara Waters -
Michael Beach
Rev. Bryce, Reverend Br... -
Brély Evans
Tune Ann -
Linda Boston
Sister Clora -
Sidi Henderson
Mr. Bell -
Erika Hoveland
Larry's Secretary -
Debra Port
Receptionist -
Kem Owens
Buddy -
Sarah Hensen
Heckler -
Doug Mingo
Goofy Guy -
Mark Rademacher
Filmore Manager -
David Regal
Stage Manager -
Cory Pritchett
Ham -
Howard Rosenman
Landlord -
Robert Forte Shannon
Stix's Opponent -
Margaret Scott
Church Saint -
Goapele Mohlabane
Girl Group - Lead Singe... -
Fatima Robinson
Girl Group - Back Up Si... -
Keely Morris
Girl Group - Back Up Si... -
Brittany Perry Russell
Sparkle's Back Up Singe... -
Charmaine Jordan
Sparkle's Back Up Singe... -
Dalibor Stolevski
TV Host -
Tiffany Alexander
Prison Guard -
Stephanie Moseley
Rehearsal Dancer -
Temecha Myers
Rehearsal Dancer -
Ruth E. Carter
Sugar -
Melora Rivera
Hussy
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Sparkle Trailer & Photos
All Critics (86) | Top Critics (29) | Fresh (51) | Rotten (36) | DVD (1)
Sparkle shamelessly piles on the clichés, but it's an entertaining ride throughout.
Top CriticNoteworthy only for featuring Whitney Houston's last screen appearance.
Sparkle is an assembly of parts and pieces from other, better movies - an overly familiar jumble of clichés mashed together.
"Sparkle" isn't blindingly original but it delivers solid entertainment, and despite the clichés I was never for a moment bored.
Anyone who has seen Dream Girls, What's Love Got To Do With It? or even The Doors will find themselves in familiar (if inferior) territory here ...
It's nice that "Sparkle" honors the memory of Motown's heyday; if only it could have lived up to those standards.
A must-see, between Whitney's sentimental Swan Song and charismatic Carmen Ejogo's coming out party.
Whitney Houston's vibrant, final performance adds poignancy to this likeable, breezy remake of a familiar tale.
it is impossible not to think of the singers real life rise and fall. Whitney Houston's face does not disguise the descent. You can see the tracks of her tears. She looks a lot older than her 48 years.
An energetic cast and some terrific music make up for the rather hackneyed plot of this Dreamgirls-style drama. Remade from a 1976 film, the story is that familiar trajectory of musicians who achieve fame only to fall into a string of ugly problems.
Trite and predictable but the musical numbers have heart and there is a poignancy in seeing Houston one last time.
No one could make a case for this being other than fairly ordinary, but it is at least enjoyable.
Some sparkle and plenty of motion.
Sparkle isn't Dreamgirls - but fans of schmaltzy showbiz fairytales should enjoy it.
... transfers the 1976 cult hit from 1950s Harlem to '60s Detroit with faults and virtues intact.
'Sparkle' is a solidly, if not imaginatively, made showbiz tale that might have escaped notice had it not been for that fact that one if its stars, singer Whitney Houston, died after she completed her work in it.
While most people will focus on Sparks' acting debut or on Houston's touching final performance ... , the real fire comes from Ejogo's sultry and tough-minded performance as the down-but-never-out Sister.
It isn't "Dreamgirls" but it is worth watching for Sparks, Ejogo and most of all Whitney.
Overcomes its overdone 'rising star' formula with surprising drama, decent songs,breakout performances and a haunting swan song of Whitney Houston.
Sparkle follows a music-industry hopeful getting her shine on, but there's a more interesting movie percolating along the edges of the frame.
A few exceptional musical performances don't mitigate an otherwise stale melodrama.
Sparkle never really gets big. It pretends to.
The story takes melodramatic turns that threaten to stray into camp, and newcomer Jordin Sparks as the reserved titular character doesn't have the finesse to avoid it.
The drama becomes engulfed by too much 'melo' during Sister's story. You're better off listening on your own to the fantastic Motown sounds the film is based on.
Audience Reviews for Sparkle
Super Reviewer
The stand-out is Whitney Houston, in her last screen performance. She's not the greatest actress you've ever seen, but she's very good playing a middle-aged woman crushed under the burden of a lifetime of heartbreaks. Where she really comes alive is when she sings. She only has one song in the film, a slow Gospel hymn, and she brings down the house.
Ms. Houston clearly could have had a second career as a torch-song singer. Even though she lost her remarkable range in her 40s, she still could sing the pants off a song, as long as it was in the alto range. She sings this hymn with such profound soul that my entire audience burst into spontaneous applause when she finished. I've almost never heard anything like that in a movie theater.
I'm paying $200 a seat to see Barbra Streisand this fall (who's 70!). I would easily have paid $200 to watch Ms. Houston sing alto songs in 2012 had I been given the opportunity. Her ridiculously early death is a great loss for the world.
The greatest value "Sparkle" has is that it captures this spectacular artist in the last phase of her life. The movie is worth seeing anyway. But with the added value of Houston, it's a must-see for anyone who cares about great musical art.
Super Reviewer
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- Sister: Sister can't fly with only one wing!
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- Sparkle: All I think about is music.
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- Stix: Don't fall short because you can't admit that you want it.
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- Emma: Keep dancing like that you will bring home some kid you can't feed.
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Foreign Titles
- Sparkle (UK)
