TheBlueHairedLawyer
I remember being eleven when I was given a VHS tape of Harriet the Spy for Christmas. I really enjoyed it; I was happy to find a kid's film that wasn't some Disney crud and wasn't overly strange. Based on a popular novel, Harriet is a misfit preteen aspiring author, bullied by a snobby girl in her class. She has two friends, a boy living on welfare (Sport) and a girl who wants to be a mad scientist (Jamie). She spends most of her time with her beloved nanny Golly (Rosie O'Donnell). When Golly takes Harriett and a boyfriend to the cinema without parental permission, she is fired, leaving Harriett to grow up on her own. When her private notebook (with some very revealing things about her peers written inside) is discovered, her entire class becomes increasingly cruel towards her, leaving her to seek revenge on each one... but she really just wants her friends back.While Harriet the Spy is a lovable film no matter what your age, there was use of crude humor and mild swearing, fart jokes, etc. that got rather annoying after a while. As a kid I had very few friends, knew very little about society and didn't understand some of the things mentioned like the Nobel Peace Prize, Hitler and why Harriet was sent to a therapist, until a year or so later in my life. Still, the scene where Jamie's mother discovers her favorite Victoria's Secret leopard-print bra has been stolen by Jamie for a mold rowing experiment, I've always loved that scene. Harriet the Spy is also a movie that explains that two wrongs don't make a right, and that bullying somebody is wrong no matter what they've done, it just puts you down to their level of rationality. I honestly wish there were more movies for kids like this out there, because that god-awful My Little Pony crud TV show and the Hunger Games certainly aren't worth a dime compared to this memorable movie. The acting was great, the urban scenery dazzling and interesting and it closely follows the book. It's certainly worth watching, if you are sick of the garbage that's out today and want something different.
brujavu
I loved this book when I was growing up in the sixties, and I was thrilled when I found out that they made a movie out of it, but didn't get around to seeing it until last night. At first, I thought it was going to be one of those disappointing, modernized versions, mostly because of the distracting musical score, but despite the truly annoying score, the movie remained true to the book except for a few minor details. Even the toys depicted were from the era that the book was written in. I think that's so important when making a movie out of a children's book. The story is brilliant, about a little girl who wants to be a writer, so she gets her practice by keeping a notebook in which she writes down all her thoughts and observations about the people in her world, and even goes to the extreme of spying on people to get her material. When the notebook falls into the wrong hands, her world is turned upside down. I think the film does a very good job of portraying the children in a realistic light, and I could identify with Harriet's feelings as well as those of her friends and classmates. The adults in the movie, as well as Harriet's nemesis, seemed a bit like caricatures, but Harriet's character and those of her best friends were quite well developed. Definitely worth seeing if you are a fan of this book.
KaileyLady
I still remember coming out of the theater when I was about 8 years old. My father was really surprised by how cruel the children in the film were and he asked me if that's actually how it is. I was more surprised by his reaction than by anything else. Yes, adults need to stop thinking childhood is all about happiness. Personally, it got me to write. At the time I saw this film I had gotten into writing fiction at about age 6. This actually gave me the idea to start journal writing and I have yet to stop at age 22. The way Harriet resolves things with her friends is a bit quick, but I think it's because the other kids become hypocrites. During my college Children's Lit class, we discussed this book and how Harriet is attacked because her thoughts become public. Everyone thinks negative thoughts about everyone else -- It shouldn't make her the target. Self expression is very important to everyone, I think that is a big part of what the story and film are about. Her writing and exploration of the society around her is just like any other child's. She just goes about it more directly.
tambourine_bruises
Harriet The Spy Is Soooooooooooooo Good> Like its just such a great movie for kids. When it came out i was a kid and i loved it! As did my girlfriend and we still do. There are some really funny bits and touching bits. For instance when gully leaves and when Harriet gets her notebook taken away. Also when gully returns. I enjoy watching this movie, in fact i watched it yesterday. i think that all kids should be supported in their ventures such as writing in a notebook. Notebooks are such a great thing to spurn creativity. Some people just love the smell, and the look of a blank white page. They like it even better when it's filled with pretty things and words.fabulous movie.
AD
