Harriet M. Welsch is a spy. But when her friends find her secret notebook, the tables are turned on her. Can she win them back and still keep on going with the spy business?Harriet M. Welsch is a spy. But when her friends find her secret notebook, the tables are turned on her. Can she win them back and still keep on going with the spy business?Harriet M. Welsch is a spy. But when her friends find her secret notebook, the tables are turned on her. Can she win them back and still keep on going with the spy business?
- Awards
- 3 wins & 2 nominations total
Vanessa Chester
- Janie Gibbs
- (as Vanessa Lee Chester)
Featured reviews
I first saw this movie when I was nine years old. I liked it for that time. I in fact tried to emulate Harriet and her friends. But those days are over now. What I am trying to say is don't say this is an awful movie because you found it dumb. Yes, some of it may be a little...juvenile. But remember, it WAS MADE for juveniles, not adults or anyone else but the age range of 8-12. If you are between the ages of eight and twelve, and you still hated it, then yes, it is understandable. But it is ridiculous for an adult to say that they hated this movie because it is 'too juvenile'. I think this movie has a great plot and a great message to young children. Be truthful to your friends, and you will succeed beyond your dreams. I also read the book, and this movie is quite close to the book, which is a good thing for a movie to be. In totality, this is a cute movie with a good message, and if you liked the movie, read the book too.
This movie was not what I expected, but I was not disappointed; I was rather entertained. I'm not familiar with the books regarding Harriet the Spy, so I thought the movie was going to be about a kid who uncovered and foiled some illegal plot she stumbled across. I had no idea it was about a girl who aspired to be a writer. It was more dramatic than I expected too, but very realistic..it was about loosing friends and winning friends back-a more realistic story than uncovering and foiling an illegal plot. I loved the city scenes of the children running around Ontario in the autumn. I found it to be rather cinematographic.
this movie i went and saw when it first came out. After watching the behind the scenes promos on nickelodeon i was really shocked that Nickelodeon can do movies as well as a television network. Brilliantly written and acted i loved the acting and all the characters. It shows that what you are thinking is not always good to write down for fear of someone finding it. It also show's her trials and tribulations going through 6th grade wanting to be a spy and having a nanny in the mix. I loved Rosie O' Donnell in this film she is truly an awesome actor and during the movie you can't help but get a little teary eyed and crack up when your supposed to. I recommend for anyone especially a movie night for the family and/or friends! ~!
Harriet M. Welsch (Michelle Trachtenberg) is a sixth grader with best friends Sport (Gregory Smith) and Janie Gibbs. Her nanny Golly (Rosie O'Donnell) drives her to write. She spies on her neighborhood writing it all down in her notebook. Marion Hawthorne (Charlotte Sullivan) is the class mean girl. Golly sees Harriet is old enough and leaves. Marion takes Harriet's notebook and starts reading it out loud to everybody. Even Sport and Janie turns on Harriet when her uncomplimentary private thoughts become public.
The movie is aggressively trying to be wacky. It comes off looking cheap. Director Bronwen Hughes in her feature debut struggles from time to time. Some parts of the movie is less compelling than others. Spying on the cat guy is fine but spying on Eartha Kitt takes up too much time in an important section of the movie. Then there is the heart of the movie. While I appreciate the attempt at a life lesson, it's a bit too muddy. I don't know if white lies are worthy of being the central lesson of the movie. I would also have preferred Sport go off on his own rather than joining Marion. It seems wrong for his character that has been created. Trachtenberg is a terrific child actress and gives a great performance. She keeps the movie moving.
The movie is aggressively trying to be wacky. It comes off looking cheap. Director Bronwen Hughes in her feature debut struggles from time to time. Some parts of the movie is less compelling than others. Spying on the cat guy is fine but spying on Eartha Kitt takes up too much time in an important section of the movie. Then there is the heart of the movie. While I appreciate the attempt at a life lesson, it's a bit too muddy. I don't know if white lies are worthy of being the central lesson of the movie. I would also have preferred Sport go off on his own rather than joining Marion. It seems wrong for his character that has been created. Trachtenberg is a terrific child actress and gives a great performance. She keeps the movie moving.
with the possible exception of irvin kershner's 1966 adaptation of elliot baker's a fine madness, i don't i've seen a better translation of a book about writing into a film. sure we think of louise fitzhugh's harriet trilogy (harriet the spy, the long secret, and sport) as being about the the comic adventures of a little girl and her friends in nyc and they are; but the heart of harriet's writerly spirit comes shining through in bronwen hughes film of douglas petrie's fairly literal, and literate, adaption. there is a period update which makes some of the book's innocence play a little quaint and the kid movie necessary rapid edit kiddie silliness that saps some of the seriousness without actually attaining the levity it seeks; but by and large the film is worth taking any kid over 8 to and anyone who has ever seriously thought of writing, or even just felt a longing to express and accepted. PS the rosie odonnell billing is way over valued. Michelle Trachtenberg,as Harriet, more than ably carries the film, especially considering she was only 11 at the time.
Did you know
- TriviaNickelodeon's first feature film.
- GoofsThis film is set in New York City, yet in scenes such as the "kids yelling and chasing Harriet through town" segment, landmarks unique to Toronto, the capital city, are featured blatantly, including a flowerbed in the park shaped like the Canadian maple leaf, and background shots of buildings recognized worldwide as Toronto's architecture.
- Crazy creditsDuring the opening credits, items from Harriet's spy kit (i.e. magnifying glass, flashlight, and compass) are seen interacting with the credits as they appear.
- ConnectionsFeatured in Undercover with Harriet the Spy with Host Spy Stick Stickly (1996)
- SoundtracksWack Wack
Written by Eldee Young, Hysear Walker, Isaac Holt & Donald Storball (as Don Storball)
Performed by The Young Holt Trio (as Young-Holt Unlimited)
Courtesy of Brunswick Record Corp.
- How long is Harriet the Spy?Powered by Alexa
Details
Box office
- Budget
- $12,000,000 (estimated)
- Gross US & Canada
- $26,570,048
- Opening weekend US & Canada
- $6,601,651
- Jul 14, 1996
- Gross worldwide
- $26,570,048
- Runtime
- 1h 40m(100 min)
- Color
- Sound mix
- Aspect ratio
- 1.85 : 1
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