Harriet the Spy (film) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Harriet the Spy |
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Theatrical release poster
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| Directed by | Bronwen Hughes |
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| Screenplay by |
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| Story by |
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| Music by | Jamshied Sharifi |
| Cinematography | Francis Kenny |
| Editing by | Debra Chiate |
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| Distributed by | Paramount Pictures |
| Release date(s) | July 10, 1996 |
| Running time | 102 minutes |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
| Budget | $12 million |
| Money made | $26.6 million |
Harriet the Spy is a fun movie from 1996. It's about growing up and solving mysteries. The film stars Michelle Trachtenberg as Harriet. It also features Rosie O'Donnell.
This movie was directed by Bronwen Hughes. It was her first time directing a big film. The story is based on a popular book from 1964. The book is also called Harriet the Spy and was written by Louise Fitzhugh.
The movie was the very first film made by Nickelodeon Movies. It was shown in theaters on July 10, 1996. Before the movie started, audiences got to see the pilot episode of Hey Arnold!. The film earned $26.6 million around the world. This was more than its $12 million budget.
Contents
Harriet's Spy Adventures
Harriet M. Welsch is an 11-year-old girl. She lives in New York City. Harriet dreams of becoming a famous writer and a super spy. Her best friends are Sport and Janie.
Harriet lives with her parents, Violetta and Ben. Her nanny, Ole Golly, is very special. Ole Golly is the only one who knows about Harriet's secret spying. Harriet and her friends often have problems with Marion Hawthorne. Marion is a rich girl who acts like she's better than everyone.
A Big Change for Harriet
One evening, Ole Golly invites a friend over for dinner. The meal accidentally burns. So, Harriet, Ole Golly, and her friend go out instead. They come home very late. Harriet's mom, Violetta, gets upset. She fires Ole Golly.
Violetta quickly feels bad about it. She asks Ole Golly to stay. But Ole Golly decides it's time for Harriet to learn to be on her own. Before leaving, Ole Golly gives Harriet important advice. She tells Harriet to keep observing people. She also promises to buy Harriet's first book. Harriet feels very sad after Ole Golly leaves.
Trouble at School
Harriet continues her spying. One day, she breaks into a mansion. She gets caught hiding in a dumbwaiter. The next day, Marion finds Harriet's secret notebook. Marion reads Harriet's private thoughts out loud. Harriet had written mean comments about her friends. For example, she wrote that Janie might "grow up to be a nutcase." She also made fun of Sport's dad.
This makes Sport and Janie very angry. They stop being friends with Harriet. Other classmates then form a "Spy-Catcher club." They start bothering Harriet when she's out spying.
Harriet's Revenge and Realizations
Harriet starts to avoid her homework. Her parents take away her notebooks. They even ask her teacher, Miss Elson, to check Harriet for notebooks every day. This makes Harriet feel very embarrassed.
During art class, Marion and her friends pour blue paint on Harriet. Harriet gets very angry. She slaps Marion and runs away from school. Harriet then plans to get back at her classmates. She reveals personal family secrets about Marion. She cuts a piece of Laura's hair. She also messes up one of Janie's science projects. This makes Janie's parents upset. Harriet even embarrasses Sport with a funny picture. These actions make her classmates even angrier. Harriet feels more alone than ever.
Harriet's parents find out what she has done. They send her to see a psychologist. The psychologist says Harriet is fine. Things slowly start to get better. Harriet gets her notebook back.
Making Things Right
Then, Ole Golly surprises Harriet with a visit. She tells Harriet two things to fix things: apologize and lie. Harriet doesn't think it's worth it. But Ole Golly tells her that she is worth it. She reminds Harriet that good friends are a blessing. She tells Harriet to fight for her friendships.
Harriet tries to apologize to Sport and Janie. At first, they don't accept her apology. But later, they realize Marion's group is not treating them well. They decide to leave Marion's group. Harriet also speaks up in class. She says that choosing the editor for the sixth-grade paper was unfair. Miss Elson agrees. The class votes for a new editor. Harriet is chosen as the new editor.
Harriet writes an article in the paper. She apologizes to everyone, even Marion. Everyone accepts her apology except Marion. Everything becomes good again. At the sixth-grade pageant, Janie, Sport, and Harriet play a trick on Marion. They set off a stink bomb. Then they dance to "Get Up Offa That Thing" by James Brown.
Meet the Cast
- Michelle Trachtenberg as Harriet M. Welsch
- Rosie O'Donnell as Catherine "Ole Golly"
- Gregory Smith as Simon "Sport" Rocque
- Vanessa Lee Chester as Janie Gibbs
- J. Smith-Cameron as Violetta Welsch
- Robert Joy as Ben Welsch
- Eartha Kitt as Agatha K. Plummer
- Charlotte Sullivan as Marion Hawthorne
- Teisha Kim as Rachel Hennessy
- Cecilley Carroll as Beth Ellen Hansen
- Dov Tiefenbach 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 Quigley as Sport's Dad
- Jackie Richardson as Janie's Mother
- Roger Clown as Dr. Wagner
- Sally Cahill as Maid
Another Harriet Movie
Another movie based on Harriet the Spy was made in 2010. It was a TV movie called Harriet the Spy: Blog Wars. Jennifer Stone played Harriet in that film.
See also
In Spanish: Harriet la Espía para niños
