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Josie and the Pussycats
By Nell Minow,
Common Sense Media Reviewer
Common Sense Media Reviewers
Movie rates itself out of an ideal audience.
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What you will—and won't—find in this movie.
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Josie and the Pussycats
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What's the Story?
Josie (Rachel Leigh Cook), Val (Rosario Dawson), and Melanie (Tara Reid) are an all-for-one and one-for-all band, playing the Riverdale bowling alley and dreaming of the big time. They are discovered by record producer Wyatt Frame (Alan Cummings), who signs them without even hearing them play. It turns out that it does not matter what they sound like. Wyatt and his boss, Fiona (Parker Posey) use pop music only as a cover for their plan of total world domination. They have perfected a system of subliminal messages that force teenagers to buy whatever they tell them to.
Is It Any Good?
There is a way to put a post-modern edge on a cheesy series from the childhood of today's 20-somethings, but that requires wit and complexity far beyond the folks who put this mess together. Their idea of making it appealing to teenagers is to have one character explain that she is there "because I'm in the comic book!" and to make the band's name into a double entendre. And the half-hearted lesson about the importance of thinking for yourself and the evils of the military-industrial complex are smirkingly undercut with the greatest cacophony of product placement in the history of the movies. There are issues of Vogue with less advertising than we have to watch in this movie.
There are a couple of funny jokes, especially when Fiona explains what happens to pop stars who don't go along with her plans (they end up on VH1's "Behind the Music") and when Tara Reid's real-life fiancé, MTV-hunk Carson Daly, chases her around a set trying to kill her. Posey and Cummings are always watchable. And the music is surprisingly good, well-produced and catchy. But the Pussycats are dreary, especially the lackluster Cook. We know Reid can do better, but with the thankless task of appearing as a girl so dumb that she sings "If You're Happy and You Know It" in the shower, dropping the soap every time she claps her hands, she has an impossible task.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about why teenagers seem to want to conform, and how they can make sure that they decide what they like and don't like and want and don't want based on what is right for them and not on what the rest of the group is doing. They should also talk about the messages we all get about what to buy and how we respond to them.
Movie Details
- In theaters: April 11, 2001
- On DVD or streaming: August 14, 2001
- Cast: Rachael Leigh Cook , Rosario Dawson , Tara Reid
- Director: Harry Elfont
- Inclusion Information: Female actors, Black actors, Indigenous actors, Latino actors
- Studio: Universal Pictures
- Genre: Comedy
- Run time: 98 minutes
- MPAA rating: PG-13
- MPAA explanation: language and mild sensuality
- Last updated: August 17, 2023
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