Josie and the Pussycats (2001) Universal/Comedy-Musical RT: 98 minutes Rated PG-13 (language, sensuality) Director: Harry Elfont and Deborah Kaplan Screenplay: Harry Elfont and Deborah Kaplan Music: John Frizzell Cinematography: Matthew Libatique Release date: April 11, 2001 (US) Cast: Rachael Leigh Cook, Tara Reid, Rosario Dawson, Alan Cumming, Parker Posey, Paulo Costanzo, Missi Pyle, Gabriel Mann, Tom Butler, Donald Faison, Seth Green, Breckin Meyer. Box Office: $14.9M (US)
Rating: *** ½
A total guilty pleasure! I grew up watching the cartoon Josie and the Pussycats, so naturally I was skeptical when I heard that a live-action take was in the works. Let’s face it, Hollywood hasn’t always been successful in their attempts at adapting cartoons many of us loved as children. The bad (e.g. Popeye, Mr. Magoo, Inspector Gadget, Dudley Do-Right, The Adventures of Rocky and Bullwinkle and Yogi Bear) definitely outweighs the good (e.g. Masters of the Universe, Casper, George of the Jungle and Fat Albert) in this area.
What a nice surprise to discover Josie and the Pussycats belongs in the “good” category. It’s not 100% faithful to its source. It’s been updated for 21st century audiences and parodies things like pre-fabricated bands and product placements. The 2001 movie bombed with critics and audiences, but I suspect it has less to do with quality than not getting the joke. It’s a smarter film than one would expect from a bubble-headed comedy with three attractive leads and a few bouncy tunes. It’s so likable, I don’t see how anybody can knock it, but that’s just me.
Josie and the Pussycats opens with a dead-on potshot at boy bands with the pop group Du Jour attracting a huge crowd of screaming fans (teenage girls mostly) at an airport as they embark on a world tour. Wearing headsets, they perform a number called “Backdoor Lover” which makes one wonder if it’s a shot at the perceived sexuality of certain singers. Joining them on their private jet is promoter Wyatt Frame (Cumming, X2: X-Men United), one of the movie’s villains. One band member seals all their fates when he inquires about strange background noise on a recording. Wyatt causes the plane to crash, but not before parachuting to safety first.
In need of a new band to promote to teens eager to spend their money, he literally runs into local Riverdale rock band The Pussycats- lead singer Josie McCoy (Cook, She’s All That), ditzy drummer Melody Valentine (Reid, American Pie) and flinty bassist Valerie Brown (Dawson, Death Proof). Wyatt offers them a deal despite not hearing them play a single song. He brings them to New York where they become an instant success, climbing to the top of the charts in about a week. It’s all part of a nefarious plan cooked up by Wyatt and his boss, record label CEO Fiona (Posey, Dazed and Confused). In short, they’re using subaural messages implanted in the music to brainwash susceptible teens into buying all sorts of products.
Josie and the Pussycats is made in the spirit of fun. Fans of the 70s cartoon will enjoy seeing familiar characters like band manager Alexander Cabot (Costanzo, Road Trip), his mean twin sister Alexandra (Pyle, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory) and Josie’s romantic interest Alan M. (Mann, Outside Providence). Writer-directors Harry Elfont and Deborah Kaplan (the underrated teen comedy Can’t Hardly Wait) do a great job with the material, imbuing it with a zany spirit and colorful palette. The casting is absolutely perfect! That’s especially true of Reid who makes Melody a lovable nitwit who sees the world through the eyes of a child. She’s actually my favorite character in the whole movie. Cook is very good as loyal Josie who doesn’t like all the attention heaped on her by publicists and fans. She’s not comfortable with the band being renamed Josie and the Pussycats. Dawson does very well as kind but tough-minded Val, the first one to suspect that Wyatt is up to something. The girls have great chemistry; their rapport is easy and unforced.
Cumming and Posey are great as the villains, the kind of meanies only found in silly cartoonish movies like Josie and the Pussycats. However, it’s Pyle that gets off the movie’s best line. When asked by her brother why she’s joining them on their trip, she says “I’m here because I was in the comic book.” Great throwaway line!
Elfont and Kaplan are also spot-on when it comes to the prevalence of product placements in entertainment. They even give their own product (Can’t Hardly Wait) a quick, blink-and-you’ll-miss-it mention. The music is pretty good. It’s totally bubble gum flavored, but it’s bouncy. The movie features a few cool cameos, my favorite being “Mr. Moviefone” (voice only of course). Carson Daly, then Reid’s boyfriend, shows up in an amusing scene.
I could say that Josie and the Pussycats teaches an important lesson about thinking for yourself, but why bother? It’s not the kind of movie you go to expecting to learn valuable life lessons. It’s just an entertaining comedy with a beat. It’s as mindless as its original source and just as enjoyable. It’s too bad it didn’t go over at the box office. I wouldn’t have minded a sequel so as long as it didn’t send the characters into outer space.
