Harriet the Spy (1996)

User Rating:

5.8/10   

Director:

Bronwen Hughes

Writers (WGA):

Louise Fitzhugh (novel)
Greg Taylor (adaptation) ...
(more)

Release Date:

10 July 1996 (USA)

Genre:

Family | Comedy | Drama

Tagline:

On your case!

Plot:

Harriet M. Welsch is a spy. But when Harriet's friends find her secret notebook the tables are turned on her...

Plot Keywords:

Spy | Secret | Notebook | Coming Of Age | Ambition

Awards:

3 wins & 2 nominations

Cast

Michelle Trachtenberg	...	Harriet M. Welsch
Gregory Smith	...	Sport
Vanessa Lee Chester	...	Janie Gibbs
Rosie O'Donnell	...	Ole Golly
J. Smith-Cameron	...	Mrs. Welsch
Robert Joy	...	Mr. Welsch
Eartha Kitt	...	Agatha K. Plummer
Charlotte Sullivan	...	Marion Hawthorne
Teisha Kim	...	Rachel Hennessy
Cecilley Carroll	...	Beth Ellen Hansen
Dov Tiefenbach	...	Boy with Purple Socks
Nina Shock	...	Carrie Andrews
Conor Devitt	...	Pinky Whitehead
Alisha Morrison	...	Laura Peters
Nancy Beatty	...	Miss Elson
Don Francks	...	Harrison Withers
Eugene Lipinski	...	George Waldenstein
Gerry Quigley	...	Sport's Dad
Jackie Richardson	...	Janie's Mother
Mercedes Enriquez	...	Windchime Lady
Mung-Ling Tsui	...	Mrs. Hong Fat
Ho Chow	...	Mr. Hong Fat
Byron Wong	...	Frankie Hong Fat
Paul Sun-Hyung Lee	...	Bruno Hong Fat (as Paul Lee)
Kim Lieu	...	Paige Hong Fat
Kwok-Wing Leung	...	Grandpa Hong Fat
Sally Cahill	...	Maid
Roger Clown	...	Dr. Wagner
Jamie Jones	...	Pickpocket
Bob Windsor	...	Dog Delivery Guy
Gladys O'Connor	...	Woman with Purse
Vic Ho	...	Acupuncturist
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Maury Chaykin	...	(unconfirmed)

Directed by
Bronwen Hughes

Writing credits (WGA)
Louise Fitzhugh		(novel)
Greg Taylor		(adaptation) and
Julie Talen		(adaptation)
Douglas Petrie		(screenplay) and
Theresa Rebeck		(screenplay)

Produced by
Debby Beece	....	executive producer
Nava Levin	....	co-producer
Julia Pistor	....	associate producer
Marykay Powell	....	producer

Original Music by
Jamshied Sharifi

Cinematography by
Francis Kenny

Film Editing by
Debra Chiate

Casting by
Jill Greenberg Sands

Production Design by
Lester Cohen

Art Direction by
Paul D. Austerberry		(as Paul Austerberry)

Set Decoration by
Gordon Sim
Arline		(uncredited)

Costume Design by
Donna Zakowska

Makeup Department
James D. Brown	....	hair stylist
Carol Davidson	....	assistant makeup artist
Paula Fleet	....	assistant hair stylist
Donald Mowat	....	key makeup artist (as Donald J. Mowat)

Production Management
Whitney Brown	....	assistant production manager (as Whitney K. Brown)
Emanuel 'Manny' Danelon	....	unit production manager (as Emanuele 'Manny' Danelon)
Robert Grand	....	unit production manager: Florida

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Jeffrey T. Barabe	....	second assistant director: Florida
Jennifer Deathe	....	third assistant director
Michelle Morris	....	trainee assistant director
Gary Sales	....	first assistant director: Florida
Andrew Shea	....	first assistant director
Ken A. Smith	....	second assistant director
Kellie Jo Tackett	....	second assistant director

Art Department
Lewis Bowen	....	scenic artist: Florida (as Lewis Bowen Jr.)
Kelly Brine	....	storyboard artist
Cameron S. Brooke	....	key scenic artist
Robert C. Brooke	....	scenic artist
Michael Calabrese	....	lead person: Florida
Thomas Carnegie	....	set designer
Anthony Codd	....	production carpenter
Steven Elliston	....	production carpenter (as Steve Elliston)
David Evans	....	lead person
Richard Ferbrache	....	set dresser
Brad Francis	....	production painters
Charles Guanci Jr.	....	set dresser
James Halpenny	....	construction coordinator
Ron Hewitt	....	property master
Michael Hyde	....	production carpenter (as Mike Hyde)
Scott Jacobson	....	set decorator: Florida
Carol Lavoie	....	set decoration buyer
Lesley Myers	....	art department coordinator (as Lesley R. Myers)
Victor 'Chikko' Quon	....	production painters (as Victor Quon)
Marlene Rain	....	set decoration buyer
Michael Richard	....	set dresser
Dave Rosa	....	production painters
Harry Zernike	....	third assistant art director

Sound Department
Randle Akerson	....	supervising sound editor
Ron Bartlett	....	sound re-recording mixer
Jeff Clark	....	sound effects editor
Gregory Martin Clayton	....	cable person
Matt Colleran	....	foley recordist
Richard Corwin	....	dialogue editor
Scott Curtis	....	foley editor
Bob Daniels	....	adr editor
Don Digirolamo	....	sound re-recording mixer
Roger Fearing	....	assistant sound editor (as Roger Fearing Jr.)
Cameron Frankley	....	sound designer
Glen Gauthier	....	sound mixer
Marilyn Graf	....	foley mixer
Robin Harlan	....	foley artist
Scott A. Jennings	....	foley editor (as Scott Jennings)
Cliff Latimer	....	adr editor
Henri Lopez	....	sound mixer: Florida
Bruce Moffitt	....	boom operator
Sarah Monat	....	foley artist
Jeanine Payne	....	assistant sound editor
Steve Pederson	....	sound re-recording mixer
Randy Singer	....	foley mixer
Thomas W. Small	....	supervising foley editor (as Thomas Small)
Mike Szakmeister	....	supervising sound editor
David F. Van Slyke	....	sound designer
Bill Ward	....	assistant sound editor
Jeff Watts	....	adr supervisor
Kerry Dean Williams	....	sound effects editor
Karen G. Wilson	....	dialogue editor (as Karen Wilson)
Paul J. Zydel	....	adr mixer
Mark L. Mangino	....	dialogue editor (uncredited)
Philip Rogers	....	sound recordist (uncredited)

Special Effects by
Doug Bell	....	special effects
Jason Board	....	special effects
Bob Hall	....	special effects
Arthur Langevin	....	special effects
Tim Lidstone	....	special effects

Visual Effects by
Ray McMillan	....	visual effects

Stunts
David R. Ellis	....	stunts (as Dave Ellis)
Natalie Groenig	....	stunts
Ken Quinn	....	stunt coordinator
Alison Reid	....	stunt coordinator

Camera and Electrical Department
David Breeze	....	assistant chief lighting technician
Jayson Clute	....	second assistant camera
Angelo Colavecchia	....	camera operator
Hilary Coleman	....	camera trainee
Ciaran Copelin	....	first assistant camera: "b" camera
Gordon Eldridge	....	chief lighting technician
John Eldridge	....	generator operator
Tony Eldridge	....	assistant chief lighting technician
Anthony Ellis	....	camera trainee (as Antony Ellis)
Tony Guerin	....	first assistant camera
Jacqueline Hampton	....	second assistant camera: "b" camera
John Hobson	....	camera operator: "b" camera
James Kohne	....	grip
Shelley Mansell	....	grip
Ronald W. McLeish	....	lighting director
Christopher Nethercoat	....	second company grip (as Chris Nethercoat)
Derek Parkes	....	grip
Rafy	....	still photographer
Don Reddy	....	camera operator: Florida
Ron Renzetti	....	dolly grip
Gary Ryan	....	chief lighting technician: Florida
Thomas Smaling	....	first company grip: Florida
Randy Tambling	....	first company grip (as Randal Tambling)
Richard Young	....	chief lighting technician
Cylvan Desrouleaux	....	camera loader (uncredited)
Gary Ryan	....	unit gaffer (uncredited)

Casting Department
Nancy Botting-Harrison	....	extras casting
Ross Clydesdale	....	casting: Toronto
Barbara Harris	....	voice casting
Stephen Petrie	....	casting assistant
Andra Reeve	....	casting assistant
Susan Welch	....	additional casting

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Sheila E. Pruden	....	costumer
Karen Renaut	....	costume supervisor
Robert Roberts	....	costume assistant
Debbie Williams	....	costumer
Loreen Lightfoot	....	costume cutter/stitcher (uncredited)

Editorial Department
Lara Johnston	....	assistant editor
Sloane Klevin	....	editor: avid sequence
Ronald Krehel	....	first assistant editor (as Ronald David Krehel)
Bret Marnell	....	assistant editor
Mike Milliken	....	color timer
Theresa Repola Mohammed	....	negative cutter
Golda Savage	....	assistant editor: avid
Peter Watson	....	assistant editor (as Pete Watson)

Music Department
Chris Dibble	....	music recording engineer
Carlton Kaller	....	music editor
Bob Lowdell	....	music preparation
Stephanie Lowry	....	assistant music editor
Miyuki Sakamoto	....	orchestrator
Liz Schrek	....	music coordinator
Mark Tucker	....	music recording engineer
Graham Walker	....	executive music producer

Transportation Department
Frank Tenaglia	....	transportation coordinator
Robert Tenaglia	....	transportation captain

Other crew
Neil Anderson	....	assistant location manager
Michael Blecher	....	assistant location manager
Kathryn Buck	....	script supervisor
William Cameron	....	title designer
Christopher Dunk	....	clearance (as Chris Dunk)
Beth Gilinsky	....	assistant production office coordinator
Bob Glover	....	production assistant: DGC
Mathew Hart	....	location manager
Elmer Jones	....	location manager
Elayne Keratsis	....	production coordinator: Florida
Mark McFadden	....	location production assistant
Tal Meirson	....	production auditor
Kimberlee Morley	....	production assistant
Greg Nye	....	assistant production coordinator: Florida (as Gregory Nye)
Rick Parker	....	animal wrangler
Karen Pidgurski	....	unit publicist
Aeschylus Poulos	....	production assistant
Rebecca Ruddle	....	assistant to producers
Sherrill Smith	....	location manager: Florida
Kristen Swanson	....	studio teacher
Debbie Tieman	....	first assistant accountant
Cory Van Dyke	....	assistant: Ms. Powell
Sarah Whitehouse	....	assistant: Ms. Hughes
Leslie Wormworth	....	production assistant
Corey B. Yugler	....	script supervisor: Florida (as Corey Yugler)
Emily Samantha Sherman	....	production assistant (uncredited)
Aaron Weintraub	....	title designer (uncredited)

Production Companies

• Nickelodeon Movies
• Paramount Pictures
• Rastar Pictures

Distributors

• Paramount Pictures (1996) (USA) (theatrical)
• American Broadcasting Company (ABC) (1999) (USA) (TV) (broadcast premiere)
• CIC Vídeo (199?) (Brazil) (VHS)

Special Effects

• Global Effects Inc.

Other Companies

• Pacific Title  opticals
• TOPIX Computer Graphics & Animation  main titles design

MPAA:

Rated PG for mild language and some thematic elements.

Runtime:

100 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby

Certification:

Canada:G (Ontario) | Iceland:L | USA:PG (certificate #34444) | South Korea:All | Germany:6 | France:U | UK:PG | Australia:G

Filming Locations:

Fort Lauderdale, Florida, USA

Company:

Nickelodeon Movies

Trivia:

Nickelodeon's first feature film.

Goofs:

Continuity: When Sport is playing with his dad, the thumb of the glove on his head is in front, but when he goes to help Harriet through the window, it's behind his head.

Quotes:

Janie's Mom: JANIE! I am sick to death of this mad scientist baloney! Look at this! Look at this!

Movie Connections:

Features "Kablam!" (1996)

Soundtrack:

Ran Kan Kan

near perfect kiddie film has killer insights in soul of writing

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.