Glitter (2001)

Director:

Vondie Curtis-Hall

Writers (WGA):

Cheryl L. West (story)
Kate Lanier (screenplay)

Release Date:

21 September 2001 (USA)

Genre:

Drama | Music | Romance

Tagline:

In music she found her dream, her love, herself

Plot:

Similar to Mariah's life story. Mariah plays the role of a young singer who is eager to become a big star. She dates a DJ who helps her get into the music business.

Plot Keywords:

Box Office Flop | Songwriting | New York City | 1980s | Concert

Awards:

1 win & 7 nominations

Cast

Mariah Carey	...	Billie Frank
Max Beesley	...	Julian Dice
Da Brat	...	Louise
Tia Texada	...	Roxanne
Valarie Pettiford	...	Lillian Frank
Ann Magnuson	...	Kelly
Terrence Howard	...	Timothy Walker
Dorian Harewood	...	Guy Richardson
Grant Nickalls	...	Jack Bridges
Eric Benét	...	Rafael
Padma Lakshmi	...	Sylk
Don Ackerman	...	Peter
Ed Sahely	...	Francois
Carmen Wong	...	Rose
James Allodi	...	Video Director

Also Known As:

All That Glitters (USA) (working title)
Glitter and Gold (USA) (working title)

MPAA:

Rated PG-13 for some sensuality, language and brief violence.

Runtime:

104 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Colour:

Colour

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

SDDS (8 channels) | DTS | Dolby Digital

Certification:

Canada:G (Quebec) | Malaysia:U | Canada:PG (Alberta/British Columbia/Manitoba/Nova Scotia/Ontario) | USA:PG-13 (certificate #37746) | South Korea:15 | Argentina:Atp | Australia:M | Finland:K-11 | France:U | Germany:6 | Netherlands:AL | Norway:11 | Spain:T | Sweden:7 | UK:PG | Singapore:PG

Filming Locations:

Copps Coliseum, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada

Company:

Twentieth Century-Fox Film Corporation

Trivia:

During filming, tracks using backup singer Mary Ann Tatum were used in place of Mariah Carey's voice to avoid bootlegging. Carey recorded her vocals close to the release date of the soundtrack, and all lead vocals used in the film are hers.

Goofs:

After Billie kisses the music sheet, the pencil in front of it is lying so that you can see the brand name on the side of it. When Dice goes back later, the pencil is yellow and the writing isn't visible on it any more.

Quotes:

[Lying in med after making love]
Billie: You know, I don't usually do this.
Dice: I can tell.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Barbershop 2: Back in Business (2004)

Soundtrack:

Moments in Love

De-fanged "A Star is Born"

"Glitter" might have been a camp classic if the story wasn't so dull and downbeat. It's yet another rewrite of "A Star Is Born", here turned into a vehicle for pop star Mariah Carey and apparently patterned after her own rise to the top (audiences weren't fooled, however, by the updated, late-night-movie clichés). Carey's funky/erotic music is driving (and her performance as blazing new talent Billie Frank is adequate), but the script for "Glitter" seems left over from the 1950s. Didn't the writers realize that times have changed and that Billie didn't have to be such a diva-doormat? Actresses of a lot higher caliber than Mariah Carey have fallen into this trap--they just don't want to see themselves on the screen acting bitchy and tough, so they end up playing the simp. "Glitter" features some rich cinematography (nice shots of the Big Apple), but it is too soft to make an impression--even as an unintended comedy. *1/2 from ****