Rating: 
Summary: **gasp** They're stalking me!
Review: Well, first of all I have to say this is my favorite movie, and probably always will be. This is strange, according to everyone at my school, because I am a High School Freshman and this is a kid's movie. Oh, well. But, why? Because this movie is very much like my own life. Although I don't have a spy route and despise tomatoes with a passion, I have always related to Harriet. It's been my goal as long as I can remember to be a writer. So, of course I instantly bonded with Harriet from the moment she declared herself one. I even had a journal like hers already! (Hey, I was about ten, I thought this was more than coicidence.) And I never was "one of the crowd", and never will be. So I love Harriet, and her friends. Janie was eccentric but fun, so I liked her, and I was poor like Sport, my aunt was like Golly. My parents a bit like Harriet's...and these still hold true today. This movie holds a special message for me: You will survive. You can make it, and enjoy yourself along the way. And that's why I love it.It's a special movie that you can watch and always love. This is one. As for the whole book vs. movie thing: I haven't read the book (haven't been able to get my hands on it), but from reviews I've seen, and just reading about it, I think I like the 90s version a little better -- just because I relate to it more, that's all. And so, I depart.
Rating:
Summary: I love, I love, I love.
Review: I really loved this movie. Michelle Trachtenberg is absolutely brilliant. I saw her in this and thought, wow, she's going to be huge. What do you know, now she's in Buffy. Michelle's wonderful as Harriet, the girl who wants to be a writer and writes down things about the others in her class in her journal. Then the journal is found, and she has to deal with the rest of her class not being too happy at the uncomplimentary things she's jotted down about them. Rosie O'Donnell is also excellent as the nanny. (Don't ask me who else starred in this, I can't remember!) :)
Rating: 
Summary: Midly entertainitng, but a bit off
Review: Parts of this story are entertaining, but parts of it tended to bother me. What really bothered me was that Harriet did some mean things to people in her class, but her nanny never told her that what she did was wrong. She seemed to tell Harriet to pretend to be sorry, even if she wasn't sorry. That attitude is what really bothers me about the movie and the book.
Rating:
Summary: Harriet the Great
Review: Based upon an excellent children's novel by the late Louise Fitzhugh, this film succeeds in delivering all the charm, warmth, and humor of the original story. The combination of excellent screenplay, superb direction, and the typically outstanding Nickelodeon production values make this a must-see for everyone. The viewer's enjoyment is enhanced by the highly talented cast. Michelle Trachtenberg is a marvelous actress who displays both charm and wit in portraying the title character. Of course, another major strength of this wonderful film is the very welcome presence of the wonderful Rosie O'Donnell. With her rare combination of beauty, refinement, and pure talent, she is a charming addition to an already-strong cast. This movie is very highly recommended for everyone.
Rating: 
Summary: Cute movie, book is better
Review: My daughter, who is 8, loves this movie. She also loves the book.I read the book when I was in the third or fourth grade (I'm 39 now) and it was one of my all-time favorites. Michelle Trachtenberg is not how I imagined Harriet, for sure, but she does a good job. I noticed that Asian and African-Americans were thrown into the cast randomly to make it more politically correct, and Harriet's writings were somewhat sanitized (she says some hilarious things in the book that did not appear in here.) While I like Rosie O'Donnell, she is miscast as Ole Golly.
In short, if you are comparing it to the book, it comes up short.
But if you're just looking for a cute movie for your kids to watch, you could do worse.
Rating: 
Summary: Best movie since land before time part 6!
Review: There are 88 used copies of this movie for sale, starting off at 33 cents. That may tell you something. People hate this thing so bad they are practicly giving it away! Apparently, someone at Nickelodeon decieded it was time to make a feature film. What a better way to start out than with a sure fire classic like "harriet the spy" I remember the hype when this movie came out. I remember the numerous advertisements for it. But mostly, I remember going to see it and feeling like an idiot. What a great way to kick off your feature film market than to make a movie that completly sucked. Luckily, people knew a bad movie when they saw one, and this thing was forgotten almost instantly. (...)
Rating:
Summary: A Thoughtful and Evocative Children's Film...
Review: Harriet the Spy is a wonderfully textured little movie, displaying a welcome amount of emotional depth. Though made for children, its virtues transcend age groups - it deftly touches on some very relatable and universal themes. And unlike other children's fare, it dares to venture into some rather somber and affecting territory. In the title role of Harriet, Michelle Trachtenberg is a delight. She infuses the role with a wide and impressive range of emotion and displays remarkable talent for her age. The character of Harriet is realistically and refreshingly portrayed - like any 11 year-old she has a wealth of charms as well as her share of foibles. Somewhat of an outsider, Harriet turns inward when trouble ensues - due to her self-imposed isolationism, Harriet has a hard time when she falls out of favor with her friends. She makes mistakes along the way - but ultimately, she overcomes her flaws, reaches out to her friends, and takes a more active role in the world. Seeing this honest portrayal of an 11 year-old makes for a rather satisfying journey. Young Michelle Trachtenberg deftly captures a sense of innocence, curiosity, and angst. Her performance often tugs at the heartstrings due to its subtle delivery. She very much captures a sense of wide-eyed adorability - yet she's often quite haunting when serving as the film's narrator. In the role of Ole Golly, Rosie O'Donnell puts in a decent, if understated performance. And the actors playing Harriet's friends do a nice job of portraying the camaraderie between the three. Visually, the film is shot in bright colors and an eclectic style. Yet for all the cheery stylistic content, the film touches on some fairly serious emotional territory. True to real life, when the children turn on Harriet they become quite cruel and antagonistic. Through Harriet's alienation, the mood is quite morose and affecting - once again, Trachtenberg shines in her portrayal of a hurt, confused, and isolated young girl. The director nicely contrasts innocent childlike elements with a darker undercurrent... like a scene of a child's flipbook that spells out the words 'Everybody hates me'. Or a shot of lonely friendless Harriet washing up in the bathroom, while a sing-song chant of friendship ironically echoes in the background. There's a nice juxtaposition between the dearly childish and the darkly mature. Yet the darkness serves a purpose - for when the positive themes arise, they shine all the more authentically. After all, the value of friendship seems much more potent after viewing the angst and pain of Harriet's friendless life. Ultimately, the movie ends on a rather charming and positive note - Harriet learns, and grows, and finds her happiness. Ultimately, Harriet the Spy is a worthwhile little movie. The performances are solid, and there's a strong emotional core. Unlike other children's movies, Harriet the Spy doesn't beat you over the head with its messages. Instead, it subtly touches upon the importance of tolerance, friendship, honesty, and balance. It's a thoughtful and charming look into the world of a child.
Rating: 
Summary: Brings out the kid in you!
Review: Who says you have to be a kid to like a movie generally made for kids? My daughter has liked this movie for years and I think I like it even more than her. Nickelodeon has produced something special here. Before SPY KIDS there was HARRIET! This is a great adventure with some emotional themes (peer pressure, honesty) for youngsters. Through hip hand-held style camera shooting and a festive funky soundtrack to boot, I like the movie simply for the execution. The fact that Rosie O'Donnel was pregnant (in disquise) during the making is also an interesting obstacle they had to work with. At any rate, Harriet the Spy is a fun, and rather different movie. When I say different I mean not like typical movies today filled with special effects and scenes so crammed with action and expository dialog that you can't even enjoy a scene. Harriet the Spy has some calm moments that cinematically shine (unique camera angles, color choices). The subtle sound effects and many humorous moments make this story fun for everyone. The only reason I give this movie 4 and not 5 stars is because the DVD version the Paramount has put together offers a FALSE widescreen representation of the movie. If you compare to the earlier VHS edition, you'll notice that they actually CROPPED this movie for DVD to give it the APPEARANCE of widescreen, rather, you're actually seeing LESS of the picture which was originally cropped on the VHS version for full-screen adaptation to begin with! That and NO bonus features to speak for whatsoever (is it so hard to add at least the original TRAILER?) I found that rather disappointing.
Rating:
Summary: This is a boring movie.
Review: Don't let the title fool you. This isn't about a spy who kills badguys. It's about a little girl who spies on boring people and writes things in her diary. It's very boring. Nothing very exciting happens. Don't rent it or Buy it unless you like boring movies.
Rating:
Summary: Amusing
Review: A nice little film , Michelle is great as harriet as is Rosie. A good film for the family.
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