Sparkler (film)

Last updated

Sparkler
Directed by Darren Stein
Written byCatherine Eads
Darren Stein
Produced byJennifer Amerine
Kimberly Jacobs
Starring Park Overall
Jamie Kennedy
Freddie Prinze Jr.
Steven Petrarca
Veronica Cartwright
CinematographyRodney Taylor
Edited byRyan Gold
Music byDave Russo
Distributed by Strand Releasing
Release dates
  • October 16, 1997 (1997-10-16)(Hamptons)
  • March 19, 1999 (1999-03-19)(United States)
Running time
96 minutes
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish

Sparkler is a 1997 American comedy drama film directed by Darren Stein, written by Catherine Eads and Stein, and starring Park Overall, Jamie Kennedy, Freddie Prinze Jr., Steven Petrarca and Veronica Cartwright. [1] [2] It is Stein's feature directorial debut. [3]

Contents

Plot

Melba May leaves her husband, truck driver Flint, when she catches him cheating on her with her best friend, Hurricane. She moves in with her mother Sherri, but her psychic friend Wanda tells her that the cards show Melba surrounded by "three kings". That night at the local roadhouse, Melba meets three young men: Trent, Joel and Brad. The guys happened to be on their way from L.A. to Las Vegas when their BMW blew a tire, and they are waiting for auto repair to come help them. Melba befriends and dances with them, then later discovers one of her earrings is missing. Believing one of the boys has it, Melba follows them to Vegas.

Once in Vegas, she meets up with her old high-school friend Dottie, a former cheerleader who now does dance routines with her baton at a sleazy dive bar called The Crack. Meanwhile, Flint, learning that Melba has won $1 million in a magazine sweepstakes, decides he wants her back.

Cast

Release

The film premiered at the Hamptons International Film Festival on October 16, 1997. [4] It was given a limited theatrical release two years later on March 19, 1999. [5]

In January 2023, specialty distributor Strand Releasing gave Sparkler a 2K restoration and released it to streaming and Blu-ray. [3]

Reception

The film has a 55% rating on Rotten Tomatoes based on eleven reviews. [6]

Brendan Kelly of Variety gave the film a positive review, calling it "an often funny, always captivating ride through the kitschy underbelly of life on the road to Vegas." [7]

Kevin Thomas of the Los Angeles Times also gave the film a positive review and wrote, "Overall and Cartwright are especially winning, and Cartwright makes Dottie appealing in the vulnerability and longing that lurks beneath her hard, painted and bewigged surface. 'Sparkler' lives up to its name." [8]

TV Guide also gave the film a positive review: "With its heart on its sleeve and not much on its mind, Darren Stein's uneven comedy floats along on a few good laughs and a certain goofy charm." [9]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sarah Michelle Gellar</span> American actress (born 1977)

Sarah Michelle Prinze is an American actress. After being spotted by a talent agent as a young child, she made her film debut at age six in the television film An Invasion of Privacy (1983). A leading role in the short-lived teen drama series Swans Crossing (1992) was followed by her breakthrough as Kendall Hart on the ABC soap opera All My Children (1993–1995), for which she won a Daytime Emmy Award.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Freddie Prinze</span> American actor and comedian (1954–1977)

Frederick Karl Prinze Sr. was an American stand-up comedian and actor, and the star of the NBC-TV sitcom Chico and the Man from 1974 until his death in 1977. He was described in a Vulture magazine article as "having blown up like no other comedian in history." Prinze is the father of actor Freddie Prinze Jr.

<i>I Know What You Did Last Summer</i> 1997 American slasher film

I Know What You Did Last Summer is a 1997 American slasher film directed by Jim Gillespie and written by Kevin Williamson. It stars Jennifer Love Hewitt, Sarah Michelle Gellar, Ryan Phillippe, and Freddie Prinze Jr., with supporting roles played by Johnny Galecki, Bridgette Wilson, Anne Heche, and Muse Watson. The first installment in the I Know What You Did Last Summer franchise, it is loosely based on the 1973 novel by Lois Duncan. The film centers on four teenage friends, who are stalked by a hook-wielding killer one year after covering up a car accident in which they supposedly killed a man. It also draws inspiration from the urban legend known as "the Hook", as well as the slasher films Prom Night (1980) and The House on Sorority Row (1982).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Freddie Prinze Jr.</span> American actor (born 1976)

Freddie James Prinze Jr. is an American actor. He has starred in films such as I Know What You Did Last Summer (1997) and its sequel (1998), She's All That (1999), Down to You, Boys and Girls, Summer Catch (2001), Scooby-Doo (2002), and Scooby-Doo 2: Monsters Unleashed (2004). Alongside recurring roles on Boston Legal (2004) and 24 (2010), Prinze starred on the self-titled ABC sitcom Freddie (2005–2006)—which he co-created and executive produced—and voiced Kanan Jarrus in the Disney XD series Star Wars Rebels (2014–2018). He is the only child of actor and comedian Freddie Prinze.

<i>A League of Their Own</i> 1992 film directed by Penny Marshall

A League of Their Own is a 1992 American sports comedy drama film directed by Penny Marshall that tells a fictionalized account of the real-life All-American Girls Professional Baseball League (AAGPBL). It stars Tom Hanks, Geena Davis, Madonna, Lori Petty, Jon Lovitz, David Strathairn, Garry Marshall, Rosie O'Donnell, and Bill Pullman and was written by Lowell Ganz and Babaloo Mandel, from a story by Kelly Candaele and Kim Wilson.

<i>I Still Know What You Did Last Summer</i> 1998 American slasher film

I Still Know What You Did Last Summer is a 1998 slasher film directed by Danny Cannon and written by Trey Callaway. It is a sequel to 1997's I Know What You Did Last Summer, and the second installment in the franchise of the same name. It stars Jennifer Love Hewitt, Freddie Prinze Jr. and Muse Watson, who reprise their role from the first film, while Brandy, Mekhi Phifer, Bill Cobbs, Matthew Settle, Jennifer Esposito, Jack Black, Jeffrey Combs, and John Hawkes also star.

<i>Wing Commander</i> (film) 1999 science fiction film directed by Chris Roberts

Wing Commander is a 1999 science fiction film loosely based on the video game series of the same name. It was directed by Chris Roberts, the creator of the game series, and stars Freddie Prinze Jr., Matthew Lillard, Saffron Burrows, Tchéky Karyo, Jürgen Prochnow, David Suchet, and David Warner.

<i>Shes All That</i> 1999 film by Robert Iscove

She's All That is a 1999 American teen romantic comedy film directed by Robert Iscove. It stars Freddie Prinze Jr., Rachael Leigh Cook, Matthew Lillard, and Paul Walker. After being dumped by his girlfriend, Zack Siler boasts he could make any girl at his high school popular. It is a modern adaptation of George Bernard Shaw's play Pygmalion and George Cukor's 1964 film My Fair Lady.

<i>Scooby-Doo</i> (film) 2002 film directed by Raja Gosnell

Scooby-Doo is a 2002 American mystery adventure comedy horror film produced by Mosaic Media Group and based on the long-running animated franchise of the same name. The first installment in the Scooby-Doo live-action film series, the film was directed by Raja Gosnell from a screenplay by James Gunn, and stars Freddie Prinze Jr., Sarah Michelle Gellar, Matthew Lillard, Linda Cardellini and Rowan Atkinson. Neil Fanning provides the voice of the titular character. The plot revolves around Mystery Incorporated, a group of four young adults and a talking Great Dane who solve mysteries, who reunite after a two-year disbandment to investigate a mystery at a popular horror-themed tropical island resort.

<i>The House of Yes</i> 1997 American film

The House of Yes is a 1997 American dark comedy film adapted from the play of the same name by Wendy MacLeod. The film was written and directed by Mark Waters, produced by Robert Berger, and stars Parker Posey, Josh Hamilton, Tori Spelling, Freddie Prinze Jr. and Geneviève Bujold. It was released in the United States by Miramax Films on October 10, 1997. The House of Yes received a divided critical reaction, with Posey winning a Sundance Award and Spelling receiving a Razzie Award nomination.

<i>Down to You</i> 2000 film directed by Kris Isacsson

Down to You is a 2000 American romantic comedy film written and directed by Kris Isacsson, starring Freddie Prinze Jr. and Julia Stiles as young lovers who meet in college and go through the ups and downs of a relationship. Selma Blair, Shawn Hatosy, Zak Orth, Ashton Kutcher, Rosario Dawson, Lucie Arnaz, and Henry Winkler play supporting roles. Isacsson's first and only theatrical feature film, Down to You paired Prinze and Stiles a year after their respective starring roles in the successful high school-set romantic comedies She's All That and 10 Things I Hate About You. Despite being the second-highest grossing film at the domestic box office its opening weekend, the film was heavily panned by critics, and failed to recoup its $35 million budget, only grossing $24.4 million.

<i>Boys and Girls</i> (2000 film) 2000 American film by Robert Iscove

Boys and Girls is a 2000 American romantic comedy film directed by Robert Iscove and starring Freddie Prinze Jr., Claire Forlani, Jason Biggs, and Amanda Detmer. The film follows Ryan (Prinze) and Jennifer (Forlani), who meet each other initially as adolescents, and later realize that their lives are intertwined through fate.

<i>Summer Catch</i> 2001 film by Michael Tollin

Summer Catch is a 2001 American romantic comedy film directed by Michael Tollin and starring Freddie Prinze Jr., Jessica Biel and Matthew Lillard. The film marked Tollin's feature film directorial debut. The setting is the Cape Cod Baseball League, but the majority of the film was shot in Southport, North Carolina.

<i>Head over Heels</i> (2001 film) 2001 American romantic comedy film by Mark Waters

Head over Heels is a 2001 American romantic comedy-thriller film directed by Mark Waters. Starring Monica Potter, Freddie Prinze Jr., Sarah O'Hare, Shalom Harlow, Ivana Miličević, Tomiko Fraser, China Chow and Timothy Olyphant. The film was panned by critics and failed to recover its modest $14 million budget.

<i>Brooklyn Rules</i> 2007 American film

Brooklyn Rules is a 2007 American crime drama film directed by Michael Corrente, written by Terence Winter and starring Alec Baldwin, Scott Caan, Freddie Prinze Jr., Jerry Ferrara and Mena Suvari. The plot follows a group of lifelong friends who get involved with the Brooklyn mafia in the 1980s.

Darren Stein is an American film director, screenwriter, and film producer who grew up in Los Angeles's San Fernando Valley. Among his works include the documentary Put the Camera on Me, the 2010 horror comedy All About Evil, and the satirical major motion picture Jawbreaker, which was deemed a "cult classic" by the New York Post.

I Know What You Did Last Summer is an American horror media franchise owned by Sony Pictures Entertainment, and consisting of three slasher films and one television series based on the 1973 novel by Lois Duncan. The first installment was written by Kevin Williamson, directed by Jim Gillespie, and released in 1997.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Don't Touch That Dial</span> 2nd episode of WandaVision

"Don't Touch That Dial" is the second episode of the American television miniseries WandaVision, based on Marvel Comics featuring the characters Wanda Maximoff / Scarlet Witch and Vision. It follows the couple as they try to conceal their powers while living an idyllic suburban life in the town of Westview, New Jersey. The episode is set in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU), sharing continuity with the films of the franchise. It was written by Gretchen Enders and directed by Matt Shakman.

<i>Punky Brewster</i> (2021 TV series) American television sitcom

Punky Brewster is an American television sitcom that premiered on Peacock on February 25, 2021. It is a revival to the show of the same title, and stars Soleil Moon Frye and Cherie Johnson, with Quinn Copeland, Noah Cottrell, Oliver De Los Santos, Lauren Lindsey Donzis and Freddie Prinze Jr. In August 2021, the series was canceled after one season.

<i>Christmas with You</i> (film) 2022 American film

Christmas with You is a 2022 American Christmas romantic comedy film written by Paco Farias, Jennifer C. Stetson and Michael Varrati, directed by Gabriela Tagliavini and starring Aimee Garcia and Freddie Prinze Jr.

References

  1. ↑ Scheetz, Cameron (January 19, 2023). "This long-forgotten 1997 queer roadtrip comedy starring Freddie Prinze Jr. is now available to stream". Queerty. Retrieved June 29, 2023.
  2. ↑ Clarke, Cass (January 27, 2023). "You Can Finally Stream Sparkler, The 1997 Queer Gem You've Never Seen". Slash Film. Retrieved June 29, 2023.
  3. 1 2 Cinquemani, Sal (January 16, 2023). "Darren Stein's 1997 Film Sparkler Makes Its Streaming Debut in 2K". Slant Magazine. Retrieved June 29, 2023.
  4. ↑ "Hamptons 97: Seven Questions For Darren Stein, The Director of "Sparkler"". IndieWire. October 16, 1997. Retrieved June 29, 2023.
  5. ↑ "Sparkler". Box Office Mojo. Retrieved August 26, 2023.
  6. ↑ "Sparkler". Rotten Tomatoes. Retrieved June 29, 2023.
  7. ↑ Kelly, Brendan (November 1, 1997). "Sparkler". Variety. Retrieved June 29, 2023.
  8. ↑ Thomas, Kevin (April 2, 1999). "'Sparkler' Shines With Strong Performances, Imagination and Humor". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved June 29, 2023.
  9. ↑ "Sparkler Reviews". TV Guide. Retrieved June 29, 2023.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.