WiseGirls | |
---|---|
Directed by | David Anspaugh |
Written by | John Meadows |
Produced by | Jack Sojka Anthony Esposito Billy Blake Richard Brams |
Starring | Mira Sorvino Mariah Carey Melora Walters |
Cinematography | Johnny E. Jensen |
Edited by | Christopher Cibelli |
Music by | Keith Forsey |
Production companies | |
Distributed by | Lions Gate Entertainment Intermedia Films Cinemax |
Release date |
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Running time | 93 minutes |
Language | English |
Budget | $11 million |
WiseGirls is a 2002 crime drama film directed by David Anspaugh and starring Mira Sorvino, Mariah Carey and Melora Walters. The film was produced by Lions Gate Films, Leading Pictures and Intermedia Films. The story centers around Meg Kennedy (Mira Sorvino), a medical school dropout who gets a part-time job as a waitress working at an Italian restaurant in New York City. Befriending other waitresses, Kate (Melora Walters) and Raychel (Mariah Carey), Meg slowly learns that the restaurant is run by mobsters as she delves deeper into their dangerous world.
The film premiered at the 2002 Sundance Film Festival and was released later that year on HBO and Cinemax with international distribution managed by Intermedia Films. Upon release, the film received generally mixed reviews from critics, with praise for the plot twists, themes and the performances of the cast, particularly Carey, but criticism for its directing, tone and overuse of mafia stereotypes.
Returning from Missouri as a medical school dropout, Meg Kennedy (Mira Sorvino) moves to Staten Island, New York City, staying with her grandmother due to not having found a place for herself. With the recommendation of Mrs. Saladino, a woman who looks after Meg's grandmother, Meg takes work at an Italian restaurant, run by Gio Esposito (Joseph Siravo). At first, Meg makes mistakes and fails to live up to Esposito's expectations. However, she soon proves her worth by saving the life of a restaurant patron from a gunshot wound. Meg becomes a well known waitress by the restaurant's customers and saves enough money from her tips to buy her own apartment.
Meg befriends two other waitresses including Kate (Melora Walters), who aspires to be a Broadway star, and Raychel (Mariah Carey), an outspoken, brassy woman. The three become close friends making a pact to meet once a year at a particular bar. Meg also opens up to them about recent loss of her fiancé. Despite this, Meg becomes aware that the restaurant is not only mob-owned, but also a front for drug-dealing operations of which Raychel and possibly Kate appear to be aware. Struggling to pull her life together, Meg finds it harder to accept monetary tokens from restaurant owner Mr. Santalino (Arthur J. Nascarella), while also fending off the romantic attentions of his son, Frankie (Christian Maelen).
Things come to a breaking point when Esposito drunkenly punches Meg in the face. Mr. Santalino and Frankie kills Esposito while Meg watches in horror. Frankie forces Meg at gunpoint to cut Esposito's body up into little pieces so they can dispose of his body in a meat grinder. Meg later tells Kate everything that happened and lets her know that she plans on leaving town. Kate tries to stop her but in the process reveals that she is actually an undercover police officer and that she had recorded everything Meg said. The police then tap Meg's necklace and put her back undercover at the restaurant, hoping that Mr. Santalino or Frankie will confess to the murder of Esposito.
That night, during her shift, Meg pretends to have a headache and goes to get an aspirin from Frankie but fails to get a confession from him. Meg tries to warn Raychel, who was promoted to manager, to get out of the restaurant before the police come but is interrupted by Frankie and his drinking friends. Meg later sees Mr. Santalino, and gets a confession out of him. Meg thanks him for his heroics and he subsequently promises to do what he did to Esposito to any other man who lays a finger on her. However, in the process, Mr. Santalino notices Kate watching and he rips Meg's necklace off, horrified at her betrayal. In a gun fight, Kate shoots Frankie dead while she is also shot. Meg attempts to save Kate's life but Mr. Santalino drags her away and attempts to shoot her. Before he can do so, Raychel shoots him dead but she is consequently arrested. Meg tries to use a knife to save Kate's lungs from filling up with blood, but is ultimately shot by Kate's partner, Garcia, who consequently realises that Meg was saving her.
A year later, Raychel lays flowers at Meg's gravestone. Kate, who survived thanks to Meg, visits Raychel at the bar the friends made a pact to meet every year. Kate lets Raychel know that she was the reason she got off on probation. Kate then reveals Meg, who is alive and well and Meg jokes that she'd have to kill Raychel if she told her how she survived. The three friends share a drink together and express their adoration for each other.
In 1999, [1] American singer Mariah Carey began working on a film and soundtrack project titled All That Glitters and signed a $100 million deal with Virgin Records. [2] The film was retitled as Glitter and production began in 2000. [1] During this time, Carey also began working on another film entitled WiseGirls. [3] [4] This film was produced by Lions Gate Films, Leading Pictures and Intermedia Films. [5] Following commencement for Glitter and the release of the soundtrack's lead single "Loverboy", Carey embarked on a short promotional campaign for the song but was stopped short due to Carey being hospitalized, citing "extreme exhaustion" and a "physical and emotional breakdown". [6] Promotion and production for Glitter and WiseGirls respectively came to a halt and both films received a "publicity boost". [3] Virgin Records commented on Carey's hospitalisation stating that,
Mariah is looking forward to being able to participate in both her album and movie projects [...] She has been making great recovery progress, and continues to grow stronger every day. Virgin Music Worldwide continues to give its absolute commitment and support to Mariah on every level. [7]
In an interview, Anthony Esposito, a producer of WiseGirls, noted that "when he spent time with Carey during the WiseGirls shoot, it was clear she had been pushing herself to the limit. After a day of shooting on the film, he says Carey would often just keep on working into the night". [8] He also called Carey "a person that never, ever relaxes". [9] Released in 2001, Glitter met to negative reviews and was called one of the worst films ever made. [10] [11] [12] Carey subsequently parted ways with Virgin Records. [13]
During production for WiseGirls, rumours surfaced of a feud and physical altercation between Carey and Mira Sorvino, the lead actress of the film. [3] Tabloids reported that Carey started the fight by throwing a salt shaker at Sorvino. [3] Both Carey and Sorvino's publicists acknowledged that "words were exchanged" between the two after Carey was late to set but Sorvino's publicists also acknowledge that "the incident was ridiculously blown up and never turned physical". [8] A People article which had quoted WiseGirls producer Billy Blake, stated that the two had "wrestled to the floor". [8] Blake later issued a statement denying knowledge of the incident saying that, he did not "have firsthand information of any altercation between Mariah Carey and Mira Sorvino as [he] was not on the set that day". [8] After Carey was hospitalised, Sorvino stated that,
We had one verbal argument, one day [...] but there was no physicality whatsoever — as if you could really imagine me rolling on the ground and pulling her hair out, as the National Enquirer said [...] I'm very sorry for the recent troubles that she's experiencing. I think she'll come out of it fine. She's a very smart person. [3]
In 2002, once the film's promotion began, Carey stated in an interview for Reuters that, "2001 was chock-full of rumours, so why even address it, it's nonsense". [14] In 2018, Sorvino confirmed on Twitter that Carey did "throw a salt shaker over [her] head" but there was "no wrestling or physical contact". [15]
For WiseGirls, Carey appeared on MTV Italy and Entertainment Tonight among other channels to promote the film. Anspaugh, Carey, Sorvino and Melora Walters were present at the film's world premiere at the 2002 Sundance Film Festival. [13] [9] The film was released on HBO and Cinemax. [16]
Upon release, the film received mixed or average reviews. [17] On review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, the film has an approval rating of 44% based on 9 reviews. Mick LaSalle of the San Francisco Chronicle stated, "It's a good film - not a classic, but odd, entertaining and authentic". [18] Variety reviewer David Rooney remarked that the film was "directed with very conventional efficiency by David Anspaugh" and that "the drama's script keeps enough surprises up its sleeve to remain entertaining. Its themes of female bonding and friendship suggest a theatrical target of young women, with a more solid afterlife in ancillary". [5] The Hollywood Reporter writer Kirk Honeycutt stated that in the film, "Anspaugh goes for a lively surface but one with a strong emotional undertow". [19] He went on to sat that "WiseGirls can't help suffering a bit from over-familiarity [...] but Anspaugh and his actors bring enough vigor to the enterprise that the film comes off as a well-done genre piece..." [19]
Fox News was critical of Anspaugh's "extremely misguided mob movie" saying that even Carey could not save the "awful, terrible mob stereotypical movie that pales considerably next to The Sopranos and The Godfather " [20] and that the film "raises just about every crude Mafia reference it can think of [...] Nearly every word out of Carey's mouth is the f-word". [20] Nathan Rabin of The A.V. Club criticized the tone and pacing, saying "The film's tone varies wildly from scene to scene, and sometimes even from second to second. That identity crisis especially comes through in the film's performances: Carey is sketch-comedy broad throughout, while Sorvino opts for wan naturalism". [16]
Carey's performance as Raychel was given favorable reviews, with some critics calling it a comeback after her film, Glitter . [21] [13] [5] [20] [19] [22] David Rooney from Variety stated that Carey's "second time out as an actress proves luckier than the first [...] downsizing from her disastrous debut headliner "Glitter" to a more modest co-starring role with charm and relaxed assurance". [5] His biggest praise was for Carey saying "by far the most engaging performance [was] Carey, giving trash-talking, husky-voiced Raychel plenty of heart as well as chutzpah and sexy attitude". [5] Fox News also praised Carey's role saying she had found her "forte [...] and now it's her handlers' turn to find more roles like this — wisecracking, world-weary, street-savvy people". [20] Kirk Honeycutt from The Hollywood Reporter noted that "the scathing notices for Glitter will be a forgotten memory [...] once people warm up to Raychel. She's a don't-mess-with-me woman who develops a joyous sense of family in friendship with her fellow waitresses". [19]
Carey responded to the film's reception, saying that "Sometimes you have to go through difficult stuff, either to learn a lesson or maybe reconnect with something that has slipped away a bit. But that's how life is. You may keep getting hit, but you have to just keep on standing up again". [22] In an interview, Carey noted that it was working with Sorvino and Walters which helped her get through filming saying,
This experience was so great and just to have these two amazing actresses working with me and David Anspaugh [director] creating an environment that allowed me to create a character and to allow me to go deep into myself and to do something different and explore a different side of my creativity and I would love to try to continue to do projects that are unexpected like this. Nobody's expecting this. [14]
Producer, Anthony Esposito, stated that he "had such a great experience with Mariah Carey on Wisegirls that [he] wanted to make another film with her". [13] Esposito went on to say that Carey's "performance in WiseGirls is outstanding, with reviews from Sundance praising her work [and that given] the right role, the depth of Mariah's performance will make everyone take notice of her great acting ability". [13] In 2002, Esposito cast Carey in "Sweet Science", a film about a "determined boxing manager who drafts an unknown female boxer", but the film never came into fruition. [23]
Mariah Carey is an American singer, songwriter, record producer, and actress. An influential figure in music, she is known for her five-octave vocal range, melismatic singing style and signature use of the whistle register. Referred to as the "Songbird Supreme" by Guinness World Records, she was ranked as the fifth greatest singer of all time by Rolling Stone in 2023.
Mira Katherine Sorvino is an American actress. She won the Academy Award and Golden Globe for Best Supporting Actress for her performance in Woody Allen's Mighty Aphrodite (1995).
Glitter is a 2001 American romantic musical drama film starring Mariah Carey, Terrence Howard and Max Beesley, written by Kate Lanier, and directed by Vondie Curtis Hall. Carey plays Billie Frank, an aspiring singer who, along with her friends Louise and Roxanne, is a club dancer. Timothy Walker offers them a contract as backup singers/dancers to another singer. At the premiere of the song they record, Billie meets Julian "Dice" Black, a nightclub DJ, who helps her in her solo career. In the process, Billie and Dice fall in love.
"Heartbreaker" is a song by American singer-songwriter Mariah Carey featuring American rapper Jay-Z for her seventh studio album Rainbow (1999). It was released on August 23, 1999, by Columbia Records as the lead single from Rainbow. The song was written by the artists and produced by Carey and DJ Clue, with additional writers being credited for the hook being built around a sample from "Attack of the Name Game" by Stacy Lattisaw. "Heartbreaker" pushed Carey even further into the R&B and hip hop market, becoming her second commercial single to feature a rapper. Lyrically, the song describes lovesickness towards an unfaithful partner.
"Loverboy" is a song by American singer and songwriter Mariah Carey. It was released on June 19, 2001, by Virgin Records America as the lead single from her eighth studio album Glitter, the soundtrack to the 2001 film of the same name. Written and produced by Carey, Larry Blackmon, Thomas Jenkins and Clark Kent, "Loverboy" is built around a sample from "Candy" by the funk band Cameo, who are also featured on the track. Lyrically, the song finds Carey fantasizing about her loverboy, a man that will fulfill her physical and sexual desires. The recording was accompanied by an official remix, titled "Loverboy Remix", featuring guest artists Ludacris, Da Brat, Shawnna and Twenty II.
"Never Too Far" is a song recorded by American singer and songwriter Mariah Carey for her first soundtrack and eighth studio album Glitter (2001). It was written and produced by herself and Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis. The song was released as the album's second single on August 14, 2001 by Virgin Records. The song is a mid-tempo ballad which lyrically deals with heartbreak. "Never Too Far" was used on the charity single "Never Too Far/Hero Medley", which combines the first verse of the song with a re-recorded version of the first verse and bridge of Carey's previous single "Hero" (1993).
"Don't Stop " is a song by American singer and songwriter Mariah Carey, featuring Mystikal, from her first soundtrack and eighth studio album Glitter (2001). It was written by herself, DJ Clue, Duro, and Mystikal, while production was handled by the former three. The song is built around a sample of the 1980 song "Funkin' for Jamaica (N.Y.)" produced by Tom Browne and Toni Smith, who are credited as co-writers. It was released as the album's third single on September 11, 2001 by Virgin Records America. The song features Mystikal evoking his past single "Shake Ya Ass" during his verses, while Carey tells him "don't stop".
"Never Too Far/Hero Medley" is a medley recorded by American singer and songwriter Mariah Carey, released as a charity single on December 11, 2001 by Virgin Records in the US. It is also included as a bonus track in the Japanese release of Carey's Greatest Hits (2001). The medley combines the first verse and chorus of "Never Too Far", co-written and co-produced by Carey and Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis, with a re-recorded version of the first verse, chorus and bridge of "Hero", written and produced by Carey and Walter Afanasieff. As the latter did not receive co-production credits due to the change in instrumentation, Randy Jackson was named as producer alongside Carey instead. The single was meant to express a message of unity and love in the aftermath of the September 11 attacks.
#1's is the first greatest hits album by American singer-songwriter Mariah Carey, released by Columbia Records on November 16, 1998. The album contained Carey's then thirteen number-one singles on the Billboard Hot 100, as well as four new songs. In Japan, the album also included her popular single, "All I Want for Christmas Is You", which was Carey's biggest selling single there.
"Say Somethin'" is a song by American singer and songwriter Mariah Carey. It was written by Carey, Snoop Dogg, Chad Hugo, and Pharrell Williams, and produced by The Neptunes as the sixth and final single from Carey's tenth studio album, The Emancipation of Mimi (2005). The song is one of few from Carey's catalog in which she does not share production credits. "Say Somethin'" features Dogg as a guest artist, and is influenced by R&B and hip-hop music genres. Lyrically, the song is a dialogue in between and male and female, that discuss sexual themes and acts of which they plan to engage in a restroom.
Charmbracelet is the ninth studio album by American singer Mariah Carey, released in North America on December 3, 2002, through MonarC Entertainment and Island Records. The album was Carey's first release since her breakdown following the release of her film Glitter (2001) and its accompanying soundtrack album. Critics described Charmbracelet as one of Carey's most personal records, following 1997's Butterfly. Throughout the project, she collaborated with several musicians, including Jermaine Dupri, Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis, 7 Aurelius and Dre & Vidal.
Glitter is the soundtrack to the 2001 film of the same title and the eighth studio album by American singer-songwriter Mariah Carey. It was released in the United States on September 11, 2001 by Virgin Records. Mixing dance-pop, funk, hip hop and R&B, the album was a departure from Carey's previous releases, focusing heavily on a 80's post-disco sound to accompany the film which was set in 1983. The singer collaborated with Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis and DJ Clue, who also co-produced the album. The album features several musical acts such as Eric Benét, Ludacris, Da Brat, Busta Rhymes, Fabolous, and Ja Rule.
"Fly Like a Bird" is a song by American singer-songwriter Mariah Carey, released on March 13, 2006, by Island Records as a single from her tenth studio album, The Emancipation of Mimi (2005). Written and produced by Carey and James "Big Jim" Wright, the song is influenced by Gospel, soul, and R&B music genres. Its arrangement is built on piano chords and guitar melodies, and features Carey's pastor Clarence Keaton, who recites two Biblical verses during the song's introduction and bridge. Carey described "Fly Like a Bird" as the most personal and religious track from The Emancipation of Mimi, with its lyrics featuring a veritable prayer to God: "Fly like a bird, take to the sky, I need you now Lord, carry me high!".
American R&B singer Mariah Carey has had an extensive career in film and television throughout her career, in addition to "hundreds of music videos, a dozen or so feature films, and several TV guest-appearances". After topping charts, filming and directing multiple music videos for well-acclaimed songs such as "Vision of Love" and "Fantasy" throughout the 1990s, Carey made her big-screen debut in the rom-com, The Bachelor (1999). In 2001, Carey starred in Glitter which followed the story of Billie Frank, a young woman rising to fame as a pop-star, and was released on September 21, 2001. It was a major commercial failure and critical flop being ranked number 21 on IMDb's Bottom 100 Movies of All Time.
"Obsessed" is a song by American singer and songwriter Mariah Carey from her twelfth studio album, Memoirs of an Imperfect Angel (2009). The song was written and produced by Carey, Tricky Stewart and The-Dream, and was released as the album's lead single on June 16, 2009, by Island Records. The song draws musical influences from contemporary R&B and hip hop, and is built around a thumping bassline. Additionally, the song is accentuated by hand claps, while Carey's voice is processed with Auto-Tune. Lyrically, the song describes Carey's dilemma regarding constant claims of a prior relationship from rapper Eminem, although he is not specifically mentioned.
Drowning is a 2019 drama film written and directed by Melora Walters and starring Walters, Gil Bellows, Jay Mohr, Joanna Going, Steven Swadling, Sergio Rizzuto, and Mira Sorvino. Inspired by real life events experienced by Walters, the film recounts the story of a mother (Walters) coming to terms with her emotions as her only son (Rizzuto) is deployed to war.
The Meaning of Mariah Carey is a memoir by Mariah Carey, released on September 29, 2020. It was written with Michaela Angela Davis, and was published by Andy Cohen Books, an imprint of Henry Holt, as well as in an audiobook format read by Carey herself on Audible. The book navigates the complex racial, social, cultural and familial tensions associated with Carey's upbringing as a biracial woman in Long Island, New York. This is framed alongside first-hand descriptions of the singer's personal and professional triumphs and struggles, and is interspersed with fragments of Carey's songwriting output.
Mariah Carey's Magical Christmas Special is a Christmas special starring Mariah Carey that premiered on December 4, 2020, on Apple TV+. It was directed by Hamish Hamilton and Roman Coppola and executive-produced by Hamilton, Coppola, Carey, Ian Stewart, Raj Kapoor and Ashley Edens. The special centers around a holiday crisis in which the North Pole has to call Santa Claus's friend, Mariah Carey, to help.
Throughout her career, American singer Mariah Carey has received recognition as a cultural and public figure. Her public image has undergone transformations, subsequently receiving press coverage.