Favorites : Josie and the Pussycats (2001)
Ok, so, hear me out... as a kid, I was always a fan of the Archie comics. Later on, I became a fan of Rosario Dawson. Naturally, when these two elements came together, my interest was piqued. Here’s the thing... I had no idea what I was getting into with this film, and it was one of the most pleasant surprises I’ve ever had. Allow me to explain why Josie and the Pussycats is one of my favorite films.
Super-large boy band DuJuor (Donald Faison, Breckin Meyer, Seth Green and Alexander Martin) are on their way to Riverdale with Wyatt Frame (Alan Cummings), their manager/promoter from label MegaRecords, when they start asking questions about a mysterious track buried beneath their latest single. Wyatt, noticeably nervous, jumps off the plane with the pilot, leaving it to crash, and heads into Riverdale in search of a new band. Meanwhile, Josie and the Pussycats, comprised of guitarist/lead singer Josie (Rachael Leigh Cook), bassist Valerie (Rosario Dawson) and drummer Melody (Tara Reid), are struggling to find an audience and an opportunity to make a name for themselves, despite the ‘best’ efforts of ‘managers’ Alexander (Paulo Costanzo) and Alexandra (Missi Pyle) Cabot. One day, out of a mix of pure frustration and a moment of inspiration after hearing about DuJuor’s disappearance, the band heads to the mall to get noticed, and they just so happen to run into Wyatt Frame, who signs them to MegaRecords immediately. The band is swooped up into the hype machine, where Wyatt Frame and label owner Fiona (Parker Posey) prop them up on a pedestal, while secretly attempting to use them for a much more sinister plot.
I’ve always found this film to be a guilty pleasure, especially since I am probably one of the few that actually saw this in a theater, but I am honestly surprised at how well this film has held up. There is an ABSURD amount of adult humor to be found in this film, despite it having the look and feel of a kid’s film, which is definitely a reflection of the times that produced the film. Luckily, the movie isn’t afraid to make light of its source material, or even itself, meaning that we can laugh along with the film rather than at the film.
Where the movie really hits, in my opinion, is in the way it handles advertising, subliminally or otherwise. Product placement litters the majority of the scenery, be it airplanes, hotel rooms, malls, or whatever else has free real estate for a logo to be slapped on it. The result is a surprisingly solid observation on consumer culture and trends, the way that it shapes the populous to a sometimes dangerous degree, and a view of how one can stand out in the midst of all of this. Add in the wonderfully comic government conspiracy angle, and you’ve definitely got enough of a plot to carry the silliness along.
The way that most of the shots are framed to look like commercials in order to make us hyperaware of product placement works quite well. On another subtle note, Wyatt Frame’s use of popular song lyrics hit both comically and narratively. The number of tropes that are presented and then turned on their ear, in the realms of commercials, film and music video, are too numerous to list, and all hit the mark consistently. It’s weird to hold a film this silly to such high praise, but as both a follow-up to Can’t Hardly Wait and an ode to a comic series I hold near and dear to my heart, I am a happy fan.
Rachael Leigh Cook finds a proper line between cuteness and edge that allows her to play both an assured band member and a spoiled opportunist when the time allows, and she’s willing to embrace enough silliness to give her performance range. Rosario Dawson brings a level of acting legitimacy to the film that it probably (honestly) did not deserve, and becomes the heart of the movie with her passion and commitment to honesty. Tara Reid comes dangerously close to overplaying the airheaded nature of her character, but manages to ground a few lines readings with enough range to keep the rest of the performance tethered. Alan Cumming turns himself into a human cartoon villain, chewing up every scene he is in with a zest and zeal that can only come with being given the green light to embellish. Parker Posey also gets to play comic villain, but embraces it in a different way by playing essentially two personalities mixed together to the point that they only become indistinguishable when played to extreme. Appearances by Gabriel Mann, Paulo Costanzo and Missi Pyle, cameos by Tom Butler, Eugene Levy, Kenneth ‘Babyface’ Edmonds, Serena Altschul, Aries Spears and Carson Daly, and a truly memorable grouping of Donald Faison, Breckin Meyer, Seth Green and Alexander Martin round out the cast.
I don’t expect Josie and the Pussycats to find a cult following, or to inspire a generation of filmmakers, or any other lofty aspirations you can connect to a piece of art. What I can count on, however, is an enjoyable 90 minutes with every viewing, and that’s enough for me.