Josie and the Pussycats

"Here kitty, kitty, kitty..."

2001 1h 38m EN

😐

5.9

MID

🥫

54%

ROTTEN

😬

METACRITIC

⭐

5.7

IMDB

★5.9TMDB · 392🥫54%Rotten Tomatoes●47Metacritic★5.7IMDB · 26,253

ComedyMusic

Synopsis

Spoiler shield

Josie, Melody and Val are three small-town girl musicians determined to take their rock band out of their garage and straight to the top, while remaining true to their look, style and sound. They get a record deal which brings fame and fortune but soon realize they are pawns of two people who want to control the youth of America. They must clear their names, even if it means losing fame and fortune.

“Here kitty, kitty, kitty...”

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Where to watch · US

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Cast

Rachael Leigh Cook
Josie McCoy
Rosario Dawson
Valerie Brown
Tara Reid
Melody Valentine
Alan Cumming
Wyatt Frame
Parker Posey
Fiona
Gabriel Mann
Alan M.
Paulo Costanzo
Alexander Cabot
Missi Pyle
Alexandra Cabot

Credits

Behind the camera

Director: Deborah Kaplan
Writers: Deborah Kaplan, Harry Elfont, Robert Pratt
Languages: English
Countries: United States of America

Want more? Switch to Cinephile mode in the header for DP, composer, budget, box office, production companies, keywords, and release history.

Did you know?

Fun facts 🍿

1 / 8

MONEY

Did you know

Earned back only 68% of its budget on initial theatrical — a commercial disappointment on release.

MoodPlayr · trivia#01

2 / 8

ERA

Did you know

25 years old — old enough to be someone's favourite childhood film.

MoodPlayr · trivia#02

3 / 8

CAST

Did you know

256+ people credited in cast and crew — a small city's worth of labour.

MoodPlayr · trivia#03

4 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Directed by Deborah Kaplan, shot by Matthew Libatique. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.

MoodPlayr · trivia#04

5 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Original score by John Frizzell. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.

MoodPlayr · trivia#05

6 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Editor Peter Teschner shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.

MoodPlayr · trivia#06

7 / 8

CAST

Did you know

Rachael Leigh Cook and Rosario Dawson and Tara Reid carry the top of the cast.

MoodPlayr · trivia#07

8 / 8

FACT

Did you know

Marketing tagline: "Here kitty, kitty, kitty...".

MoodPlayr · trivia#08

Cinephile deep dive

The take

Deborah Kaplan directs. Matthew Libatique behind the camera. John Frizzell scores. Peter Teschner cuts. Runs lean at under 100 minutes. A commercial under-performer on release. Produced in United States of America. Dialogue in English.

Trivia

Things worth knowing

1Earned back only 68% of its budget on initial theatrical — a commercial disappointment on release.
225 years old — old enough to be someone's favourite childhood film.
3256+ people credited in cast and crew — a small city's worth of labour.
4Directed by Deborah Kaplan, shot by Matthew Libatique. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.
5Original score by John Frizzell. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.
6Editor Peter Teschner shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.
7Rachael Leigh Cook and Rosario Dawson and Tara Reid carry the top of the cast.
8Marketing tagline: "Here kitty, kitty, kitty...".
9IMDB entry: tt0236348 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.
10Classified under 26 themes, including "friendship", "small town", "musician", "pop star".

The technical file

Cinematography: Matthew Libatique
Original score: John Frizzell
Editing: Peter Teschner
Production design: Jasna Stefanovic
Costume design: Leesa Evans
Makeup / hair: Sanna Seppanen
VFX supervisor: Jesh Murthy
Sound: Rick Kline
Stunt coordinator: Mike Vézina
Runtime: 98 min · 1h 38m
Aspect ratio (typical): 1.37:1 (Academy)
Status: Released
Budget: $22,000,000
Box office: $14,866,444
Return: 68% of budget
Original language: EN
Certification (US): PG-13
IMDB: Josie and the Pussycats (2001)
Rotten Tomatoes: 54% 🥫 Rotten
Metacritic: 47/100
IMDB rating: 5.7/10 · 26,253 votes
MPAA: PG-13

Awards

5 nominations total

Also by

Deborah Kaplan

Stills · wallpapers

Selected frames

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Wallpaper

Trailers & featurettes

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Community reviews

What people are saying

Wuchak2018-12-14
★ 7/10
Amusing satire on the power & brainwashing of the music industry I never saw the original cartoon or read the comics on which it was based, but “Josie and the Pussycats” (2001) is fun and the three protagonists are attractive & enthusiastic (Rachael Leigh Cook, Tara Reid & Rosario Dawson). Yet the movie shoots for something deeper as this is an amusing and potent satire on the influence and manipulation of the entertainment industry. Alan Cumming is outstanding as the villainous band manager who uses bands, abuses them and throws them away at whim. His opening scene with the fictional boyband Du Jour is worth the price of admission. Parker Posey is also good as his diabolical superior. Curvy and towering Missi Pyle is also on hand as Alexandra. Ever wonder why all those musicians die in mysterious plane crashes, overdoses, etc. at the height of their fame? How about all those successful government cover-ups? How do artists with little actual talent and songwriting abilities become hugely popular, usually overnight, while the truly talented artists languish in obscurity? Why do you sometimes have this insane drive for a Big Mac or Coke? "Josie and the Pussycats" explains all, lol. As for those who complain about the product placement, they all live on Aduh Street. Unfortunately, the great set-up of the first hour sorta peters out in the last act. It’s okay, just not up to the quality of the first two acts, as far as compelling writing goes. The film runs 98 minutes. GRADE: B
JPV8522021-11-20
★ 6/10
Entertaining enough music-comedy that at least had me smiling throughout. The core cast with Rachel Leigh Cook, Rosario Dawson and Tara Reid were fun and the satirical element was fun with the incredible amount of product placement. Not familiar with the comic or animated shows beyond seeing a couple episodes here and there, but seemed to capture the tone. Not a big compliment, but it is far better than Jem and the Holograms... 3.0/5