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Spice World (film)

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This article is about the film, for the album of the same name, please see Spiceworld.
Spice World: The Movie
Movie Poster
Directed byBob Spiers
Written byKim Fuller
Jamie Curtis
Produced byUri Fruchtmann,
Mark L. Rosen,
Barnaby Thompson
StarringVictoria Beckham
Melanie Brown
Emma Bunton
Melanie Chisholm
Geri Halliwell
Music byThe Spice Girls
Distributed byUnited States Columbia Pictures
United Kingdom PolyGram Filmed Entertainment (now Universal Studios)
Buena Vista International
Release dates
United Kingdom 26 December 1997
United States 23 January 1998
Running time
90 min.
Country United Kingdom
LanguageEnglish
Budget$25,000,000 (approximately)

Spice World is the debut feature film of the four-time BRIT Award-winning English pop girl group Spice Girls directed by Bob Spiers (Absolutely Fabulous, Fawlty Towers) and written by Kim Fuller and Jamie Curtis. It details the events leading up to their upcoming major concert at London's Royal Albert Hall, liberally interspersed with dream sequences and flashbacks as well as non sequiturs such as surreal moments and humorous asides. Released in the UK on Boxing Day, 1997 and North America on 23 January, 1998, the lighthearted comedy was made in a similar vein to The Beatles' A Hard Day's Night and featured a multitude of cameos and guest stars including Roger Moore, Elton John, Jennifer Saunders, Richard E. Grant, Michael Barrymore, Hugh Laurie and Meat Loaf.

Plot

As the movie opens, the Spice Girls are enjoying their fame, but becoming dissatisfied with the burdens of it. The sinister owner of a newspaper, Kevin McMaxford (Barry Humphries (also known as Dame Edna Everage)) is trying to ruin their reputation in order to cash in on the headlines, and even dispatches a photographer (Richard O'Brien) to take pictures and tape recordings of the girls. Less threatening but more annoying is a film director (Alan Cumming) who with his crew stalks the band, hoping to use them as documentary subjects; at the same time, the girls' manager, Clifford, (Richard E. Grant) is fending off two over-eager Hollywood writers (George Wendt and Mark McKinney) who relentlessly pitch absurd plot ideas for a Spice Girls feature film. Elton John also passes by a crowd of people.

Amid this, the band must prepare for an Albert Hall concert, their biggest performance yet. At the heart of it, the constant practices, traveling, publicity appearances, and other burdens of celebrity affect them on a personal level, preventing them from spending much time with their best friend outside the band, Nicola (Naoko Mori), who is due to give birth soon. Throughout their busy schedule, the girls keep asking Clifford for time off to spend with Nicola and to relax, but he refuses--mainly because his own boss, the cryptic and eccentric "Chief" (Roger Moore), won't allow it. The stress and overwork compound, culminating in a huge argument with Clifford and among the bandmates; the girls storm out, refusing to play Albert Hall.

Separately, the bandmates think back on their humble beginnings, their struggle to the top, and their strengthened friendship. They reunite by chance outside the now-closed pub where they practiced in the early days, reconcile, then decide to take Nicola out dancing. However, she goes into labor at the nightclub and is rushed to the hospital in the tour bus (while the girls attempt to coach her with conflicting advice). The band stay at the hospital to provide Nicola with support, refusing to perform until after she has given birth.

The next morning, the day of their Albert Hall gig, Nicola finally gives birth to a girl. As they are leaving the hospital, the girls bump into a doctor, but when Emma notices he has a camera, the girls realize the doctor is the photographer whose been stalking them in disguise. The photographer runs off with the girls in hot pursuit, only to hit his head on the wall after colliding with an empty stretcher, and when he sees the girls standing over him, he tells them that they've made him see the error of his ways, and he goes after the owner of the newspaper, who is subsequently fired in a "Jacuzzi Scandal".

After noticing their bus driver (Meat Loaf) missing (who we found out later that he's sleeping on the grass), Victoria decides to drive herself. So, it becomes a race against time as she drives like a maniac, screaming, "Get out of the way! Get out of the way!" to innocent bystanders. Along the way to the Albert Hall, the bus drives by Buckingham Palace, the girls wave to the Royal Family. Victoria puts her foot down on the gas pedal when Tower Bridge starts to go up to let a boat through. They land safely on the other side, but when Emma opens a trapdoor in the floor, she discovers a bomb, and the girls scream before Emma slams the trapdoor shut again.

The girls finally arrive at the Albert Hall, and run up the steps to the Rocky theme, but they have one more obstacle to overcome; a policeman who wants to charge them with "dangerous driving, criminal damage, flying a bus without a license, and frightening the pigeons". Emma is pushed forward, and she explains to the officer they were in a hurry. Emma smiles at him, and he lets them off.

The girls finish the movie with a performance of "Spice Up Your Life". Footage airs during the closing credits of the films various stars talking about the film, and even talking to the girls. Mel C then looks towards the camera, and tells the other girls someone is watching them. The girls talk into the camera, and discuss various things. Victoria even says to a certain woman in the audience, "I like your dress". When Mel C suddenly asks what happened to the bomb on the bus, her question is answered by a loud explosion.

Cast

The Spice Girls

Recurring

Cameos

Reception

Critical and audience

The movie took in US $75 million dollars at the box office worldwide, including $29,247,405 in America.[1] Despite being a moderate commercial success, the film was widely panned by critics. For this the Spice Girls won the award for 'Worst Actress' at the 1998 Golden Raspberries. Later, on Rotten Tomatoes, the overall score was 25%.

Box office

United Kingdom

  • Premiere: 15 December 1997
  • Release date: 26 December 1997
  • Total UK box office takings: £10,932,698[citation needed]
Date Accumulative Box Office Taking
4 January 1998 £6,709,936
11 January 1998 £8,532,981
18 January 1998 £9,547,494
25 January 1998 £10,146,076
1 February 1998 £10,590,300
8 February 1998 £10,829,808
15 February 1998 £10,932,698

United States

  • Release date: 23 January 1998
  • Total USA box office takings: $29,247,405[1]
Date Accumulative Box Office Taking
25 January 1998
Opening weekend 		$10,527,222
1 February 1998 $19,002,697
8 February 1998 $23,723,487
15 February 1998 $26,651,987
22 February 1998 $28,003,182
1 March 1998 $28,503,029
8 March 1998 $28,731,800
15 March 1998 $28,874,841
22 March 1998 $28,977,312
29 March 1998 $29,026,738
12 April 1998 $29,165,928
19 April 1998 $29,247,405

Global

Release dates:

Notable achievements

Trivia

  • Among the many in-jokes is Dennis saying, when asked to fix the toilets, that he'd do anything for the girls, "but I won't do that!" - a reference to Meat Loaf's single, "I'd Do Anything for Love (but I Won't Do That)".
  • Frank Bruno was originally cast as the tour bus driver but left the film after a personal disagreement with the Spice Girls and was replaced by Meat Loaf.
  • Gary Glitter filmed a four-minute cameo appearance as himself but shortly before the film was to be released he was arrested on child porn offences. The Spice Girls and the production team agreed that his cameo should be deleted from the final print.
  • Two real world deaths after filming prompted edits to the movie. Mentions of both Princess Diana and the designer Gianni Versace were made in the film because they were both alive when the film was made but both died before its release.


Re-Released Version

The DVD version of the movie Spice World is going to be released at endigns of 2007. It's confirmed that the DVD version of this movie will have bonus special features.


Notes and references

  1. ^ a b Spice World (1998) Box Office Mojo. Retrieved July 14, 2006
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