This article is about the film. For other meanings, see
Spice World.
Spice World is a 1997 British musical comedy film directed by Bob Spiers, written by Kim Fuller and Jamie Curtis, and starring the best-selling pop music girl group The Spice Girls. The lighthearted comedy, made in a similar vein to The Beatles' A Hard Day's Night, depicts fictional events leading up to a major concert at London's Royal Albert Hall, liberally interspersed with dream sequences and flashbacks as well as surreal moments and humorous asides. The film premiered on 15 December, 1997 and was released in British cinemas on Boxing Day, 1997, followed by the release in other countries in January 1998. The film featured guest appearances by Roger Moore, Elton John, Jennifer Saunders, Richard E. Grant, Michael Barrymore, Elvis Costello, Stephen Fry, Hugh Laurie and Meat Loaf.
Plot summary
As their film 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), 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' uptight 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.
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, his assistant Deborah (Claire Rushbrook) and among the band mates; the girls storm out on the evening of their concert at the Albert Hall.
Separately, the band mates 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 who has 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 Dennis (Meat Loaf) missing, 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. The girls end up on the roof of the bus and fall through the sunroof, collapsing onto each other in a pile when Victoria puts her foot down on the gas pedal. When approaching Tower Bridge it 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 (Kevin McNally) who wants to charge them with "dangerous driving, criminal damage, flying a bus without a license, and frightening the pigeons (the sound of the brake might have done it)". Emma is pushed forward, and she explains to the officer they were in a hurry. Emma smiles at him, and he lets them off.
In the film's climax, the girls performed their song "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, "Hey you. No, not you, behind you. Yea, to the left a bit. I like your dress". When Mel C says "I know what you're all thinking. What happened to the bomb on the bus?" her question is answered by a loud explosion.
Cast
The Spice Girls
Supporting characters
Production
Director Bob Spiers had been working in America on the Disney film That Darn Cat at the peak of the Spice Girls' popularity. He was unaware of the group when first offered the job until friend Jennifer Saunders advised that he take it. He arrived at a meeting with them in a New York hotel unaware of what they looked like.[1]
- 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 offenses. The Spice Girls and the production team agreed that his cameo should be deleted from the final print. However, the girls were shown performing the Gary Glitter song "Leader of the Gang".
- The Courage were to feature in a scene with Michael Barrymore in which they duetted on the Britpop hit "Alright" by Cast. The word 'Alright' was to be substituted with Barrymore's famous 'Awight!' catchphrase. However, both Barrymore and The Courage duo David Barnard and Tom Ford were caught up in scandals just before the movies release and the scene was ultimately cut.
- 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.
Reception
Critical and audience
The movie took in US $75 million dollars at the box office worldwide, including $29,247,405 in the U.S.[2] Despite being a commercial success, the film was widely panned by critics. The Spice Girls won the award for 'Worst Actress' at the 1998 Golden Raspberries. The film aggregator website, Rotten Tomatoes gave Spice World a "rotten'" rating of 27%.[3]
Box office
| Country |
Date of release |
Box office takings |
Notes |
| United Kingdom |
26 December 1997 |
£10,932,698[citation needed] |
|
| Germany |
1 January 1998 |
|
|
| Australia |
8 January 1998 |
AUS$11,393,834 |
1 month at #1 at the Australian box office. It was the first film to knock Titanic off the top spot, but was ironically sunk by the record-breaking blockbuster 4 weeks later. |
| United States of America |
23 January 1998 |
US$29,247,405[2] |
The film set the record for the highest ever weekend debut on Super Bowl Weekend with box office takings of $10,527,222. This record was broken the following year by the 1999 teen comedy She's All That. |
| Canada |
23 January 1998 |
|
|
| France |
28 January 1998 |
|
|
| Worldwide |
|
US$75,000,000[citation needed] |
|
DVD release
Spice World - The 10th Anniversary Edition was released on DVD on 19 November, 2007 in the UK and Australia and 27 November, 2007 in the U.S.
Cultural references
Soundtrack
Notes and references
External links
