Originally published July 23, 2020 at Cinema76.com
I have to say that 11 year old me feels very justified that Josie and the Pussycats features so highly on our flops list. I remember renting this from Blockbuster and watching it most of the time that it would be on TV. I assume I always loved this because I remember seeing their show on Cartoon Network, and specifically enjoyed their cameo on Scooby-Doo. I always had fond memories of this film but my family did not remember it the same, mostly it was that annoying film I made them watch all the time. So I am thrilled I get to give more of a defense for Josie and have found much to enjoy from it all of these years later. Not only does it still speak to the little kid who saw it and loved cool lipgloss and late 90s fashion, but it also has so much to enjoy as a slightly bitter woman who does not trust the government.
Josie and the Pussycats gives an early 2000s update to the classic characters who graced Archie Comics. The Pussycats are a small town group made up of; Josie (Rachel Leigh Cook), Valerie (Rosario Dawson), and Melody (Tara Reid). They have aspirations of making it big as rockstars and staying best friends forever. Their dreams seem to come true when they meet Wyatt Frame (Alan Cumming) who offers them a big time record deal on the spot. Before they know it they are in New York as the number one selling artist. However while all their dreams are coming true there is something more sinister going on. Fiona (Parker Posey) runs the record label and is using the band to send subliminal messages to the youth of America. Josie and her band need to figure out what’s going while trying to make sure fame does not tear them apart.
Although the film is PG-13 and filled with much more adult humor than their origins in Archie, I felt that the film does a good job of at least keeping the band wholesome and they keep their values intact. It’s hard not to love a story about girls who empower each other and dream of being best friends forever. Although Josie has a love interest in the film, it is far more focused on the women and their music (which is sung by Kay Hanley of Letters to Cleo). While a lot of the film is goofy and funny, the music is legitimately fun and transports me back to my childhood. The film goes out of its way to reference the teen culture of the 2000s, making it a perfect time capsule for us 90s kids. The film is directed by Harry Elfront and Deborah Kaplan who did another fan favorite Can’t Hardly Wait three year prior. The casting is so perfect for the time and I am not even sure if that was totally intentional but so many famous teen stars of the time end up gracing the film with their presence (including obvious Canadian heartthrob Eugene Levy) . With references to TRL, VH1, and Mr. Movie Phone there is no confusing this film for any other period.
The movie also has a lot of horror film elements to it that I was excited to pick up on all of these years later. I remember thinking the scene where someone goes into Melody’s bathroom and leaves her a message was legitimately creepy. My partner also pointed out that the scene when the girls arrive and have to get a makeover is shot just like the film Se7en with its oversaturated colors. My favorite reference has to be with subliminal messaging to the teens. I never really made the connection between this and They Live but when “Conform!” is blasting through their headphones it makes so much sense that these films have similar messaging about the messages we get. Although Josie is slightly scarier because there is no alien presence: it is simply the government and capitalism working together to make us consume and conform and remain stupid while they scheme.
This film is a lot smarter than people probably give it credit for. It breaks the 4th wall multiple times to make its point and although it makes fun of subliminal messaging and advertising schemes the film is full of product placement for Target, Reebok, Revlon, and AOL. They even reference that it is easier to make people buy things from movies than from music. They also name the famous boy band (fronted by Donald Faison, Seth Green, and Breckin Meyer) “Du Jour” essentially meaning the “flavor of the week.” It also taps into racism of the time. Rosario Dawson’s character is constantly made to feel like she does not belong in the band and with Josie as the leader, so often the Black girl gets sidelined and is only wanted for backup, but never the frontwoman.
Although this film was an obvious flop from its poor box office reception to its middling ratings on most movie sites, there is a lot to love here. I would hope that people would find things to love about Josie and the Pussycats all these years later. From the clever messaging, references, and girl power theme there is much more here than people give it credit for. Plus the fashion in this film is so fun and I remember thinking that’s how I would get to dress when I grew up. While I am slightly disappointed that this is not the case, I do love how so much of this time and place was distilled into this one insane film.
The Neon Banshee 