Seeing Double (2003 Film)
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''Seeing Double'' is a 2003 British musical-comedy film starring
British British may refer to: Peoples, culture, and language * British people, nationals or natives of the United Kingdom, British Overseas Territories and Crown Dependencies. * British national identity, the characteristics of British people and culture ...
pop-group,
S Club S Club, formerly known as S Club 7, are a British pop music, pop group formed in 1998 by Simon Fuller after he was fired as manager of the Spice Girls. Original members were Tina Barrett, Paul Cattermole, Jon Lee (actor), Jon Lee, Bradley McI ...
. Written by
Kim Fuller Kim Fuller (born 15 June 1951 in Hastings, England) is an English writer for film, radio and television. He is the brother of music manager and ''Idols'' series creator Simon Fuller. Career Kim Fuller has been writing for television for over 40 ye ...
and Paul Alexander, and directed by
Nigel Dick Nigel Dick (born 21 March 1953) is an English music video director and filmmaker. Originally from Catterick, North Yorkshire, he is based in Los Angeles, California. He has directed music videos for artists such as Britney Spears, Toto, Ba ...
, the film mostly features songs from the group's album of the same name including " Don't Stop Movin" and " Never Had a Dream Come True".


Plot

The film opens at the fictional Eagle Peak castle in
Hollywood Hollywood usually refers to: * Hollywood, Los Angeles, a neighborhood in California * Hollywood, a metonym for the cinema of the United States Hollywood may also refer to: Places United States * Hollywood District (disambiguation) * Hollywood ...
, where evil scientist Victor Gaghan is creating his
S Club S Club, formerly known as S Club 7, are a British pop music, pop group formed in 1998 by Simon Fuller after he was fired as manager of the Spice Girls. Original members were Tina Barrett, Paul Cattermole, Jon Lee (actor), Jon Lee, Bradley McI ...
clones. Meanwhile, the real S Club arrive in
Barcelona Barcelona ( ; ; ) is a city on the northeastern coast of Spain. It is the capital and largest city of the autonomous community of Catalonia, as well as the second-most populous municipality of Spain. With a population of 1.6 million within c ...
for their last show of their whirlwind tour. After spending the day promoting and performing, the group get excited about having some time off, until their manager Alistair informs them that they will be leaving for
Los Angeles Los Angeles, often referred to by its initials L.A., is the List of municipalities in California, most populous city in the U.S. state of California, and the commercial, Financial District, Los Angeles, financial, and Culture of Los Angeles, ...
at 7:00 A.M. the next morning. After the stressed-out group enter their hotel rooms, Alistair is abducted by Gaghan's assistant Susan Sealove. The next morning, the members of S Club oversleep and awaken to find Alistair gone having been left with his bill. Instead of using a credit card that Rachel finds to pay the bill, they use it on pampering themselves and after going bankrupt, they see the cloned S Club performing live on TV at a nearby cafe. After the others become disturbed to discover that Alistair is managing their uncanny lookalikes, they all decide to quickly leave the hotel and fly to L.A., only to get arrested by the police for trying to run out on the hotel bill and allegedly impersonating S Club. In jail, they learn that the warden likes to dance and to escape, they sing " Don't Stop Movin" and get to their friend Natalie. She helps them get to L.A. by disguising them as English football fans so that they can avoid getting arrested again by the Spanish police. After failing to get close to their doubles during a live concert, they decide to switch out their Hannah, Rachel and Jon for their copies during a music video shoot. Hannah, Rachel and Jon see that the Bradley, Tina and Jo clones have no belly buttons, and are exposed to their rituals of showering together, constant rehearsals, eating strange synthetic food and being brainwashed during bedtime. During a CD signing session, Rachel attempts to warn a fan to call the police, only for Alistair to confiscate the signed CD and contact Gaghan, who sends his goons to capture them and take them to his lair. Meanwhile, Bradley, Tina and Jo learn that the other members' clones are unaware of being clones themselves, and are surprised when these clones shed their ritualistic routine and enjoy simple pleasures of life for the first time, such as boomerang games, real food, drinks and sightseeing. Determined to find out who created the clones, Jo researches the internet and discovers that Gaghan, a former genetics professor who was fired for illegal cloning experiments, recently purchased S Club memorabilia online, including their underwear. When their friends fail to show up as planned after being captured by Gaghan's goons, Bradley, Tina and Jo realise that something is wrong and reveal to the other members' clones that they are copies, and urge them to overcome their programmed memories to figure out Gaghan's location. The clones make a breakthrough and remember their birthplace and Gaghan's location: Eagle Peak. Formulating a plan to enact revenge on Gaghan for the cloning, Bradley, Tina and Jo arrive at Eagle Peak with their friends' clones and run into the real Hannah, Rachel and Jon, only to be caught by Alistair while trying to escape. While the Hannah, Rachel and Jon clones run into their groupmates outside and tell them the truth of their origins, Gaghan tells the originals that he is going to take over the world through music because celebrities attract more attention than politicians, before leaving Alistair to kill the group. The clones save the group by revealing that Alistair is a clone due to his own lack of belly button and rebelling against him. In the dining area, S Club are alarmed at the clones Gaghan has created including clones of
AC/DC AC/DC are an Australian rock band formed in Sydney in 1973. Their music has been variously described as hard rock, blues rock and Heavy metal music, heavy metal, although the band calls it simply "rock and roll". They are cited as a formativ ...
's
Angus Young Angus McKinnon Young (born 31 March 1955) is an Australian musician, best known as the co-founder, lead guitarist, songwriter, and the only continuous member of the hard rock band AC/DC. He is known for his energetic performances, schoolboy-u ...
, King of Rock & Roll
Elvis Presley Elvis Aaron Presley (January 8, 1935 – August 16, 1977) was an American singer and actor. Referred to as the "King of Rock and Roll", he is regarded as Cultural impact of Elvis Presley, one of the most significant cultural figures of the ...
,
Will Smith Willard Carroll Smith II (born September 25, 1968) is an American actor, rapper, and film producer. Known for his work in both Will Smith filmography, the screen and Will Smith discography, music industries, List of awards and nominations re ...
as
Men In Black In popular culture and UFO conspiracy theories, men in black (MIB) are government agents dressed in dark suits, who question, interrogate, harass, and threaten unidentified flying object (UFO) witnesses to keep them silent about what they have ...
's Agent J,
Victoria Beckham Victoria Caroline, Lady Beckham (; born 17 April 1974) is an English fashion designer, singer, and television personality. She rose to prominence in the 1990s as a member of the pop group the Spice Girls, in which she was nicknamed Posh Spic ...
(as Posh Spice),
Robbie Williams Robert Peter Williams (born 13 February 1974) is an English singer and songwriter. He found fame as a member of the pop group Take That from 1990 to 1995, launching a solo career in 1996. His debut studio album, ''Life thru a Lens'', was re ...
,
Eminem Marshall Bruce Mathers III (born October 17, 1972), known professionally as Eminem, is an American rapper, songwriter, and record producer. Regarded as one of the greatest and most influential rappers of all time, he is credited with popula ...
, King of Pop
Michael Jackson Michael Joseph Jackson (August 29, 1958 – June 25, 2009) was an American singer, songwriter, dancer, and philanthropist. Dubbed the "King of Pop", he is regarded as Cultural impact of Michael Jackson, one of the most culturally significan ...
,
Elton John Sir Elton Hercules John (born Reginald Kenneth Dwight; 25 March 1947) is a British singer, songwriter and pianist. His music and showmanship have had a significant, lasting impact on the music industry, and his songwriting partnership with l ...
,
Madonna Madonna Louise Ciccone ( ; born August 16, 1958) is an American singer, songwriter, record producer, and actress. Referred to as the "Queen of Pop", she has been recognized for her continual reinvention and versatility in music production, ...
,
George Michael George Michael (born Georgios Kyriacos Panayiotou; 25 June 1963 – 25 December 2016) was an English singer-songwriter and record producer. Regarded as a pop culture icon, he is one of the List of best-selling music artists, best-selling rec ...
, Pop Idol star
Gareth Gates Gareth Paul Gates (born 12 July 1984) is an English singer-songwriter and actor. He was the runner-up in the first series of the ITV talent show ''Pop Idol'' in 2002. As of 2008, Gates had sold over 3.5 million records in the UK. He is ...
, and
Groucho Marx Julius Henry "Groucho" Marx (; October 2, 1890 – August 19, 1977) was an American comedian, actor, writer, and singer who performed in films and vaudeville on television, radio, and the stage. He is considered one of America's greatest comed ...
(of the
Marx Brothers The Marx Brothers were an American family comedy act known for their anarchic humor, rapid-fire wordplay, and visual gags. They achieved success in vaudeville, on Broadway, and in 14 motion pictures. The core group consisted of brothers Chi ...
), and encourage them to rebel against Gaghan for their own free will. Enraged at this, Gaghan initiates a self-destruct sequence of Eagle Peak, which threatens to kill S Club and the clones. Both S Clubs band together to save the clones and sing "Who Do You Think You Are?" whilst the Jackson clone stops Gaghan and Sealove from escaping in their helicopter, and the original group is able to stop the place from self-destructing as the clones escape. While they are alarmed by the fact that they have released a new batch of cloned pop acts into the world, clone Alistair suddenly appears and tries to kill them when suddenly the real Alistair knocks him out. Gaghan and Sealove are later arrested and the group wonder what to do with their clones when Alistair and Natalie remind them of their very busy schedules. At the end, the real S Club are seen at the beach and the clones are taking their place. They have decided that the clones will take their place when they want a holiday, and the same vice versa (it is also mentioned that the clones are getting paid in boomerangs). Nearby, the Gates clone they rescued is seen flirting with Rachel.


Cast

*
Tina Barrett Tina Ann Barrett (born 16 September 1976) is an English singer and actress. Her major breakthrough came in 1999 when she became a member of the pop group S Club. She has been a member of spin-off group S Club Allstars (previously "S Club 3") s ...
as Tina * Jon Lee as Jon *
Bradley McIntosh Bradley John McIntosh (born 8 August 1981), also known as City Boy, is an English-Jamaican singer, rapper, songwriter, actor and record producer. He is a member of the pop group S Club, where he enjoyed five years of hit singles, arena tours and ...
as Bradley *
Jo O'Meara Joanne Valda O'Meara (born 29 April 1979) is an English singer and media personality. She was a member of the pop group S Club between 1999 and 2003, which has currently reformed since 2023. O'Meara was a contestant on the Channel 4 reality s ...
as Jo *
Hannah Spearritt Hannah Louise Spearritt (born 1 April 1981)Gregory, Andy (2002) ''International Who's Who in Popular Music 2002'', Europa, , p. 478 is an English singer and actress. She is an original member of the pop group S Club. Spearritt is known for play ...
as Hannah *
Rachel Stevens Rachel Lauren Stevens (born 9 April 1978) is an English singer and actress. She has been a member of the pop group S Club, which was active from 1998 to 2003, and has reformed once again since 2023. She released her solo debut studio album ''F ...
as Rachel *
David Gant David Gant (born 12 November 1942) is a Scottish actor and model. Formerly a banker, Gant changed careers at age 30 to study dramatic art at the Royal Scottish Academy of Music and Drama in Glasgow, Scotland. Graduating in 1974, he has found ...
as Victor Gaghan *Joseph Adams as Alistair *Cristina Piaget as Susan Sealove *Meritxell Santamaria as Natalie *
Gareth Gates Gareth Paul Gates (born 12 July 1984) is an English singer-songwriter and actor. He was the runner-up in the first series of the ITV talent show ''Pop Idol'' in 2002. As of 2008, Gates had sold over 3.5 million records in the UK. He is ...
as Gareth Gates clone *Hans Juergen Richter as Carlos *Domingo Calvo as Desk sergeant *
Nigel Dick Nigel Dick (born 21 March 1953) is an English music video director and filmmaker. Originally from Catterick, North Yorkshire, he is based in Los Angeles, California. He has directed music videos for artists such as Britney Spears, Toto, Ba ...
as Director *Reg Wilson as Marcus


Production

The film had three months to be filmed in. Jo O'Meara was suffering from intense back pains at the time, meaning she was unable to be fully active during film, with several running shots of her having to be performed by a
body double In filmmaking, a double is a person who substitutes for another actor such that the person's face is not shown. There are various terms associated with a double based on the specific body part or ability they serve as a double for, such as stunt ...
. O'Meara also sat out during several dance routines, most noticeably during "Dance" where the scene had to be re-written after she was unable to perform the routine due to the back pains. During all routines in the film, O'Meara is seen sitting out of the routines, with the other five members performing the routine as a five-piece. Due to O'Meara's back pains, she did a lot of
voice over Voice-over (also known as off-camera or off-stage commentary) is a production technique used in radio, television, filmmaking, theatre, and other media in which a descriptive or expository voice that is not part of the narrative (i.e., non-d ...
work, but her
body double In filmmaking, a double is a person who substitutes for another actor such that the person's face is not shown. There are various terms associated with a double based on the specific body part or ability they serve as a double for, such as stunt ...
performed the active actions, such as the scene where O'Meara is being chased by Alsatians.


Box office

The film was released throughout the United Kingdom on 11 April 2003, after receiving its world premiere in
London London is the Capital city, capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of both England and the United Kingdom, with a population of in . London metropolitan area, Its wider metropolitan area is the largest in Wester ...
's
Leicester Square Leicester Square ( ) is a pedestrianised town square, square in the West End of London, England, and is the centre of London's entertainment district. It was laid out in 1670 as Leicester Fields, which was named after the recently built Leice ...
. The film received large publicity during a 2003 tour S Club did, alongside
S Club 8 S Club 8 (originally S Club Juniors) were a spin off of the British pop music, pop group S Club, S Club 7. The children were all in their early teens or younger when they were chosen from thousands of hopefuls on the television series ''S Club ...
. The film was also released worldwide, where it became a success mainly in the United Kingdom, where it opened at the box office at No. 4. The film marks the final appearance that S Club did with
19 Management Simon Robert Fuller (born 17 May 1960) is a British entrepreneur, artist manager, and film and television producer. He is the creator of the ''Idols'' TV format, including the British series ''Pop Idol'' and the American series ''American Id ...
which involved them acting. It also marked the movie debut of
Gareth Gates Gareth Paul Gates (born 12 July 1984) is an English singer-songwriter and actor. He was the runner-up in the first series of the ITV talent show ''Pop Idol'' in 2002. As of 2008, Gates had sold over 3.5 million records in the UK. He is ...
.


Critical reception

The film received negative reviews. Reception was positive from Shannon Nutt of
DVD Talk DVD Talk is a home video news and review website launched in 1999 by Geoffrey Kleinman. History Kleinman founded the site in January 1999 in Beaverton, Oregon. Besides news and reviews, it features information on hidden DVD features known as ...
. Neil Smith of the
BBC The British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) is a British public service broadcaster headquartered at Broadcasting House in London, England. Originally established in 1922 as the British Broadcasting Company, it evolved into its current sta ...
criticized it being a “cynical, cheaply assembled caper".


Home release

The film was released on DVD in the United Kingdom and United States as well as in Latin America, Spain, France, Ireland, Portugal, Italy, Germany, Greece, and Japan. The DVD went to number one in Spain and France. It made Top 10 in the U.S., U.K. & Ireland in the Children's DVD/Video Sales category. The DVD was re-released on 3 March 2008 in the UK, five years after its theatrical release. The re-released DVD maintained the same format as the previous one. After re-release, ''Seeing Double'' made the Children's Top 10 DVD Chart. The S Club ''Seeing Double'' album has received BPI Platinum Certification as of November 2010.


Television broadcasts

''Seeing Double'' had its UK television premiere in 2005 when Channel 5 screened it at 6:05pm. The film achieved 1.1 million viewers, making it Five's most-watched children-based film. Both
Sky One Sky One was a British pay television channel operated and owned by Sky Group (a division of Comcast). Originally launched on 26 April 1982 as Satellite Television, it was Europe's first satellite and non- terrestrial channel. From 31 July 1989, ...
and
Disney Channel UK Disney Channel was a children's pay television channel that operated in the UK and Ireland from 1 October 1995 to 1 October 2020 as the variant of the namesake American television channel. It was owned and operated by The Walt Disney Company ...
subsequently showed the film. Disney Channel omitting the bloopers included in the film credits. It also aired in the Republic of Ireland on
RTÉ2 RTÉ2 (formerly branded as RTÉ 2 from 1978–88, Network 2 from 1988–97, N2 from 1997–2004 and RTÉ Two from 2004–14) is an Irish free-to-air television channel operated by public service broadcaster RTÉ. It was launched on 2 Novemb ...
and in India on
HBO Home Box Office (HBO) is an American pay television service, which is the flagship property of namesake parent-subsidiary Home Box Office, Inc., itself a unit owned by Warner Bros. Discovery. The overall Home Box Office business unit is based a ...
.


References


External links

* {{S Club 7 2000s British films 2000s English-language films 2003 films British fantasy comedy films Columbia Pictures films Films about cloning Films based on television series Films directed by Nigel Dick S Club 7