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''Sparkle'' is a 2012 American
musical film Musical film is a film genre in which songs by the Character (arts), characters are interwoven into the narrative, sometimes accompanied by dancing. The songs usually advance the plot or develop the film's characters, but in some cases, they serv ...
directed by Salim Akil and produced by Stage 6 Films. It was released on August 17, 2012, by
TriStar Pictures TriStar Pictures, Inc. (spelled as Tri-Star until 1991) is an American film studio and production company that is part of the Sony Pictures Motion Picture Group, which is part of the Japanese conglomerate Sony, Sony Group Corporation. The compan ...
. Inspired by
The Supremes The Supremes were an American girl group formed in Detroit, Michigan, in 1959 as the Primettes. A premier act of Motown Records during the 1960s, the Supremes were the most commercially successful of Motown's acts and the most successful Amer ...
, ''Sparkle'' is a remake of the 1976 film of the same title, which centered on three singing teenage sisters who form a girl group in the late 1950s. The remake takes place in Detroit, Michigan, in 1968 during the
Motown Motown is an American record label owned by the Universal Music Group. Founded by Berry Gordy, Berry Gordy Jr. as Tamla Records on January 12, 1959, it was incorporated as Motown Record Corporation on April 14, 1960. Its name, a portmanteau ...
era. The film stars
Jordin Sparks Jordin Sparks (born December 22, 1989) is an American singer and actress. She rose to fame in 2007 after winning the American Idol (season 6), sixth season of ''American Idol'' at age 17, becoming the youngest winner in the series' history. He ...
,
Whitney Houston Whitney Elizabeth Houston (August 9, 1963 – February 11, 2012) was an American singer, actress, film producer, model, and philanthropist. Commonly referred to as "Honorific nicknames in popular music, the Voice", she is List of awards and no ...
,
Derek Luke Derek Nathanial Luke (born April 24, 1974) is an American actor. He won the Independent Spirit Award for his big-screen debut performance as the titular character in the 2002 film '' Antwone Fisher'', directed and produced by Denzel Washingto ...
, Cee Lo Green,
Mike Epps Michael Elliot Epps (born November 18, 1970) is an American stand-up comedian and actor. He played Day-Day Jones in '' Next Friday'' and its sequel, '' Friday After Next'', and also appeared in ''The Hangover'' and '' The Hangover Part III'' as ...
, Carmen Ejogo, Tika Sumpter, Tamela Mann, and Omari Hardwick. ''Sparkle'' features songs from the original film written by soul musician
Curtis Mayfield Curtis Lee Mayfield (June 3, 1942 – December 26, 1999) was an American singer-songwriter, guitarist, and record producer. Dubbed the " Gentle Genius", he is considered one of the most influential musicians of soul and socially conscious Afric ...
as well as new compositions by R&B artist R. Kelly. This film is the debut of R&B/pop singer and ''
American Idol ''American Idol'' is an American Music competition, singing competition television series created by Simon Fuller, produced by Fremantle (company), Fremantle North America and 19 Entertainment, and distributed by Fremantle North America. It a ...
'' winner
Jordin Sparks Jordin Sparks (born December 22, 1989) is an American singer and actress. She rose to fame in 2007 after winning the American Idol (season 6), sixth season of ''American Idol'' at age 17, becoming the youngest winner in the series' history. He ...
as an actress. ''Sparkle'' also marks Houston's final feature film role before her death on February 11, 2012, three months after filming ended. The film is dedicated to her memory.


Plot

In 1968 Detroit, the Anderson sisters – eldest Tammy aka "Sister", middle child Delores aka "Dee", and Sparkle, the youngest – are approached by aspiring record label executive Stix to form a girl group after he sees Sister perform a song that Sparkle wrote at a nightclub. The girls are raised by their mother Emma, who disapproves of her daughters singing outside of church. Dee agrees to join the group, reasoning she will perform until she has earned enough money to pay for medical school. Though Sister is initially undecided, Sparkle convinces her that if they win a local talent show, she could use the prize money to finally move out of Emma's home. Stix becomes romantically involved with Sparkle, and his cousin Levi also becomes involved with Sister. With Stix as their manager, the girls enter the talent show and wow the crowd with their performance of "Hooked on Your Love". The sisters become a popular act and are invited to perform at clubs throughout Detroit. Sister gains the attention of comedian Satin Struthers, whom Sister dumps Levi for. When a newly engaged Sister brings Satin over for a family dinner, an argument erupts after Satin makes insulting remarks and Emma makes her dislike for him known to everyone at the table. In response, Sister lashes out at Emma, criticizing her for having her as a teen, which left Sister to raise her sisters as Emma was out
drinking Drinking is the act of ingesting water or other liquids into the body through the mouth, proboscis, or elsewhere. Humans drink by swallowing, completed by peristalsis in the esophagus. The physiological processes of drinking vary widely among ...
and trying to pursue a music career. Sister leaves with Satin and Emma banishes her from returning home. As the girls' fame continues to rise, Sister's relationship with Satin becomes physically abusive, to the point that she spirals into drug abuse. This becomes apparent to Dee and Sparkle when, in preparation to open for
Aretha Franklin Aretha Louise Franklin ( ; March 25, 1942 – August 16, 2018) was an American singer, songwriter and pianist. Honored as the "Honorific nicknames in popular music, Queen of Soul", she was twice named by ''Rolling Stone'' magazine as the Roll ...
on a television show, Sister walks into the dressing room with a black eye and bruises. The girls manage to perform "Something He Can Feel". Emma catches a glimpse of their performance on television but is resentful that her daughters have gone against her wishes to pursue singing. Stix introduces the girls to Larry Robinson, a
Columbia Records Columbia Records is an American reco ...
executive who offers to sign them as a group. Dee and Sparkle try to get Sister to leave Satin and come back home with them, but are unsuccessful. At home, Sparkle's relationship with Emma becomes increasingly strained as she is pressured into abandoning her love of singing. A meeting with Columbia is derailed when Dee and Sparkle find Sister in a back room looking for a cocaine fix. At Satin and Sister's home, Dee and Sparkle plead for Sister to leave and get help for her drug problem. When Satin shows up and punches Sparkle, the girls fight him. Satin is struck by Dee with a fireplace poker and falls unconscious. Though Dee tries to administer CPR, they realize he is dead. Sister orders Sparkle and Dee to leave the house and accepts blame when police arrive. Hearing that Sister has been arrested and charged with
manslaughter Manslaughter is a common law legal term for homicide considered by law as less culpable than murder. The distinction between murder and manslaughter is sometimes said to have first been made by the ancient Athenian lawmaker Draco in the 7th ce ...
, Emma leads her church choir in a performance of " His Eye is on the Sparrow". She arrives home to find Dee packing up to leave, with her revealing she was accepted to Meharry Medical College and must enroll promptly to receive her scholarship money. Emma proudly hugs Dee before she departs. Sparkle visits Sister in prison, confiding she turned down a marriage proposal from Stix and broke up with him. Later, Sparkle moves out of Emma's home and rents her own apartment. She secures a meeting with Larry at Columbia and convinces him to give her a shot at a solo career, on the condition that she first put on a musical showcase. Sparkle reaches out to Stix to help her set up the showcase, and the couple eventually rekindle their relationship. Sparkle also extends an invitation to her mother to see the show, but Emma seems uninterested. Emma goes to visit Sister in prison and the two reconcile. While getting ready for her showcase, Sparkle suffers a nose bleed in the dressing room, ruining her dress. To Sparkle's surprise, Emma walks in with a new dress for her and expresses pride in Sparkle for following her dreams. Sparkle goes on stage and performs "One Wing", a song which she dedicates to Sister. A proud Emma watches in the audience while Stix and Larry watch from the side. Larry informs Stix that he wants to sign Sparkle. The closing credits show Sparkle continuing her set with the performance of "Love Will".


Cast

*
Jordin Sparks Jordin Sparks (born December 22, 1989) is an American singer and actress. She rose to fame in 2007 after winning the American Idol (season 6), sixth season of ''American Idol'' at age 17, becoming the youngest winner in the series' history. He ...
as Sparkle Anderson *
Whitney Houston Whitney Elizabeth Houston (August 9, 1963 – February 11, 2012) was an American singer, actress, film producer, model, and philanthropist. Commonly referred to as "Honorific nicknames in popular music, the Voice", she is List of awards and no ...
as Emma Anderson, the girls' strict mother. Emma is a failed entertainer, now
born-again To be born again, or to experience the new birth, is a phrase, particularly in evangelical Christianity, that refers to a "spiritual rebirth", or a regeneration of the human spirit. In contrast to one's physical birth, being "born again" is d ...
church lady. *
Derek Luke Derek Nathanial Luke (born April 24, 1974) is an American actor. He won the Independent Spirit Award for his big-screen debut performance as the titular character in the 2002 film '' Antwone Fisher'', directed and produced by Denzel Washingto ...
as Stix * Carmen Ejogo as Tammy (Sister) Anderson. The eldest sister, a divorcée who returns home to her mother and sisters. * Tika Sumpter as Delores (Dee) Anderson. The middle sister, who is politically outspoken and is accepted into Meharry Medical College. *
Mike Epps Michael Elliot Epps (born November 18, 1970) is an American stand-up comedian and actor. He played Day-Day Jones in '' Next Friday'' and its sequel, '' Friday After Next'', and also appeared in ''The Hangover'' and '' The Hangover Part III'' as ...
as Satin Struthers. Satin is a self-hating stand-up comedian, who earns money off making black people the butt of his jokes. * Omari Hardwick as Levi * Cee Lo Green as Black *
Curtis Armstrong Curtis Johnathan Armstrong (born November 27, 1953) is an American actor. He is best known for playing the role of Booger in the '' Revenge of the Nerds'' films, Herbert Viola on the TV series '' Moonlighting'', Miles Dalby in the film '' Risky ...
as Larry Robinson * Terrence J as Red * Tamela Mann as Ms. Sara Waters, Emma's best friend * Brely Evans as Tune Ann Waters * Michael Beach as Reverend Bryce * Kem L. Owens as Buddy * Goapele as Girl group lead singer * Fatima Robinson, Keely Morris as Girl group backup singers * Brittany Perry Russell, Charmaine Jordan as Sparkle's backup singers


Production


Development

The original ''Sparkle'', produced by The Robert Stigwood Organization in 1975 and released by
Warner Bros. Pictures Warner Bros. Pictures is an American film studio and distribution arm of the Warner Bros. Motion Picture Group division of Warner Bros., both of which are owned by Warner Bros. Discovery. It is headquartered at the Warner Bros. Studios complex ...
in 1976, starred Philip Michael Thomas,
Irene Cara Irene Cara Escalera (March 18, 1959 – November 25, 2022) was an American singer and actress who rose to prominence for her role as Coco Hernandez in the 1980 musical film '' Fame'', and for recording the film's title song " Fame", which reach ...
,
Lonette McKee Lonette Rita McKee (born July 22, 1954) is an American actress and singer. She made her big screen debut starring as Sister Williams in the original 1976 musical-drama film '' Sparkle''. McKee later appeared in films '' Which Way Is Up?'' (1977) ...
and
Mary Alice Mary Alice Smith (December 3, 1936 – July 27, 2022), known professionally as Mary Alice, was an American television, film, and stage actress. Alice was known for her roles as Leticia "Lettie" Bostic on the sitcom ''A Different World'' (1987� ...
, with songs and score composed and produced by
Curtis Mayfield Curtis Lee Mayfield (June 3, 1942 – December 26, 1999) was an American singer-songwriter, guitarist, and record producer. Dubbed the " Gentle Genius", he is considered one of the most influential musicians of soul and socially conscious Afric ...
. One song from the ''Sparkle'' soundtrack, " Something He Can Feel", became a hit single for both
Aretha Franklin Aretha Louise Franklin ( ; March 25, 1942 – August 16, 2018) was an American singer, songwriter and pianist. Honored as the "Honorific nicknames in popular music, Queen of Soul", she was twice named by ''Rolling Stone'' magazine as the Roll ...
(in 1976) and
En Vogue En Vogue is an American vocal girl group whose original lineup consisted of singers Terry Ellis, Dawn Robinson, Cindy Herron, and Maxine Jones. Formed in Oakland, California, in 1989, En Vogue reached No. 2 on the US Hot 100 with the singl ...
(in 1992). Howard Rosenman, an original producer and writer on the 1976 film, said Whitney Houston was influenced by the original movie as a girl and once went to see it every day for a week when she was a teenager, inspiring her to become a singer. In the mid-1990s, BrownHouse Productions, run by
Whitney Houston Whitney Elizabeth Houston (August 9, 1963 – February 11, 2012) was an American singer, actress, film producer, model, and philanthropist. Commonly referred to as "Honorific nicknames in popular music, the Voice", she is List of awards and no ...
and Debra Martin Chase, secured the rights to a ''Sparkle'' remake from Warner Bros. When the remake was put into development, Rosenman approached Houston to play the role of Emma. Rosenman also served as an executive producer for the remake. Houston had cast R&B singer
Aaliyah Aaliyah Dana Haughton ( ; January 16, 1979 – August 25, 2001) was an American singer, actress, dancer, and model. Known as the " Princess of R&B" and "Queen of Urban Pop", she is credited with helping to redefine contemporary R&B, p ...
in the lead role as Sparkle, but due to Aaliyah's untimely death in an August 2001 plane crash at the age of 22, the film's production plans were put on hold. Over the years, multiple actresses and singers, including
Raven-Symoné Raven-Symoné Christina Pearman-Maday (; born December 10, 1985), also known as Raven, is an American actress, singer, and director. She has received List of awards and nominations received by Raven-Symoné, several accolades, including five ...
and Ashanti, were also considered for the lead role. Following the 2011 release of their first feature, '' Jumping the Broom'', Salim Akil and Mara Brock Akil, the creative team behind the TV series '' The Game'' and '' Girlfriends'', took on ''Sparkle'' as their next project, with Houston executive producing and starring as the mother of the three girls.


Filming

Production for the film began in October 2011 in Detroit and wrapped mid-November. The official trailer for ''Sparkle'' premiered on ''
Today Today (archaically to-day) may refer to: * The current day and calendar date ** Today is between and , subject to the local time zone * Now, the time that is perceived directly, present * The current, present era Arts, entertainment and m ...
'' on April 2, 2012. With the release of the trailer, producer Debra Martin Chase said she had mixed emotions, commenting, "On the one hand, I'm so excited about the movie and we're really happy with how it turned out. ut with this being..Whitney's last performance, it's hard. It's hard."


Release

In December 2011,
Sony is a Japanese multinational conglomerate (company), conglomerate headquartered at Sony City in Minato, Tokyo, Japan. The Sony Group encompasses various businesses, including Sony Corporation (electronics), Sony Semiconductor Solutions (i ...
announced the United States release date for ''Sparkle'' would be set for August 10, 2012. This was later pushed back by a week to August 17, 2012, due to
Whitney Houston Whitney Elizabeth Houston (August 9, 1963 – February 11, 2012) was an American singer, actress, film producer, model, and philanthropist. Commonly referred to as "Honorific nicknames in popular music, the Voice", she is List of awards and no ...
's death.


Home media

The film was released on DVD and
Blu-ray Blu-ray (Blu-ray Disc or BD) is a digital optical disc data storage format designed to supersede the DVD format. It was invented and developed in 2005 and released worldwide on June 20, 2006, capable of storing several hours of high-defin ...
Disc on November 30, 2012.


Reception

On review aggregator
Rotten Tomatoes Rotten Tomatoes is an American review aggregator, review-aggregation website for film and television. The company was launched in August 1998 by three undergraduate students at the University of California, Berkeley: Senh Duong, Patrick Y. Lee ...
, the film has a 57% approval rating based on 93 reviews. The site's critical consensus states: "While undeniably melodramatic and old-fashioned, ''Sparkle'' transcends its formulaic trappings thanks to Salim Akil's empathetic direction and strong performances from a committed cast".
Metacritic Metacritic is an American website that aggregates reviews of films, television shows, music albums, video games, and formerly books. For each product, the scores from each review are averaged (a weighted average). Metacritic was created ...
, another review aggregator, assigned the film a weighted average score of 55 out of 100 based on 25 reviews from mainstream critics, considered to be "mixed or average reviews". Critical praise has been particularly been given to Carmen Ejogo's performance. Film critic
Roger Ebert Roger Joseph Ebert ( ; June 18, 1942 – April 4, 2013) was an American Film criticism, film critic, film historian, journalist, essayist, screenwriter and author. He wrote for the ''Chicago Sun-Times'' from 1967 until his death in 2013. Eber ...
of ''
The Chicago Sun-Times The ''Chicago Sun-Times'' is a daily Non-profit journalism, nonprofit newspaper published in Chicago, Illinois, United States. Since 2022, it is the flagship paper of Chicago Public Media, and has long held the second largest circulation am ...
'' awarded the film 3 stars, claiming Ejogo "steals the film not only in her sultry singing numbers but in her violent marriage to a snaky, evil comedian named Satin." While giving the film a negative review, ''
The Globe and Mail ''The Globe and Mail'' is a Newspapers in Canada, Canadian newspaper printed in five cities in Western Canada, western and central Canada. With a weekly readership of more than 6 million in 2024, it is Canada's most widely read newspaper on week ...
'' critic Courtney Shea stated Ejogo, in comparison to Sparks' performance, was "in fact more dynamic, sexy and, dare we say, Bootylicious than the real thing – plays hardened vulnerability to perfection, so much so that you wonder (given her 38 years) where Hollywood has been hiding her." Mick LaSalle of the ''
San Francisco Chronicle The ''San Francisco Chronicle'' is a newspaper serving primarily the San Francisco Bay Area of Northern California. It was founded in 1865 as ''The Daily Dramatic Chronicle'' by teenage brothers Charles de Young and M. H. de Young, Michael H. ...
'' went as far as to suggest in his review that Ejogo's performance might place her under serious consideration for a Best Supporting Actress Oscar nomination. LaSalle comments: "...very few people will walk out of ''Sparkle'' talking about either Sparks or Houston, at least not at first. Instead they will be saying, "Who was that?" And they'll be referring to Carmen Ejogo...If there is any justice, Ejogo will become very famous very soon. As in, maybe today...It's rare to see someone become a movie star right before your eyes, but that's what happens with Ejogo in ''Sparkle.''...For an actress, this was the opportunity of a lifetime, and Ejogo plays it that way. She leaves nothing out, holds nothing back."


Soundtrack

The soundtrack's first official lead single is the last song recorded by Whitney Houston before she died on February 11, 2012, a duet with R&B/pop singer and ''
American Idol ''American Idol'' is an American Music competition, singing competition television series created by Simon Fuller, produced by Fremantle (company), Fremantle North America and 19 Entertainment, and distributed by Fremantle North America. It a ...
'' winner
Jordin Sparks Jordin Sparks (born December 22, 1989) is an American singer and actress. She rose to fame in 2007 after winning the American Idol (season 6), sixth season of ''American Idol'' at age 17, becoming the youngest winner in the series' history. He ...
on a song called " Celebrate". The song premiered on ''
On Air with Ryan Seacrest ''On Air with Ryan Seacrest'' is a weekday radio syndication, syndicated radio program hosted by Ryan Seacrest. It was launched in 2004 as a drive time show at the same time on Los Angeles contemporary hit radio, Top 40 station 102.7 KIIS-FM a ...
'' on May 21, 2012 and was made available for digital download on iTunes on June 5. Whitney Houston's other track, " His Eye Is On The Sparrow", debuted only one day after the premiere of "Celebrate". The official music video for Celebrate was filmed on May 30, 2012. It made its world premiere on BET's 106 & Park on June 27, 2012. For the week ending August 18, 2012 '' Sparkle: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack'' debuted on the
Billboard 200 The ''Billboard'' 200 is a record chart ranking the 200 most popular music albums and EPs in the United States. It is published weekly by '' Billboard'' magazine to convey the popularity of an artist or groups of artists. Sometimes, a rec ...
at number 26, number 7 on the ''Billboard''
Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs The Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart ranks the most popular R&B and hip hop songs in the United States and is published weekly by '' Billboard''. Rankings are based on a measure of radio airplay, sales data, and streaming activity. The chart had 100 ...
and at number 1 on the ''Billboard'' Soundtracks chart.


Other media

In August 2012, Howard Rosenman reported that novelization rights of the movie were sold to
Simon & Schuster Simon & Schuster LLC (, ) is an American publishing house owned by Kohlberg Kravis Roberts since 2023. It was founded in New York City in 1924, by Richard L. Simon and M. Lincoln Schuster. Along with Penguin Random House, Hachette Book Group US ...
. The book, written by Denene Millner, was published on August 7, 2012. Rosenman had also announced plans to team with director
Joel Schumacher Joel T. Schumacher (; August 29, 1939 – June 22, 2020) was an American film director, producer and screenwriter. Raised in New York City by his mother, Schumacher graduated from Parsons School of Design and originally became a fashion designe ...
, one of the screenwriters of the original 1976 film, to add five new songs by
Curtis Mayfield Curtis Lee Mayfield (June 3, 1942 – December 26, 1999) was an American singer-songwriter, guitarist, and record producer. Dubbed the " Gentle Genius", he is considered one of the most influential musicians of soul and socially conscious Afric ...
(in the original) and R. Kelly (in the 2012 version) for a Broadway musical of ''Sparkle''. R. Kelly was incarcerated in 2019 on federal charges including
sex trafficking Sex trafficking is human trafficking for the purpose of sexual exploitation. Perpetrators of the crime are called sex traffickers or pimps—people who manipulate victims to engage in various forms of commercial sex with paying customers. Se ...
of minors and
racketeering Racketeering is a type of organized crime in which the perpetrators set up a coercion, coercive, fraud, fraudulent, extortionary, or otherwise illegal coordinated scheme or operation (a "racket") to repeatedly or consistently collect a profit. ...
. Furthermore, Schumacher died in 2020. To date, no further developments on a Broadway show have been made.


See also

* List of black films of the 2010s


References


External links

* * * * * * * * {{The Supremes 2012 films 2010s musical drama films Remakes of American films American musical drama films African-American musical films African-American films Films about music and musicians Films set in Detroit Films set in 1968 TriStar Pictures films 2012 drama films 2010s English-language films 2010s American films Films about girl groups Films about mother–daughter relationships Films about sisters Films about domestic violence English-language musical drama films 2012 musical films Stage 6 Films films