Wisegirls News Articles

[Raychel Rocks]

Here are some compiled news articles all about Wisegirls the movie...from MC Archives

CAREY WITH A JOB ON THE SIDE
(May 11, 2001)

Mariah Carey continues as an actress. She appears as many other huge celebrities at the film-festival in Cannes at this time. She's revlieled that she has gotten a part in an independent gangster-movie.
Carey is set to play a waitress in the movie "Wisegirls" with Oscar-winner Mira Sorvino ("Mimic") and Melora Walters ("Magnolia"). The movie is a comedy where a restaurant with connections with the mob is the setting. The three girls are working together in the restaurant.
"Wisegirls" is not her debut as an actress. Last year she played the main character in the semi-biographical movie "All that glitters". The movie illustrates Mariah's life. She plays a young singer who wants to become a star and dates a DJ who helps her get into the buisness.
Mariah is set to play a streetwise girl who knows the dark secret of the restaurant. The producer of the movie, Nigel Sinclair, explains to the NME, she can't reveal anything because her waitress friends are already mixed up in the mob after a series of awful events.
The shooting is just around the corner. David Anspaugh is set to direct the movie, with a pricetag that reads 10 million dollars.

(Dagbladet)


"WISEGIRL" POWER!
(May 11, 2001)

Mariah Carey is to star in a gangster film, she announced at the Cannes Film Festival. The diva will play a waitress in "Wisegirls" alongside Oscar-winning actress Mira Sorvino in the Mafia comedy set in a restaurant which has links to the Mob. "Wisegirls" will be Carey's second film starring role, following her appearance as a budding singer in the semi-autobiographical "All That Glitters".
Nigel Sinclair, one of "Wisegirls" producers explained that in the film Carey' will play "a streetwise girl who knows the dark secret of the restaurant but her two waitress friends are initiated into the Mob world after some gruesome events." The film is expected to start shooting soon.

(NME.com)


WISEGIRLS - THE NEW MOVIE
(May 30, 2001)

So, I guess you know by now that Mariah has signed up to do a new movie? But I bet you didn't know she already started with it! Yes, Mariah has spent the last 3-4 days all the way up in Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada. This is the second movie Mariah films in Canada, the first of course being, "Glitter". Any Canadians out there? Let us know if you spot her! The name of the movie is "Wisegirls". Nigel Sinclair, one of "Wisegirls" producers, explained that in the film Mariah will play "a streetwise girl who knows the dark secret of a restaurant but her two waitress friends are initiated into the Mob work after some gruesome events." Apparently, the seemingly respectable Italian restaurant is a front for Mob activities. In "Wisegirls," Mariah will appear alongside Oscar-winner Mira Sorvino and newcomer Melora Walters. Mira Sorvino won the prestigious Academy Award for Best Actress in a supporting role with the 1995 movie "Mighty Aphrodite". Of course Mariah also won an Oscar with "When You Believe", but that honor was credited to the songwriter.
Will the movie be good? Well, it has Mariah - so of course! It also has an Oscar-winning actress, and the production company behind it happens to be Lions Gate, which has generated more Academy Award, Golden Globe and Independent Spirit nominations for its movies than any other unaligned independent studio. The movie has got a budget of around 10 million dollars.

(MariahCarey.com)


TOO BUSY FOR WORDS
(May 30, 2001)


© Mario Testino
Mariah - she's just too busy for words; last week she spent in Canada filming her new movie "Wisegirls." While there she also had time to edit the new video for Loverboy! This week she is in New York to do photoshoots and interviews for the Glitter album AND at the same time work on remixes for Loverboy. Let's hope she gets some time to relax in her new apartment too. Mariah is doing photoshoots with, amongst others, Mario Testino. Mario is a famous fashion photographer who mostly works with models. He has done numerous campaigns for Gucci, Versace, Missoni and others.

(MariahCarey.com)


SORVINO DENIES CATFIGHT
(August 3, 2001)

Despite recent reports of an on-set wrestling match, Mira Sorvino says she and Mariah Carey were as close as, um, salt and pepper during the making of the film Wisegirls. Sorvino on Friday lashed out at the "irresponsible journalism" behind a People magazine report quoting a producer who said Carey "threw a salt shaker" at Sorvino and then wrestled with her, after the troubled songbird showed up late to the set of their Mob movie.
"No physical fight ever occurred between us and the idea is as insulting as it is laughable," Sorvino says in a statement. "We finished the film dancing at an impromptu wrap party in high spirits and exchanged gifts and warmest goodbyes. My heart goes out to her and I am praying for her speedy recovery."
Both Carey and Sorvino's publicists acknowledged that "words were exchanged" between the costars after Carey was late to the set one day. But Sorvino's rep says the incident was "ridiculously blown up" and never turned physical. The People story quoted Wisegirls producer Billy Blake, who said the two women got into a scuffle during the first week of filming. "They wrestled to the floor," he told the magazine.
But just as soon as the spice-throwing spat got picked up by other media, retractions quickly followed. Blake issued a statement Thursday denying knowledge of the battle. "I do not have firsthand information of any altercation between Mariah Carey and Mira Sorvino as I was not on the set that day," he said.
Sorvino released her own statement denying the brawl - and wishing Mariah the best. "I am terribly concerned for Mariah," Sorvino's statement reads. "I enjoyed my experience with her on Wisegirls, and witnessed firsthand how incredibly talented and hard working she is; flying in and out on weekends faithfully fulfilling her numerous obligations in both the film and music industry."
Wisegirls producer Anthony Esposito, who was on the set of the film in Nova Scotia, also refuted the wrestling story. "They got along very well, and it's unfounded," he tells E! Online. "It would have destroyed my film if it were true."
Despite the denials, People magazine stands by its quote. "Billy Blake told us he had this from eight different eyewitnesses who called him immediately after the incident," says People senior editor Ken Miller. "As a producer of the film, we felt he hardly had an axe to grind."
Wisegirls, tentatively scheduled for release next February, was just one of many projects Carey had undertaken before her hospitalization last week for an "emotional and physical breakdown". Filming on Wisegirls wrapped last month. But with Carey's other new film, Glitter, and its accompanying soundtrack coming out this month, the breakneck schedule led her to leave a rambling message on her official Website before checking into an undisclosed hospital, where she's been under psychiatric care.
Carey's publicist Cindi Berger told E! Online Friday that the octave-shattering singer is "still in the hospital, and she's resting and improving daily." Esposito says that when he spent time with Carey during the Wisegirls shoot, it was clear she had been pushing herself to the limit. After a day of shooting on the film, he says Carey would often just keep on working into the night. "My wife and I looked at her and we could tell she was totally exhausted then," he says. "She's very grounded and very caring... but this is a person that never, ever relaxes."

(E! Online)

[Raychel Rocks]

CURTAIN UP ON SUNDANCE FESTIVAL
(January 12, 2002)

Many thanks to Patty

The Laramie Project, a film documenting a town's response to a real-life gay-bashing murder, has opened this year's Sundance Film Festival in the US. The opening-night ceremony of what has grown to become one of the world's largest showcases of independent film took place at Salt Lake City's Abravanel Hall.
Sundance co-founder Robert Redford took to the stage to praise The Laramie Project for dealing with socially relevant issues. The film chronicles the reaction of residents in the town of Laramie, Wyoming, to the grisly murder of gay college student Matthew Shephard.
In October 1998, Shephard was lured by two men from a bar, kidnapped, tethered to a fence, beaten and left to die. It was a case that shocked the nation and became a rallying point for groups fighting hate crimes. The film stars a large ensemble cast that includes Steve Buscemi, Peter Fonda, Laura Linney, Camryn Manheim and Christina Ricci in a production brought together by theatre writer and director Moses Kaufman.
Originally, The Laramie Project was a stage work featuring an acting troupe that travelled to Laramie to interview residents. Each actor then used transcripts of conversations to create a play that revealed the inside story of the town's hate crime. The film adaptation chronicles the acting troupe's visit to Laramie.
It is powerful cinema, portraying both bigotry and tolerance in Middle America. Ted Hope, the film's co-executive producer sees it as significant that the world's leading independent film festival has chosen this picture as its high-profile opening event. Hope says: "It is a tale about a hate crime - a hate crime where the victim was murdered because he happened to be gay. I think Sundance is being very courageous to open with what I would call a political movie as opposed to a feelgood film."
Some filmmakers are concerned that The Laramie Project is opening a film festival with a picture that is going to be shown on the pay cable TV network HBO, not in cinemas. But Ted Hope defends the placement of a made-for-TV movie as the event to open a major film festival. He says: "I think for far too long filmmakers have had a fetish for a theatrical release. Some of the most inventive and courageous filmmaking of recent years has been done on HBO."
He also claims his picture will get a far bigger audience on HBO than it would as just another independent film at Sundance. The Sundance festival has never been a light and frothy showcase. But this year, with films like The Laramie Project being screened, as well as other serious works, it seems to be tackling more weighty matters.
Another made-for-TV movie, Bloody Sunday, has stirred controversy even before its Sundance première, on Tuesday night. The film uses civilian witnesses to recount what happened in Londonderry on 30 January 1972, when 13 civil rights demonstrators were killed by British soldiers. Bloody Sunday, which will be shown on ITV1 in the UK, has provoked an outcry from critics who claim it "pillories" the British army.
Robert Redford clearly welcomes independent cinema tackling contentious subject matter. He believes independent filmmakers can afford to take risks and chances because they are not hampered by the restrictions of the commercial world.
In referring to the recent terrorist attacks on America, he told the opening-night crowd: "There's a new sensibility forged after that time - a new kind of sensitivity, perhaps a new search. Independent film, I think, provides a nice vehicle for that search."
As always, the celebrity quotient will be high in this snowbound resort, with movies starring Nicole Kidman, Jodie Foster, Robin Williams, Jennifer Aniston and Mariah Carey. Mariah Carey will be at Sundance on Sunday night to promote Wisegirls, a movie in which she plays a waitress alongside Mira Sorvino. Her promoters say her performance in Wisegirls definitely outshines her role in Glitter, her last movie role, which was not well received.
Another singer, Britney Spears, will be the subject of a Sundance picture called Britney, Baby, One More Time, which is based on real events involving Robert Stephens, a Britney impersonator. So, along with all the serious films, festival attendees can expect a modicum of light relief in 10 days of densely packed multiple screenings and premières until the festival ends on 20 January.

(BBC News)


WISEGIRLS PREMIERES AT SUNDANCE FESTIVAL
(January 14, 2002)

It's Sundance time again, and the Cole Harbour mobster flick that led up to Mariah Carey's meltdown is among the film festival's special screenings. Wisegirls premieres tomorrow, with four more screenings at the event in Park City, Utah. It won't hit regular movie theatres until summertime, but already has a catchy marketing slogan: "Mira. Mariah. Melora. Mayhem."
That was the case behind the scenes too, with reports of a big blowout between Carey and Oscar-winning costar Mira Sorvino. Most of the $10-million indie feature was shot in Main Street's old Beaver Lumber warehouse, transformed into a New Jersey mob restaurant, where Carey played Raychel, a drug-dealing waitress who witnesses a major crime.
Less than a month after the film wrapped in June, the distraught diva was hospitalized for a physical and emotional breakdown, blaming it on her exhausting schedule. Wisegirls came on the heels of filming Glitter and recording its soundtrack, and she faced a daunting promotion schedule.
The 31-year-old star seems back on track now, and busier than ever. She was on Ally McBeal this week, she's been offered a lead role on a new sitcom, she'll sing the U.S. anthem at the coming Super Bowl, and on Tuesday, she plugged Wisegirls on Entertainment Tonight.
Though Glitter was mocked by critics, the new film is already getting raves. It's "brimming with a Noo Yawk pizzazz and style," film critic Geoffrey Gilmore reports on the filmfest's official Web site, www.sundance.org, adding director David Anspaugh got sparkling performances from a great cast.
"With the cumulative energies of the multitalented Sorvino, a dead-on acting spot by Mariah Carey and another strong turn by Melora Walters, Wisegirls is a fun twist on an underworld universe that is sexy, sharp-witted, and terrific entertainment," Gilmore writes.

(Halifax Daily News)


MARIAH HATERS BOOED AT SUNDANCE
(January 16, 2002)

A dark-sunglassed Mariah Carey and Cerruti-clad Mira Sorvino (returning to Park City for the first time since her debut film, Amongst Friends) received plenty of attention when they attended the Sunday-afternoon premiere of Wisegirls, also at the Eccles. The women play NYC waitrons who take on the mob. Carey fans drove in from across the state and beyond to see her, even though one party pooper tried to spoil the girls' big day by shouting, "Mariah sucks!" while the diva worked the press line. Fellow audience members booed the heckler into submission. Unfazed, Mariah said she's addicted to the creative challenges of acting.
"Definitely," she said. "I wanted to work in an environment that was really about being free and being able to explore a totally different side of my creative self, and play a character so unlike me, and grow and evolve as an artist."
Early reports... aren't bad (I'm still skeptical). So, can she leave Glitter behind? "This is a completely different girl," Mariah said. "This has nothing to do with that!"

(Eonline)

Many thanks to Eran.

MARIAH CAREY GLITTERS IN MOB DRAMA
(January 16, 2002)

Second time out as an actress proves luckier than the first for Mariah Carey, downsizing from her disastrous debut headliner "Glitter" to a more modest co-starring role in "Wisegirls" with charm and relaxed assurance. A refreshingly femme-slanted take on familiar mob territory, this story of three waitresses in a Mafia-owned New York restaurant is fueled by the appealing rapport among leads Mira Sorvino, Carey and Melora Walters.
Directed with very conventional efficiency by David Anspaugh ("Hoosiers"), the drama's script keeps enough surprises up its sleeve to remain entertaining. Its themes of female bonding and friendship suggest a theatrical target of young women, with a more solid afterlife in ancillary.
Returning from Missouri to stay with her grandmother on Staten Island, med school graduate Meg (Sorvino) takes work at an Italian restaurant. She quickly befriends fellow waitress Kate (Walters), who aspires to be a Broadway dancer; she more gradually warms to brassy co-worker Raychel (Carey), who doles out sass to staff and customers alike. As the trio solidifies into an inseparable unit, Meg opens up to her friends about the devastating recent loss of her fiance.
But the comfort of this newfound camaraderie is compromised by Meg's growing awareness that the eaterie is not only a mob-owned concern frequented by armed thugs, but one that fronts for a drug-dealing operation, of which Raychel and possibly Kate appear to be aware. Struggling to pull her life back together, Meg is drawn deeper into the world, finding herself obliged to accept the monetary tokens of the boss Mr. Santalino (Arthur J. Nascarella), while fending off the romantic attentions of his son Frankie (Christian Maelen).
When Meg unwittingly prompts father and son to erase the cheating restaurant manager (Joseph Siravo), and is then forced - somewhat implausibly - to help dispose of the body, she is cornered by police into gathering crucial evidence against the Santalinos, placing her own life and that of her friends in danger. Two well-kept plot secrets revealed in the closing stretch pave the way - following a bloody faceoff between cops and mobsters - to an upbeat, satisfying conclusion.
Sorvino ably conveys Meg's transition, under the influences both of friendship and of a tough, unfamiliar environment, from initially melancholy, withdrawn and unforthcoming to being the smart, assured woman she clearly was before tragedy struck. Walters registers weakly at first, her character appearing a little thinly drawn and unformed. But this makes sense when certain key revelations allow her to emerge from her shell and expose a tougher persona. The real surprise, however, and by far the most engaging performance, is Carey, giving trash-talking, husky-voiced Raychel plenty of heart as well as chutzpah and sexy attitude.
While technical problems caused a repeated sound glitch with the world-premiere Sundance screening, craft contributions on the small-scale $8.5 million production generally are straightforward and clean.

(Variety)

Many thanks to Eran.


MEET THE WISEGALS!
(January 17, 2002)

The Sundance Film Festival has swung into full gear - as many of Hollywood's A-list enlisted for Robert Redford's huge Park City party! ET was there with Mariah Carey, Mira Sorvino, and Melora Walters as they attended a special screening of their brand new film, "Wisegirls".
In the upcoming movie, the three bombshells play waitresses working in a joint owned by mobsters. These tough gals jointly described the film as the ultimate chick flick, thriller, and black comedy. Mira also added that the story was about, "friendship, betrayal, loyalty, strength, and renewal". For Mariah, the Sundance experience was a thrill. "This is my first time here," she told ET. "It's beautiful and very exciting!"
ET's Mark Steines was on hand to hang out with the always-amusing Robin Williams as he promoted his film, "One Hour Photo". Robin described the project as "a very bizarre psychological piece, so don't go looking for laughs! It's about a man who fixates on things."
This winter wonderland has also drawn the gorgeous likes of Jennifer Aniston and Brad Pitt, Matt Damon, Ben Affleck and Lance Bass of 'N Sync, among countless others.

(ET Online)


WISEGIRLS FOR AUSTRALIA?
(April 18, 2002)

At January's Sundance Film Festival, Wisegirls (starring Mira Sorvino, Mariah Carey and Melora Walters) grabbed some favourable reviews. Will it be released to Australian cinemas or simply straight to DVD/VHS?
It has been hard to get a definite answer on this one. An Oz release for Wisegirls will be (as it is for almost all titles) contingent upon how it does at the US box office. Understandably, the distributors handling the "feminine gangster comedy" are trying to put as much space as they can between themselves and the Carey bomb Glitter, so the chances of Wisegirls coming out her this year are very slim.
Incidentally, this is the movie that spawned reports of an on-set catfight between Carey and Sorvino after the singer allegedly threw a salt shaker at her co-star.

(HiT/Herald Sun)

MORE MOVIE TROUBLES FOR "WISEGIRL" MARIAH
(May 1, 2002)

If you were waiting to see if Mariah Carey would score better in her second big-screen outing than her first, well, don't wait. "Wisegirls", which she made while she was awaiting the release of "Glitter" - with tales of dissension between her and co-star Mira Sorvino wafting from the "Wisegirls" set - was unveiled at this year's Sundance Film Festival, but might never make it into theatrical release.
Lions Gate is talking about releasing it directly to video. This was the picture that Mariah was counting on to prove that the disaster of "Glitter" was a fluke and that she could have a future as an actress.

(L.A. Daily News)

[Raychel Rocks]

FANS PETITION FOR MARIAH FILM RELEASE
(May 22, 2002)

Troubled diva Mariah Carey's devoted fans are bombarding a film company with pleas to release her second movie. Immediately after finishing last year's flop Glitter, the curvy singer went on to star in mobster drama Wisegirls opposite Mira Sorvino, just before her emotional breakdown last summer. Devotees of the diva have been emailing protests to Lion Gate Films, demanding the film be released in cinemas after hearing reports the flick will go straight to video.

(WENN)


MARIAH EYES "WISEGIRLS" THEATER STINT
(July 27, 2002)

Despite reports that Mariah Carey's latest film project "Wisegirls" had been bought by HBO for direct-to-cable release, the superstar may get her chance to reign in theaters. Intermedia (whose past films include "Where The Heart Is", "K-Pax", "Dances With Wolves", "Resident Evil" and the new Harrison Ford flick "K-19") has taken international rights to the David Anspaugh-directed project. As announced earlier this month, distribution releases in Australia, Brazil, Belgium, France, Holland, Luxembourg, Iceland, Israel, Italy (December 6), Malaysia, Mexico, Russia, Spain, Switzerland, Turkey, and the United Kingdom have already been confirmed, while Lions Gate Films is finalizing a deal to distribute domestically.
"Wisegirls" premiered at the Sundance Film Festival in January to rave reviews and portrays three young waitresses (Carey, Mira Sorvino, and Melora Walters) who work at a stylish Italian restaurant. When they decide to rake in more than just their tips, their over-ambition leads them to an illegal Mafia drug racket. An edgy, plot-twisting crime thriller, "Wisegirls" is where the bond of friendship is put to the ultimate test.

Many thanks to Mariah Land.

OSCAR-WINNING SORVINO INSISTS CAREY CAN ACT
(August 16, 2002)

Mariah Carey's much-maligned acting skills have received the thumbs up from Oscar-winning actress Mira Sorvino. The actress stars in the forthcoming mob movie Wisegirls alongside the singer, who was roundly knocked by journalists following her starring role in the box office flop Glitter. Now Sorvino says critics may have to eat their words after watching the new film. She says, "She's very talented actually. I don't think people have yet given her credit as an actress, but they will when they see this."
Sorvino also pours scorn on suggestions that she failed to get on with her co-star on the set of the David Anspaugh-directed flick. She says, "Mariah was out of town a lot promoting her album. When she was around, we were friendly but there wasn't much time - I was in every scene of the movie."

(WENN)


MARIAH CAREY'S NEXT MOVIE HEADED FOR PAY CABLE
(September 13, 2002)

Mariah Carey's next film is about to make its debut, but don't go looking for it in theaters - "Wisegirls" will debut on Cinemax. Part crime drama, part chick flick, "Wisegirls" premiered at the Sundance Film Festival in January to rave reviews, in contrast to the widely panned "Glitter". Carey, Oscar winner Mira Sorvino and Melora Walters portray three young waitresses who work in an Italian "family-run" restaurant, whose clientele includes more Mafia members than a "Godfather" movie. Carey's character, Rachel, considers herself more of a hardened vet at dealing with the wise guys and takes under her wing the new and somewhat naive Meg, played by Sorvino.
"When I read the script, I didn't realize what this character was going to do for me," Carey said. "I actually liked the other two characters better. It was going to be really challenging to play this type of character. But I thought she was really funny. Rachel is really the type that takes control during a situation that's frightening. Rachel's kind of the only one of these three characters who grew up with these guys, and so the reason she can be so free and so daring in ways is that to them, she's one of them."
"You know, she's frigging Rachel," Carey added, slipping into a Staten Island accent. "She talks like this. She's yippety-yappety all over the place. She kind of loves to take control, whateva." One of the scenes Carey enjoyed most included her character getting an ovation for her handling a drunken customer. "A character we have named Johnny the Lush, who gets a little affectionate when he drinks, has kind of grabbed me in a place I didn't want to be grabbed," Carey said of the scene. "I don't want to be grabbed anyway, so I get to drop his tray and tell him off and kick him out of the restaurant."
Carey's whirlwind schedule at the time of filming "Wisegirls" contributed to her exhaustion last summer, she said. "Wisegirls" started filming in May 2001 and wrapped in July, the same month as her breakdown. Lions Gate Films had intended to release the film in theaters but sold broadcast rights to HBO (which owns Cinemax) this past spring.
For her next film, Carey re-teamed with "Wisegirls" co-producer Anthony Esposito for "Sweet Science", in which she plays a boxing manager. "It's been great for me," Carey said, "just to come into it as an actor and go forth and feel and to be creative and to express another side of my creative self. It's been the most freeing experience."
"Wisegirls" debuts October 19 at 10 p.m.

(MTV News)

"WISEGIRLS" EYES DECEMBER RETAIL RELEASE?
(October 7, 2002)

Mariah Carey's new movie, "Wisegirls", has been released on DVD - as a promotional advancement for critics to review. It was reported that the film will seek a retail release on December 31, 2002, though these reports have been denied. It was previously released earlier this month in Greece.
The movie, co-starring Academy Award winning actress Mira Sorvino and Melora Walters, is a riveting crime drama that tells the story of three young waitresses who, after taking jobs at a stylish Italian restaurant, decide to rake in more than just their tips. Their over-ambition leads them to an illegal Mafia drugs racket and a series of events that are considerably rank.
"Wisegirls" will premiere on Cinemax this October 19. For those who can't wait, you can alternatively bid on an advanced promotional copy of the DVD at Ebay.com. An edgy, plot-twisting crime thriller, "Wisegirls", is where the bond of friendship is put to the ultimate test.

Many thanks to MariahC.nu.


SORVINO SHINES IN MOB MELODRAMA
(October 18, 2002)

With a name like "Wisegirls" and a plot about three New Jersey waitresses entangled with the mob, this TV movie sounds like a goofy dark comedy. That one of the stars is Mira Sorvino, who won an Oscar for her comic work in "Mighty Aphrodite", and another is singer Mariah Carey, who won accidental laughs for "Glitter", only adds to the notion that this is "Analyze This" with press-ons. Wrong. (Please appreciate that I didn't say "fuhgetaboutit".)
"Wisegirls" follows sad sack Meg (Sorvino) as she returns from St. Louis to live with her aged granny and find whatever work she can. She lands a waitress gig at an old-fashioned Italian restaurant managed by Giovanni (Joseph Siravo), who keeps referring to the staff, often and ominously, as "family". On the off chance that Meg hasn't watched any movies or TV shows in her entire life, mousy co-worker Kate (Melora Walters) says, "You do know what kind of clientele we're dealing with, don't you?" It's not a trick question, since even the busboys seem to be packing. In addition to Kate, there's the very unmousy Rachel (Carey), who looks like she's vacuum-packed into her low-cut dresses. A tuff-tawkin' gal with a big, Staten Island fountain of hair, she publicly humiliates one drunken customer who tweaks her butt and sends him out the front door. All the other diners explode in applause. It's a scene that whets your appetite for even more over-the-top camp moments.
Alas, for the most part "Wisegirls" sticks to a melodramatic plot that rarely surprises (except for one cool twist about two-thirds through). We wait to find out the Dark Secret that made Meg leave her med school studies in Missouri. We wait for the restaurant's Mafioso owner Mr. Santalino (Arthur J. Nascarella) and his sleazebag son Frankie (Christian Maelen) to cause problems for Meg. And we wait for all those guns to start banging in a standard shoot-'em-up ending. "Wisegirls" doesn't disappoint on those counts. Too bad.
The movie is decent, but there's a reason it never got theatrical distribution: Cinemax's sister channel HBO has raised the stakes in Mafia storytelling. Any given episode of "The Sopranos" has more spontaneous life and narrative ingenuity than you'll find in "Wisegirls". The best reason to watch this movie is the performances. As a member of the walking wounded, Sorvino proves that her Oscar wasn't a fluke, and Walters ("Magnolia") matches her with a performance that gets deeper as the film goes on. As for Carey, well... talking about her acting is a little like dealing with parents who show you pictures of their ugly child. You might as well be polite. So: Carey is believable as a tough, busty, none-too-smart waitress. And give her credit for not singing.
Oh, one other thing. Because 99 percent of the Italian-Americans in the movie are shown to be mob-affiliated, these "Wisegirls" shouldn't plan on being invited to march in the next New York City Columbus Day parade.

(The Atlanta Journal-Constitution)

Many thanks to Mariah Online.


WISEGIRLS RELEASED TO HOME VIDEO ON DECEMBER 31, 2002
(December 11, 2002)

The critically acclaimed film WiseGirls, directed by David Anspaugh and starring Mira Sorvino, Mariah Carey and Melora Walters will be released to Home Video on Friday, December 31, 2002. After moving in with her ailing grandmother to escape the demons of the past, Meg (Mira Sorvino) meets the tough talking Raychel (Mariah Carey) and secretive Kate (Melora Walters) when she takes a job as a waitress at Scantolini's "family-run" restaurant.
The three form an unbreakable friendship when they find themselves involved in the Mafia. Through back room deals, the women discover that their survival is going to depend on a lot more than just service with a smile. To view a trailer and purchase a copy of the WiseGirls DVD visit Lions Gate Films.

(MariahCarey.com)


CAREY SAD OVER WISEGIRLS FLOP
(April 11, 2005)

Superstar Mariah Carey is still proud of her 2002 flop movie Wisegirls, despite the crime caper going straight to DVD. The Fantasy hitmaker's second film was a hit at the Sundance Film Festival, but following Carey's disastrous reviews for her debut movie Glitter, Wisegirls never hit the big screen.
Carey says the film got such a good reception, even Sean Penn praised her performance. She tells the New York Post, "That made me see how good an experience movies can be. When we showed it at Sundance, we got a standing ovation. Too bad nobody remembers the good movie, they just remember the great debacle."
"Sean Penn came up to me at a party after Sundance and told me he saw and enjoyed Wisegirls, and not to give up just because of one bad movie. I was thrilled. You can't get better praise and advice in the movie business."

(Contact Music)


all compiled news articles source: MC Archives

[rockmybody23]

i respect mariah, for doing two things at once.. filming this movie and working on the album and promotion for glitter... she's really super woman... gotta love her.

[mariahcarey82]

Mariah rocks