Superstar (film)

Infobox Film
name = Superstar


caption = Theatrical Poster
genre = Comedy
director = Bruce McCulloch
producer = Lorne Michaels
writer = Steve Koren
starring = Molly Shannon
Will Ferrell
Harland Williams
Elaine Hendrix
Tom Green
Mark McKinney
music = Michael Gore (Song: "You Wanna Be A Star")
cinematography = Walt Lloyd
editing = Malcolm Campbell
distributor = Paramount Pictures
released = October 8, 1999
runtime = 81 min
country = USA
language = English
budget = $14,000,000
gross = $30,636,478
preceded_by =
followed_by =
amg_id =
imdb_id = 0167427

"Superstar" is a 1999 comedy movie and "Saturday Night Live" spin-off about a quirky, socially inept girl named Mary Katherine Gallagher. The character was created by "SNL" star Molly Shannon and appeared as a recurring character on "SNL" in numerous skits. The story follows Mary Katherine trying to find her place in her Catholic high school. The movie is directed by former "Kids in the Hall" member Bruce McCulloch. The target audience for this film was girls between the age of 12 and 22.

It stars Molly Shannon, Will Ferrell and Elaine Hendrix. "SNL" and "Kids in the Hall" alum Mark McKinney, who appeared in many of the Mary Katherine Gallagher "SNL" skits on TV, also has a minor role as a priest.

Molly Shannon received a nomination for Blockbuster Entertainment Award "Favorite Actress - Comedy", but lost out to Heather Graham in "".

Plot

Mary Katherine Gallagher (Shannon) is an Irish-American Catholic school girl and social outcast in a crazy high school. She wants to be a superstar so she can get a kiss from Sky Corrigan (Ferrell). When Mary is sent to Special Education, she makes a new best friend, the tomboyish and equally socially-awkward Helen Lewengrub (Emmy Laybourne).

Mary sees her chance to become a superstar when her school promotes a talent show. She wants to try out, but Grandma Gallagher (Glynis Johns), will not let her. Mary tries out anyway, and when she goes to sign up, a stereotypical cheerleader, Evian Carrie Graham (Elaine Hendrix), gets in a fight with her. The fight causes Evian and Sky to break up, and now Sky is a "single hunk of beefcake on the rebound". Mary is now determined to get in the talent show so Sky will notice her. When Grandma Gallagher finds out that her granddaughter got into the talent show, she finally tells the truth about how her parents died - they were stomped to death while performing in a Riverdance-like competition. This is why Grandma Gallagher is against her granddaughter performing.

However, Grandma Gallagher decides to help Mary do her act in the talent show, as long as she performs for herself. Mary and the other Special Education students spend days practicing. Mary wins the competition as well as Sky's heart. When she kisses Sky though, she discovers he is a horrible kisser and chooses to kiss her friend Slater (Harland Williams) instead.

An important plot element concerns Mary's relationship with God (also played by Ferrell), who bears a resemblance to Sky (i.e. Mary's subconscious image of God). God appears before Mary in several key occasions to give her guidance and encouragement.

Cast

Trivia

*Actors Will Ferrell, Molly Shannon, and Mark McKinney all appeared together in another film, "A Night at the Roxbury". In that movie, Ferrell was also Shannon's romantic interest. McKinney also plays a church figure in both films. Shannon and Ferrell would also reunite in 2006 for , where Ferrell would play the title character.
*Every car in the background is a Volkswagen New Beetle, although it's unknown if VW helped finance the film, but this would continue in the line of Adam Sandler's films, which often promote brands without compensation, such as Popeye's chicken in Little Nicky, and numerous store-chains in Eight Crazy Nights.
*The film was shot in Molly's hometown, outside of Cleveland, Ohio.

External links

* [http://www.indiafm.com/movies/musicreview/13626/index.html "Superstar" Music Review]
* [http://www.indiafm.com/movies/broadband/13626/index.html "Superstar" Videos]
* [http://www.indiafm.com/movies/trailers/13626/index.html "Superstar" Trailers]
* [http://www.indiafm.com/movies/screensavers/13626/index.html "Superstar" Screensavers]
* [http://www.indiafm.com/movies/wallpapers/13626/index.html "Superstar" Wallpapers]
* [http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0167427/mediaindex "Superstar" Movie Stills]
* [http://www.indiafm.com/movies/fstills/13626/index.html "Superstar" First Look]
* [http://www.indiafm.com/movies/cast/13626/index.html "Superstar" Cast & Crew]
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