USA Today
"...This spunky movie takes daring detours all the time..." -- 3 out of 4 stars 07/10/1996 p.8DEntertainment Weekly
"...WELCOME TO THE DOLLHOUSE for pre-adolescents....The glee and neurotic terror of a kid lurching into adult consciousness..." -- Rating: B 07/19/1996 pp.58-9 Variety
"...A sweet-natured morality tale....Trachtenberg is fresh and natural....Her interactions with O'Donnell, who lends her character the right balance of eccentricity and maturity, are particularly enjoyable..." 07/15/1996 New York Times
"...[Trachtenberg] gives a performance that is endearing..." 07/10/1996 p.C11 Los Angeles Times
"...A smart-kid movie, with big lessons and even some subtlety..." 07/10/1996 p.F4 Chicago Sun-Times 6 of 10
The materials are here for a better film. The director, Bronwen Hughes, has made one more suited for the after-school slot on Nickelodeon than for theatrical release, where it simply isn't in the same league with The Secret Garden or A Little Princess (whose Vanessa Lee Chester plays a best pal again this time). Still, sometimes the materials of a movie like this work on audiences not much concerned with style or polish. Harriet is a good role model, a smart, curious girl who keeps her eyes open and writes everything down. - Roger Ebert
James Berardinelli's ReelViews 7 of 10
As I look back over this summer's general releases, I have to admit that, at least to date, Harriet the Spy stands alongside, if not slightly above, the best of them. Hopefully, the same fate will not befall this movie as that which sunk last year's A Little Princess. This is as entertaining a family film as is likely to come out all year, topping Disney's lukewarm The Hunchback of Notre Dame and towering well above Flipper. And you certainly don't need children by your side to appreciate what Harriet the Spy has to offer. As the cliche goes, good things do indeed come in small packages. - James Berardinelli
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