Glitter is a 2001 American romantic musical drama film starring Mariah Carey and British actor Max Beesley. The film, written by Kate Lanier and directed by Vondie Curtis Hall, was released on September 21, 2001, 10 days following the devastating events of 9/11, and was heavily panned by critics.
Mariah had began working on the film in 1997 — a year of tremendous personal and professional changes. After years of the project being pushed back and changes being made, it finally began shooting in September 2000. “It started out as a concept with substance, but it ended up being geared to 10-year-olds,” Mariah told USA Today. “It lost a lot of grit. It was gritless, in fact. I kind of got in over my head.”
The story of a gifted young singer, Billie Frank (Mariah Carey), who overcomes a turbulent childhood and struggles to find her true identity and voice. During her childhood, Billie is abandoned by her drug-addicted mother (Valarie Pettiford) and is remanded to an orphanage.
Years later, Billie is discovered by charismatic, irresistible “bad boy” DJ Julian Dice (Max Beesley) who hears her demo and, floored by her talent, gets her a record deal. She soon falls for him and he becomes her partner, producer and lover.
With Dice, she begins an exciting but often volatile and precarious journey as she struggles through her personal and professional life, riding the rollercoaster to superstardom. However, conflicts with Dice hold her back and she ultimately must begin to escape his influence and find her own style.
