Sparkle is future Oscar winner for Best Original Song, the late Irene Cara.
The 2012 version:
Alternative Character Interpretation: How much was Sparkle invested in her family life? Even though she was talented and ultimately made it big, at times it seemed like she was more interested in getting her record deal over anything else happening (which Dee lampshades), even Sister's dire issues.
Big-Lipped Alligator Moment: Sparkle's nosebleed towards the end of the film. It's randomness was only used to introduce the gorgeous red dress as seen on the film's movie poster.
Fandom Rivalry: Inevitably, there is one between this version and of the 2006 film version of Dreamgirls. Many fans and critics of both films have called out the former film of being too similar to the latter in spite of the original 1976 film version pre-dating the original Dreamgirls play by five years. Additionally, it was a sore spot for Sparkle fans that while their rival received lots of critic and commercial praise and several Oscar nominations, ultimately winning two, their film was mostly ignored and received mixed reviews.note This is likely for a variety of reasons: aside from the play Dreamgirls being more well-known than the original Sparkle, other factors that may have lead to its disappointing performance is both the bigger star power in the former film (namely that audiences being more familiar with de facto star Beyoncé than Jordin Sparks) and the belief that it was wrong to release the film in August and not sooner after Whitney Houston's death, especially with it being her final performance
Jerkass Woobie: As poor as the decisions that Sister made in the film (namely choosing Satin over Levi just because the former had more money and was famous), she still was sympathetic due to the hardships in her past and present, the feeling that her own mother had little ambition for her and of course, what her fate ultimately was in both versions; she died of a drug overdose in the original 1976 version and she ended up in prison for the beating death of Satin while covering for her sister, who was the one who killed him in her defense because he was habitually beating her, including at the time of his death.
Satin's death. Aside from the odd, overly dramatic camera angles and the goofy facial expression when it happened, it's hard to feel bad for who it happens to.
When Stix encounters Sparkle in the record store. While the song on the outside of her booth is an upbeat 60s song, the inside where she is has a slow love ballad. The abrupt switching between the two songs as he tries to talk to her from the outside is more humorous than intended.
Padding: The montage of Sparkle sitting in the recording studio waiting for an appointment seems to add nothing to the 2012 film or plot other than to showoff her stylish outfits of the time.
Retraux: The original film takes place in 1958, but the actual film was produced in 1976. Though the overall look is very Fifties, there's a great dissonance in the musical aspect of the film since it uses heavy go-go beats from The '60s, and funky percussion of The '70s in a lot of the songs.
Serial Numbers Filed Off: Many has speculated that one of the main reasons that the 2012 film did not do too well at the box-office or with critics, other than the poor timing of its release was that it was a bit too similar to Dreamgirls, whereas the original 1976 version was almost an entirely different plotline.
Tear Jerker: Whitney Houston's rendition to "His eye is on the Sparrow", it even evokes tears/applause knowing it's her very last performance.
They Wasted a Perfectly Good Plot: It would have been a decent plot point to discover what happened to Levi in between Sister dumping him and him heckling Satin at his disastrous stand-up act (where he not only got a nice job, according to his clothing, and a new girlfriend).
Unintentionally Unsympathetic: Emma unfortunately comes off as this in the 2012 film. While she is intended to be a strict but concerned single mother of the 1960s who tries to raise her daughters to be successful Christians who don't make the same mistakes she made, she instead comes off as a strict, hope-dashingfundamentalist who doesn't want her daughters to live life outside of her standards. Making matters worse is how Sister, for all of her own bad choices and bitterness, was right to call her out for having high expectations for Sparkle and Dee but leaving her to raise them herself and feeling her only ambition is to land a rich man. Emma even says how she "thinks enough of her" to introduce her to highly-paid professionals.
The reaction towards Delores' afro, which gained attitudes ranging from shock to even downright disgust, from both White and Black people. This may have been deliberate.
Sparkle sitting around in the record studio lobby may have been looked at as a unique and effective way to secure a job in the 60s (since the people in charge would be impressed with her determination), if one were to try something like that in modern times, they would be removed by security or possibly arrested for trespassing/stalking.
