Spider-Man (2002)

Spider-Man Website

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PG-13 for stylized violence and action

Sam Raimi

Laura Ziskin | Ian Bryce | Avi Arad

Screenplay: David Koepp

Alvin Sargent (uncredited)

Comic Book: Stan Lee | Steve Ditko

Don Burgess

Arthur Coburn | Bob Murawski

Columbia Pictures | Sony Pictures Entertainment

United States

English

4th Street, Downtown, Los Angeles, California, USA

5th Street, Downtown, Los Angeles, California, USA

Ascan Avenue, Forest Hills, Queens, New York City, New York, USA

Austin Street, Forest Hills, Queens, New York City, New York, USA

Bryant Park, Manhattan, New York City, New York, USA

Columbia University - Broadway & 116th Street, Manhattan, New York City, New York, USA

Dorsey High School - 3757 Farmdale Avenue, Los Angeles, California, USA

Forest Hills, Queens, New York City, New York, USA

Los Angeles, California, USA

Mateo Street, Downtown, Los Angeles, California, USA

Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County - 900 Exposition Boulevard, Exposition Park, Los Angeles, California, USA

New York City, New York, USA

New York Public Library - Fifth Avenue & 42nd Street, Manhattan, New York City, New York, USA

Queens Boulevard, Queens, New York City, New York, USA

Queens, New York City, New York, USA

Queensboro Bridge, Manhattan, New York City, New York, USA

Rockwell Defense Plant - Bellflower & Imperial Highway, Downey, California, USA (42nd Street Scene)

Roosevelt Island, New York City, New York, USA

S. Grand Avenue, Downtown, Los Angeles, California, USA

Santa Clarita, California, USA

Sony Pictures Studios - 10202 W. Washington Blvd., Culver City, California, USA (studio)

Spring Street, Downtown, Los Angeles, California, USA

Sunnyside, Queens, New York City, New York, USA

Times Square, Manhattan, New York City, New York, USA

Spider-Man 2

Academy Awards

2003 Nominated Oscar Best Sound Kevin O'Connell,Greg P. Russell,Ed Novick

2003 Nominated Oscar Best Visual Effects John Dykstra Scott Stokdyk Anthony LaMolinara John Frazier


Academy of Science Fiction, Fantasy & Horror Films

2003 Won Saturn Award Best Music Danny Elfman

2003 Nominated Saturn Award Best Actor Tobey Maguire

2003 Nominated Saturn Award Best Actress Kirsten Dunst

2003 Nominated Saturn Award Best Director Sam Raimi

2003 Nominated Saturn Award Best Fantasy Film

2003 Nominated Saturn Award Best Special Effects John Dykstra Scott Stokdyk Anthony LaMolinara John Frazier

American Choreography Awards, USA

2002 Nominated American Choreography Award Outstanding Achievement in Fight Choreography John Medlen

BAFTA Awards

2003 Nominated BAFTA Film Award Best Achievement in Special Visual Effects John Dykstra Scott Stokdyk John Frazier Anthony LaMolinara

BMI Film & TV Awards

2003 Won BMI Film Music Award Danny Elfman

Bogey Awards, Germany

2002 Won Bogey Award in Gold

Broadcast Film Critics Association Awards

2003 Nominated Critics Choice Award Best Song Chad Kroeger For the song "Hero".

Casting Society of America, USA

2002 Nominated Artios Best Casting for Feature Film, Comedy Francine Maisler Lynn Kressel

Cinema Audio Society, USA

2003 Nominated C.A.S. Award Outstanding Sound Mixing for Motion Pictures Kevin O'Connell (re-recording mixer),Greg P. Russell (re-recording mixer),Ed Novick (production mixer)

DVD Exclusive Awards

2003 Nominated DVD Premiere Award Best Overall New Extra Features, New Release Eric Matthies (producer)

2003 Nominated DVD Premiere Award Original Retrospective Documentary, New Release Eric Matthies Josh Oreck For "Spider-Man: Mythology of the 21st Century".

Empire Awards, UK

2003 Won Empire Award Best Actress Kirsten Dunst

2003 Nominated Empire Award Best Director Sam Raimi

2003 Nominated Empire Award Best Film

Golden Trailer Awards

2002 Won Golden Trailer Best Voice Over

2002 Nominated Golden Trailer Best Action

2002 Nominated Golden Trailer Best Music

2002 Nominated Golden Trailer Best of Show

2002 Nominated Golden Trailer Best of Show

Grammy Awards

2003 Nominated Grammy Best Score Soundtrack Album for a Motion Picture, Television or Other Visual Media Danny Elfman

2003 Nominated Grammy Best Song Written for a Motion Picture, Television or Other Visual Media Chad Kroeger For the song "Hero".

Hollywood Makeup Artist and Hair Stylist Guild Awards

2003 Nominated Hollywood Makeup Artist and Hair Stylist Guild Award Best Contemporary Makeup - Feature Deborah La Mia Denaver,Bill Myer,Lois Burwell


Hugo Awards

2003 Nominated Hugo Best Dramatic Presentation - Long Form

Kids' Choice Awards

2003 Nominated Blimp Award Favorite Male Butt Kicker Tobey Maguire

2003 Nominated Blimp Award Favorite Movie

2003 Nominated Blimp Award Favorite Movie Actress Kirsten Dunst

MTV Movie Awards

2003 Won MTV Movie Award Best Female Performance Kirsten Dunst

2003 Won MTV Movie Award Best Kiss Tobey Maguire Kirsten Dunst

2003 Nominated MTV Movie Award Best Male Performance Tobey Maguire

2003 Nominated MTV Movie Award Best Movie

2003 Nominated MTV Movie Award Best Villain Willem Dafoe

Motion Picture Sound Editors, USA

2003 Nominated Golden Reel Award Best Sound Editing in Domestic Features - Dialogue & ADR

2003 Nominated Golden Reel Award Best Sound Editing in Domestic Features - Sound Effects & Foley

Online Film Critics Society Awards

2003 Nominated OFCS Award Best Visual Effects Danny Cangemi John Frazier John Dykstra

People's Choice Awards

2003 Won People's Choice Award Favorite Motion Picture

Phoenix Film Critics Society Awards

2003 Nominated PFCS Award Best Original Song For the song "Hero".

2003 Nominated PFCS Award Best Visual Effects John Dykstra Scott Stokdyk Anthony LaMolinara John Frazier

Satellite Awards

2003 Nominated Golden Satellite Award Best Film Editing Eric Zumbrunnen

2003 Nominated Golden Satellite Award Best Visual Effects John Dykstra

Teen Choice Awards

2002 Won Teen Choice Award Film - Choice Actor, Drama/Action Adventure Tobey Maguire

2002 Won Teen Choice Award Film - Choice Lip Lock Tobey Maguire Kirsten Dunst

2002 Won Teen Choice Award Film - Choice Movie, Drama/Action Adventure

2002 Nominated Teen Choice Award Film - Choice Actress, Drama/Action Adventure Kirsten Dunst

2002 Nominated Teen Choice Award Film - Choice Chemistry Kirsten Dunst Tobey Maguire

World Soundtrack Awards

2002 Nominated World Soundtrack Award Best Original Soundtrack of the Year - Orchestral Danny Elfman

World Stunt Awards

2003 Nominated Taurus Award Best Fight Final fight between the Green Goblin and Spiderman in a deserted garden and building. Spiderman takes several hits and a brick wall falls on the Green Goblin.

Young Artist Awards

2003 Nominated Young Artist Award Best Family Feature Film - Fantasy

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Troubled student Peter Parker (Tobey Maguire) is bitten by a spider and takes on some of the arachnid's characteristics. Deciding to use his new powers for good, he becomes a web-slinging, wall-walking superhero.

The last major comic book character to evade big screen treatment, a potential Spider-Man man movie was the subject of speculation and rumour for two decades before Sam Raimi (the Evil Dead trilogy) brought him to the cinema, raking in a massive $821 million in the process.

The enormous financial success of Spider-Man is largely due to Raimi cleverly retaining enough of the comic's themes and style to satisfy its established fanbase, while coating the whole thing in box office gloss to attract the multiplex crowd. But now the dust has settled, does all this mean the film's any good?

Maguire is certainly impressive in the lead, believable as both nerdy schoolboy Parker and the eponymous hero. The rest of the cast are all spot-on, particularly Kirsten Dunst, as love interest Mary Jane Watson, and Willem Dafoe as Spidey's schizophrenic nemesis, The Green Goblin, a scientist sent mad after using himself as guinea-pig in a military experiment. Raimi keeps things light and swift, achieving unusual emotional diversity and depth for a blockbuster, and the technical aspects are all up to scratch, too. In truth there isn't really anything to satisfy the critics who lined up ready to find fault with what looked like being another shoddy comic adaptation. The character development (usually the bane of these films) is probably the greatest success of all. Maguire's orphaned but optimistic Peter Parker is immensely likable, his vulnerability exposed in a tentative romance with 'M.J.' that's surprisingly touching. The relationship with his Aunt and Uncle also packs a powerful emotional punch, particularly when they both become victims.

Before Willem Dafoe received the role of the Green Goblin, Nicolas Cage, John Malkovich and Robert De Niro were offered the role.

Mena Suvari auditioned for the role of Mary Jane Watson.

Eliza Dushku had auditioned for the role of Mary Jane Watson. In Tobey Maguire's screen test (as seen on the DVD), the actress playing Mary Jane Watson was Eliza Dushku.

Elisha Cuthbert auditioned for the role of Mary-Jane Watson.

Norman Osborn: Sorry I'm late. Work was murder.

Mary Jane: Who are you?
Spider-Man: You know who I am.
Mary Jane: I do?
Spider-Man: Your friendly neighborhood Spider-Man.

We hear a dial tone coming from Harry's cell phone after Mary Jane hangs up. Cell phone systems have no dial tone.


After Parker wakes up the morning after getting bitten, a boom mic is seen at the top of the mirror as he is looking at himself.

Reminds us of just how exciting and satisfying the fantasy cinema can be when it's approached with imagination and flair. Reviewed by: William Arnold of the Seattle Post-Intelligencer

Maguire and Dunst keep Spider-Man on a high with their sweet-sexy yearning, spinning a web of dazzle and delicacy that might just restore the good name of movie escapism. Reviewed by: Peter Travers of the Rolling Stone

An exuberance, a celebration, a hoot, a kick and a half. Reviewed by: Stephen Hunter of the Washington Post

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