What a Girl Wants (2003)

User Rating:

5.7/10   

Director:

Dennie Gordon

Writers (WGA):

William Douglas-Home (play)
William Douglas-Home (1958 screenplay)

Release Date:

4 April 2003 (USA)

Genre:

Comedy | Romance

Tagline:

Trying to fit in. Born to stand out.

Plot:

An American teenager learns that her father is a wealthy British politician running for office. Although she is eager to find him, she realizes it could cause a scandal and cost him the election.

Plot Keywords:

American | England | Scandal | Teenager | Morocco

Awards:

1 win

Cast

Amanda Bynes	...	Daphne Reynolds
Colin Firth	...	Henry Dashwood
Kelly Preston	...	Libby Reynolds
Eileen Atkins	...	Jocelyn Dashwood
Anna Chancellor	...	Glynnis Payne
Jonathan Pryce	...	Alistair Payne
Oliver James	...	Ian Wallace
Christina Cole	...	Clarissa Payne
Sylvia Syms	...	Princess Charlotte
Soleil McGhee	...	Young Daphne
Peter Reeves	...	Sir John Dashwood
James Greene	...	Percy
Steven Osborne	...	Staff Member
Mike Toller	...	Libby's Band Member
Tom Penn	...	Libby's Band Member

Also Known As:

American Girl (USA) (working title)
London Calling (USA) (working title)

MPAA:

Rated PG for mild language.

Runtime:

105 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

DTS | Dolby Digital | SDDS

Certification:

Iceland:L | South Korea:All | Ireland:PG | Argentina:Atp | Australia:G | Brazil:Livre | Canada:G | Germany:o.Al. | New Zealand:G | Norway:A | Peru:PT | Philippines:G | Singapore:PG | Sweden:Btl | Switzerland:7 (canton of Geneva) | Switzerland:7 (canton of Vaud) | UK:PG | USA:PG

Filming Locations:

Battersea Park, Battersea, London, England, UK

Company:

DiNovi Pictures

Trivia:

When Henry calls Libby to tell her Daphne has been out all day with a boy in a band (Ian), Libby says, Lemme guess, he's a drummer? In reality, 'Oliver James', who plays Ian, is a drummer.

Goofs:

Factual errors: When Daphine is riding in the number 8 bus in London it says "Trafalger Square" in the front. The actual number 8 bus does not stop at or near Trafalgar Square.

Quotes:

Glynnis Payne: Darling, darling, all I'm saying is before we let this hypothetical daughter blow your political career out of the water, we might at least consider doing some checking up on her.
Henry Dashwood: Now, checking up for what?
Glynnis Payne: I don't know... criminal record, blood type, triple sixes on her skull.
Henry Dashwood: Glynnis, she has a birth certificate, she has my photograph and she has my eyes.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in "The Office: Beach Games (#3.22)" (2007)

Soundtrack:

Heaven Is a Place on Earth

A fun kid film

I was expecting a really bad, boring teen film like the Lizzie Mcguire movie, but this movie was entertaining. It's about a girl in America, Daphne, who goes to England to see her dad for the first time. He's a Lord, who is running for political elections, so of course, his handlers don't want any bad publicity. He takes a liking to her, but his finance and snooty soon-to-be stepdaughter don't like her. Daphne turns out to be a hit with the poparazi and has a lot of fun. After going to so many fancy parties, she starts to forget who she really is, but her new guy makes her realize where her true values lie. Along the way Lord Dashwood sees he's missing out on adventure and his true love, Daphne's mom. Will he give up the political dream to become an adventurer again? Watch to find out, but since this is a light-hearted film, you probably know the answer. There are some funny scenes throughout. And I liked the music.

FINAL VERDICT: An entertaining clean, fun film that all ages can enjoy.