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What a Girl Wants (film)
Encyclopedia
What a Girl Wants is a 2003 film starring Amanda Bynes
, Colin Firth
, Kelly Preston
and Oliver James
. Directed by Dennie Gordon
, the film is a remake of the 1958 film, The Reluctant Debutante which had a screenplay by William Douglas-Home
, based on his play of the same name
.
The title, "What a Girl Wants," came from the Christina Aguilera song
, though ironically that song is not featured in the film or on its soundtrack.
) has what every girl wants. This young American girl has a unique style all her own, an unconventional but loving relationship with her Bohemian
mother Libby (Kelly Preston
) and a future full of possibilities. But despite her remarkable promise, Daphne feels incomplete and alone.
She dreams of one day meeting the father she’s never known, the man Libby loved deeply seventeen years ago, but ultimately left behind because his aristocratic
family supposedly found her unsuitable. Determined to live out her fantasy of forging a storybook relationship with her long-absent dad, Daphne, on an impulse, gets on a flight to London, where she quickly discovers that her father is the high-profile politician, Lord Henry Dashwood (Colin Firth
), who has controversially renounced his place in the royal succession (Daphne is 39th in line) to run for the House of Commons. Henry opens his life and his social calendar to the daughter he never knew existed, but Daphne’s appearance in his high society creates an uproar that threatens to undermine his political career. Not wanting to jeopardize his campaign for an upcoming election, Daphne stifles her naturally vibrant personality, refashions herself as a proper debutante and plunges into a whirlwind of British social events. But even with Henry’s support, she’s not getting any help from his conniving fiancée or her jealous daughter, who are bent on ruining Daphne at every turn.
With the aid of Ian (Oliver James
), a charming and society-savvy local musician, Daphne attempts to prove that love, along with proper etiquette, can conquer all. But Daphne soon realizes she doesn’t like the person she’s becoming in the process. As much as she wants to be her father’s daughter, she realizes it's not worth it if she can’t be herself. Though mostly this is influenced by Henry's fiancée's interference during her debutante ball, when she coldly and cruelly locks Daphne in a closet to prevent Henry from bonding with her. She goes back home but Henry, not before finding out that Libby's banishment was a plot engineered by his fiancee's politically ambitious father, realizes how much he loves Daphne and goes to find her. He brings Ian with him. The film ends with Daphne's mother officially getting married to Daphne's father. Daphne also becomes Ian's girlfriend and she goes to Oxford University so she can be near him.
. The San Francisco Chronicle
called it a "dreadful teen comedy." The Village Voice
described the film as "a sanitized adventure for the Mary Kate-and-Ashley set."
Amanda Bynes
Amanda Laura Bynes is an American actress, comedian, singer, and fashion designer. Bynes appeared in several successful television series, such as All That and The Amanda Show, on Nickelodeon in the mid to late 1990s and early 2000s, and in 2002, she starred in the TV series, What I Like About You...
, Colin Firth
Colin Firth
SirColin Andrew Firth, CBE is a British film, television, and theatre actor. Firth gained wide public attention in the 1990s for his portrayal of Mr. Darcy in the 1995 television adaptation of Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice...
, Kelly Preston
Kelly Preston
Kelly Preston is an American actress and former model.- Early years :Preston was born Kelly Kamalelehua Smith in Honolulu, Hawaii. Her mother, Linda, was an administrator of a mental health center, and her father, who worked for an agricultural firm, drowned when Preston was three years old...
and Oliver James
Oliver James (entertainer)
Oliver James is an English musician, singer, songwriter and actor. He is best known for his roles in the American films What a Girl Wants and Raise Your Voice.-Acting career:...
. Directed by Dennie Gordon
Dennie Gordon
Dennie Gordon is an American film and television director.Her directorial television credits include, Chicago Hope, Picket Fences, Dawson's Creek, Sports Night, Ally McBeal, The Practice, 30 Rock, Grounded for Life and among other series.She has also directed the feature films Joe Dirt, New York...
, the film is a remake of the 1958 film, The Reluctant Debutante which had a screenplay by William Douglas-Home
William Douglas-Home
William Douglas Home was court-martialled in World War II for his refusal to obey orders as a British army officer and later became a successful British dramatist.-Early life:...
, based on his play of the same name
The Reluctant Debutante (play)
The Reluctant Debutante is a 1955 play by the British playwright William Douglas-Home.It was first performed at the Theatre Royal Brighton after William Douglas-Home spotted the untrained 17-year-old actress Anna Massey and brought her in to audition for the title role...
.
The title, "What a Girl Wants," came from the Christina Aguilera song
What a Girl Wants (song)
"What a Girl Wants" is the second single performed by Christina Aguilera from her self-titled debut album. The song was released on November 28, 1999, which was ten days after Aguilera's nineteenth birthday. The song peaked at number one on the Billboard Hot 100 on January 15, 2000 for two weeks,...
, though ironically that song is not featured in the film or on its soundtrack.
Plot
Daphne Reynolds (Amanda BynesAmanda Bynes
Amanda Laura Bynes is an American actress, comedian, singer, and fashion designer. Bynes appeared in several successful television series, such as All That and The Amanda Show, on Nickelodeon in the mid to late 1990s and early 2000s, and in 2002, she starred in the TV series, What I Like About You...
) has what every girl wants. This young American girl has a unique style all her own, an unconventional but loving relationship with her Bohemian
Bohemianism
Bohemianism is the practice of an unconventional lifestyle, often in the company of like-minded people, with few permanent ties, involving musical, artistic or literary pursuits...
mother Libby (Kelly Preston
Kelly Preston
Kelly Preston is an American actress and former model.- Early years :Preston was born Kelly Kamalelehua Smith in Honolulu, Hawaii. Her mother, Linda, was an administrator of a mental health center, and her father, who worked for an agricultural firm, drowned when Preston was three years old...
) and a future full of possibilities. But despite her remarkable promise, Daphne feels incomplete and alone.
She dreams of one day meeting the father she’s never known, the man Libby loved deeply seventeen years ago, but ultimately left behind because his aristocratic
Aristocracy (class)
The aristocracy are people considered to be in the highest social class in a society which has or once had a political system of Aristocracy. Aristocrats possess hereditary titles granted by a monarch, which once granted them feudal or legal privileges, or deriving, as in Ancient Greece and India,...
family supposedly found her unsuitable. Determined to live out her fantasy of forging a storybook relationship with her long-absent dad, Daphne, on an impulse, gets on a flight to London, where she quickly discovers that her father is the high-profile politician, Lord Henry Dashwood (Colin Firth
Colin Firth
SirColin Andrew Firth, CBE is a British film, television, and theatre actor. Firth gained wide public attention in the 1990s for his portrayal of Mr. Darcy in the 1995 television adaptation of Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice...
), who has controversially renounced his place in the royal succession (Daphne is 39th in line) to run for the House of Commons. Henry opens his life and his social calendar to the daughter he never knew existed, but Daphne’s appearance in his high society creates an uproar that threatens to undermine his political career. Not wanting to jeopardize his campaign for an upcoming election, Daphne stifles her naturally vibrant personality, refashions herself as a proper debutante and plunges into a whirlwind of British social events. But even with Henry’s support, she’s not getting any help from his conniving fiancée or her jealous daughter, who are bent on ruining Daphne at every turn.
With the aid of Ian (Oliver James
Oliver James (entertainer)
Oliver James is an English musician, singer, songwriter and actor. He is best known for his roles in the American films What a Girl Wants and Raise Your Voice.-Acting career:...
), a charming and society-savvy local musician, Daphne attempts to prove that love, along with proper etiquette, can conquer all. But Daphne soon realizes she doesn’t like the person she’s becoming in the process. As much as she wants to be her father’s daughter, she realizes it's not worth it if she can’t be herself. Though mostly this is influenced by Henry's fiancée's interference during her debutante ball, when she coldly and cruelly locks Daphne in a closet to prevent Henry from bonding with her. She goes back home but Henry, not before finding out that Libby's banishment was a plot engineered by his fiancee's politically ambitious father, realizes how much he loves Daphne and goes to find her. He brings Ian with him. The film ends with Daphne's mother officially getting married to Daphne's father. Daphne also becomes Ian's girlfriend and she goes to Oxford University so she can be near him.
Cast
- Amanda BynesAmanda BynesAmanda Laura Bynes is an American actress, comedian, singer, and fashion designer. Bynes appeared in several successful television series, such as All That and The Amanda Show, on Nickelodeon in the mid to late 1990s and early 2000s, and in 2002, she starred in the TV series, What I Like About You...
as Daphne Reynolds - Colin FirthColin FirthSirColin Andrew Firth, CBE is a British film, television, and theatre actor. Firth gained wide public attention in the 1990s for his portrayal of Mr. Darcy in the 1995 television adaptation of Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice...
as Lord Henry Dashwood - Kelly PrestonKelly PrestonKelly Preston is an American actress and former model.- Early years :Preston was born Kelly Kamalelehua Smith in Honolulu, Hawaii. Her mother, Linda, was an administrator of a mental health center, and her father, who worked for an agricultural firm, drowned when Preston was three years old...
as Libby Reynolds - Oliver JamesOliver James (entertainer)Oliver James is an English musician, singer, songwriter and actor. He is best known for his roles in the American films What a Girl Wants and Raise Your Voice.-Acting career:...
as Ian Wallace - Eileen AtkinsEileen AtkinsDame Eileen June Atkins, DBE is an English actress and occasional screenwriter.- Early life :Atkins was born in the Mothers' Hospital in Clapton, a Salvation Army women's hostel in East London...
as Jocelyn Dashwood - Anna ChancellorAnna Chancellor-Family:Chancellor was born in Richmond, London, England, the daughter of the Hon. Mary Alice Jolliffe and John Paget Chancellor. Through her mother's mother, Lady Perdita Rose Mary Asquith, Chancellor is the great-granddaughter of The Hon. Raymond Aquith and the great-great-granddaughter of Prime...
as Glynnis Payne - Jonathan PryceJonathan PryceJonathan Pryce, CBE is a Welsh stage and film actor and singer. After studying at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art and meeting his longtime partner English actress Kate Fahy in 1974, he began his career as a stage actor in the 1970s...
as Alistair Payne - Christina ColeChristina ColeChristina Cole is an English actress known for portraying Cassie Hughes in the Sky One supernatural television series Hex.-Background:...
as Clarissa Payne - Sylvia SymsSylvia SymsSylvia M. L. Syms OBE is a British actress. She is probably best known for her roles in the films Woman in a Dressing Gown , Ice-Cold in Alex , No Trees in the Street , Victim and The Tamarind Seed...
as Princess Charlotte - Tara SummersTara SummersTara Summers is an English actress.The granddaughter of bridge player Fritzi Gordon, Summers was educated at Heathfield St Mary's School, in Berkshire. A graduate of Brown University Tara Summers (born December 19, 1979) is an English actress.The granddaughter of bridge player Fritzi Gordon,...
as Noelle - Ben Scholfield as Armistead Stuart
- Cassie PowneyCassie Powney- Personal life :Powney has a twin sister Connie, who is her elder twin by two minutes.- Career :She played the role of Mel Burton in the soap opera Hollyoaks alongside her sister Connie, who played the role of Sophie Burton....
as Peach Orwood - Connie PowneyConnie Powney- Personal life :Powney has a twin sister Cassie, who is her younger twin by two minutes.- Career :She played the role of Sophie Burton in the soap opera Hollyoaks, alongside Cassie ....
as Pear Orwood - Peter Hugo as Prince Charles
- Matthew Turpin as Prince William
- Elliot Gibson as Prince Harry
Reception
The film was generally unfavorably reviewed, receiving a 35% positive review assessment on Rotten TomatoesRotten Tomatoes
Rotten Tomatoes is a website devoted to reviews, information, and news of films—widely known as a film review aggregator. Its name derives from the cliché of audiences throwing tomatoes and other vegetables at a poor stage performance...
. The San Francisco Chronicle
San Francisco Chronicle
thumb|right|upright|The Chronicle Building following the [[1906 San Francisco earthquake|1906 earthquake]] and fireThe San Francisco Chronicle is a newspaper serving primarily the San Francisco Bay Area of the U.S. state of California, but distributed throughout Northern and Central California,...
called it a "dreadful teen comedy." The Village Voice
The Village Voice
The Village Voice is a free weekly newspaper and news and features website in New York City that features investigative articles, analysis of current affairs and culture, arts and music coverage, and events listings for New York City...
described the film as "a sanitized adventure for the Mary Kate-and-Ashley set."