The unexpected rewards of director Garry Marshall's ("Beaches") latest spin on the well-worn Pygmalion fairy tale are numerous.
The Princess Diaries (2001)
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Reviews Counted:111
Fresh:52
Rotten:59
Average Rating:5.1/10
Consensus: A charming, if familiar, makeover movie for young teenage girls.
Theatrical Release:Aug 3, 2001 Wide
Box Office: $107,785,435
Synopsis: Teen actress Anne Hathaway gives an endearing performance in Garry Marshall's delightful Disney comedy, THE PRINCESS DIARIES. Assisted by such seasoned pros as Julie Andrews and Hector Elizondo (a... Teen actress Anne Hathaway gives an endearing performance in Garry Marshall's delightful Disney comedy, THE PRINCESS DIARIES. Assisted by such seasoned pros as Julie Andrews and Hector Elizondo (a Marshall regular), Hathaway shines here in her first major film role. She plays Mia, a high school misfit who has resigned herself to social invisibility. Mia and her best friend, Lilly (Heather Matarazzo), are outcasts. While Lilly relishes the role, Mia just wishes a cute popular boy she likes, Josh (Erik von Detten), would notice her. Mia's life changes dramatically when her grandmother (Andrews) contacts her and Mia finds out she is heir to the throne of Genovia, a small European country between France and Spain. The klutzy, socially awkward girl doesn't think she's up to the job, but she agrees to be coached in regal manners by her grandmother before deciding if she wants to become a princess. Marshall (PRETTY WOMAN) is clearly in his element directing this light, charming teen comedy. Andrews, perfectly cast as Queen Clarisse Renaldi, makes her character seem both imperious and caring. Hathaway's performance and the presence of teen pop star Mandy Moore assure that young girls, in particular, will enjoy the film. [More]
Starring: Anne Hathaway, Julie Andrews, Hector Elizondo, Heather Matarazzo
Starring: Anne Hathaway, Julie Andrews, Hector Elizondo, Heather Matarazzo, Mandy Moore, Caroline Goodall, Robert Schwartzman, Erik von Detten
Director: Garry Marshall
Director: Garry Marshall
Screenwriter: Gina Wendkos
Producer: Whitney Houston, Debra Martin Chase, Mario Iscovich
Composer: John Debney
Studio: Buena Vista Pictures
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Release:
Aug 3, 2004
Reviews for The Princess Diaries
This Cinderella fantasy transforms a geek into a princess, and teaches a few life lessons along the way.
That this failed is largely down to the stilted, clichéd dialogue of the screenplay; fans of the wittier novel by Meg Cabot may well be disappointed.
Marshall milks the San Francisco scenery for all it's worth, but is all thumbs when it comes to squeezing the full comic possibilities of the story...
A light, uneven Pygmalion story that may win young girls over with its wish fulfilment theme and teen movie staples, but does not live up to the expectations created by the cast and director.
Notions of responsibility, surrogacy, rites of passage and the value of friendship are gone through, but the highlighting of modern tropes merely serves to emphasise the film's conventionality.
One of the most delightful and touching comedies to grace the big-screen in years that features no swearing, no sex, no violence, no drugs -- and no dull moments.
Screenwriter Gina Wendkos, working from Meg Cabot's novel, resorts to monotonous movie clichés: almost uniformly cruel classmates and a callous, cacophonous mob of media jackals.
These diaries have too many dull pages and not enough juicy bits to keep you interested.
It's a cozy message for young girls, even if it's couched in a predictable plot that is pure Disney.
Despite the hackneyed quality of the pretext, nice performances save this film from itself.
What starts as a feel-good movie quickly degenerates into a feel-bored movie, not least because at two hours it’s at least thirty minutes too long.
It’s an absolute credit to the cast that The Princess Diaries has charm at all.
It’s another movie where teenage girls look like a bunch of unfeeling idiots or worse.
Garry Marshall directs with the same fairy tale charm he gave "Pretty Woman," but without the disturbing prostitution angle.
The film was directed by Garry Marshall, who turned "Pretty Woman" into a fairy tale for big girls 11 years ago. In many ways, "Diaries" is the G-rated remake...
El Diario de la Princesa es el regreso de estos estudios a las comedias blancas e inocentes.
Those in the market for what it has to offer will find it pleasantly agreeable, and those who aren’t won’t be in the theater in the first place.
Latest News for The Princess Diaries
November 22, 2005:
Fox Searchlight Digs the "Phat Girlz"
Fresh out of my inbox comes a press release from Fox Searchlight that informs us of a movie called "Phat Girlz," which stars Mo'Nique, Eric Roberts, Jack Noseworthy,... More...
June 24, 2005:
From "Coyote Ugly" to "Big Man on Campus"
Screenwriter Gina Wendkos, the scribe responsible for movies such as "Coyote Ugly," "The Princess Diaries," and "The Perfect Man" will pen... More...
August 09, 2001:
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June 05, 2001:
Diaries was shot on the same soundstage used for Mary Poppins, and Marshall owns the house Andrews lived in while making that film. ![]()
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