What a Girl Wants (2003)
Average Rating: 4.8/10
Reviews Counted: 104
Fresh: 36 | Rotten: 68
Little girls will definitely enjoy it, but it's too syrupy and predictable for adults.
Average Rating: 4.6/10
Critic Reviews: 29
Fresh: 8 | Rotten: 21
Little girls will definitely enjoy it, but it's too syrupy and predictable for adults.
liked it
Average Rating: 3.2/5
User Ratings: 431,551
My Rating
Movie Info
Loosely based on the 1958 comedy The Reluctant Debutante starring Sandra Dee, the family-friendly comedy What a Girl Wants features popular Nickelodeon teen star Amanda Bynes in her first feature-starring performance after her debut in Big Fat Liar. She plays teenager Daphne Reynolds, who lives in New York City with her musician mother, Libby (Kelly Preston). After she turns 17, Daphne is undecided about her future, so she takes off by herself to London in search of her father. She immediately
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Cast
-
Amanda Bynes
Daphne -
Colin Firth
Lord Henry Dashwood -
Kelly Preston
Libby Reynolds -
Eileen Atkins
Jocelyn Dashwood -
Jonathan Pryce
Alistair Payne -
Anna Chancellor
Glynnis -
Oliver James
Ian Wallace -
Christina Cole
Clarissa Payne -
Sylvia Syms
Princess Charlotte -
Ben Scholfield
Armistead Stuart -
Stephen W. Anderson
Television Reporter -
Roger Ashton-Griffiths
Lord Orwood -
Andrew Clarke
Male Twin 1 -
Judy Collins
Dancer -
Peter Hugo
Prince Charles -
Neville Phillips
Butler -
Tara Summers
Noelle -
Stanley Townsend
Bride's Father -
-
Victoria Wicks
Henry's Secretary -
-
-
Antony Carrick
Prince Michael -
Stephanie Lane
Fiona -
Bruno Tonioli
Fashion Emcee -
Peter Reeves
Sir John Dashwood -
Count Prince Miller
Dancer -
Bharti Patel
Dancer -
Tony Kemp
Dancer -
Daniel Tuite
Newspaper Reporter #1 -
Matt Acheson
Country Club Wedding Si... -
Charlie Beall
Rufus -
James Bell
Libby's Band Member -
Newton Boothe
Taxi Driver -
Natalie Bromley
Jane -
Chris Castle
Prince Harry -
Flaminia Cinque
Caterer -
Peter Clarke
Male Twin 2 -
Ethel Crichlow
Dancer -
Ash Croney
Dancer -
Raffaello Dagruttola
Groom -
Malcolm Davey
Dancer -
Layla Ellison
Dancer -
Tim Fornara
Ian's Band Member -
Luke Fredericks
Ian's Band Member -
Tom Goodfellow
Libby's Band Member -
David Gyasi
Ian's Band Member -
Tom Hanna
Ian's Band Member -
Peter Jessup
Dancer -
Jafri Jobaid
Dancer -
Allan Laza
Dancer -
James Linton
Political Advisor Two -
Anne Lucas
Dancer -
Sarah Mark
Newspaper Reporter #2 -
Soleil McGhee
Young Daphne -
George Miller
Dancer -
Susan Mills
Dancer -
Nita Mistry
Girl in Hostel -
Ella Desmond Oakley
Baby Daphne -
Steven Osborne
Staff Member -
Basil Patton
Dancer -
Tom Penn
Libby's Band Member -
Cassie Powney
Peach Orwood -
Connie Powney
Pear Orwood -
Vernon Preston
Duke of Edinburgh -
Mindy Lee Raskin
Bride -
Elizabeth Richard
Queen -
Jonah Russell
Policeman -
Louis Saint-Juste
Dancer -
Barrington Shaw
Dancer -
David Temple
Ian's Band Member -
Sian Todd
Dancer -
Mike Toller
Libby's Band Member -
Matthew Turpin
Prince William -
Jane Victory
Dancer -
Pieter Vodden
Sven -
Thomas Michael Voss
Dancer -
Maureen Waters
Dancer -
David Whitmey
Ian's Band Member -
James Woolley
Political Advisor One -
James Greene
Percy -
June Walker
Dancer -
-
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All Critics (116) | Top Critics (31) | Fresh (38) | Rotten (71) | DVD (16)
A sanitized adventure for the Mary Kate-and-Ashley set.
Top CriticThere's nothing wrong with this movie, it just kind of moves along at this little pace, no surprises.
Uninspired and insipid all the way.
Girls undoubtedly will want to see it, but What a Girl Wants feels a bit like a reheated version of The Princess Diaries.
What A Girl Wants doesn't satisfy.
An unsubtle but sunny fairy tale.
Too-cute with a few iffy moments, but tweens will eat it up.
Another piece of teen-girl wish-fulfillment fluff of the most forgettable sort.
The capable cast is wasted in this fluff piece.
Were I a twelve year old girl, or any female around in that time frame, I'd think this was the coolest movie since the last Olsen Twins opus.
Despite her obnoxious Nickelodeon pedigree, Bynes proves that, given the right project, she isn't half bad.
The mum, played by Kelly Preston, tells Daphne, "Getting to know yourself is the answer." And we thought this was supposed to be good family fun.
There's very little about it that isn't utterly predictable, and naturally all major setbacks are quickly and easily overcome after a minute and a half music montage, before the final happy ending pancake platter is doused in syrupy overkill
Audience Reviews for What a Girl Wants
Super Reviewer
Super Reviewer
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- Ian Wallace: Why are you trying so hard to fit in when you were born to stand out?
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