Do you want to see ‘What a Girl Wants’?

What a Girl Wants (2003)

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All Critics
Top Critics

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: 4.5/10
Critic Reviews: 27
Fresh: 6 | Rotten: 21

Little girls will definitely enjoy it, but it's too syrupy and predictable for adults.

audience

liked it
Average Rating: 3.2/5
User Ratings: 431,551

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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

PG, 1 hr. 45 min.

Comedy

Directed By: Dennie Gordon

Written By: Elizabeth Chandler, Jenny Bicks

In Theaters: Apr 4, 2003 Wide

On DVD: Aug 5, 2003

Box Office:$36.0M

Warner Bros.

What a Girl Wants Trailer & Photos

More Photos (24)

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
Erik von Detten
Victoria Wicks
Henry's Secretary
Chris Mulkey
Tom Harper
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
Roger Ashton Griffiths

Critic Reviews for What a Girl Wants

All Critics (116) | Top Critics (28) | Fresh (38) | Rotten (71) | DVD (16)

A sanitized adventure for the Mary Kate-and-Ashley set.

April 8, 2003 Full Review Source: Village Voice

| Comment

Anya Kamenetz

Village Voice

Top Critic

There's nothing wrong with this movie, it just kind of moves along at this little pace, no surprises.

April 7, 2003 Full Review Source: Ebert & Roeper

| Comment

Richard Roeper

Ebert & Roeper

Top Critic

Uninspired and insipid all the way.

April 4, 2003 Comment

Desson Thomson

Washington Post

Top Critic

Girls undoubtedly will want to see it, but What a Girl Wants feels a bit like a reheated version of The Princess Diaries.

April 4, 2003 Full Review Source: USA Today

| Comment

Claudia Puig

USA Today

Top Critic

What A Girl Wants doesn't satisfy.

April 4, 2003 Full Review Source: Toronto Star

| Comment

Daphne Gordon

Toronto Star

Top Critic

A dreadful teen comedy.

April 4, 2003 Full Review Source: San Francisco Chronicle

| Comment

Edward Guthmann

San Francisco Chronicle

Top Critic

Overly cute, but great for its intended audience.

December 29, 2010 Full Review Source: Common Sense Media

| Comment

Nell Minow

Common Sense Media

Another piece of teen-girl wish-fulfillment fluff of the most forgettable sort.

May 12, 2004 Full Review Source: eFilmCritic.com

| Comment

Scott Weinberg

eFilmCritic.com

The capable cast is wasted in this fluff piece.

December 30, 2003 Full Review Source: Three Movie Buffs

| Comment

Scott Nash

Three Movie Buffs

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.

November 16, 2003 Full Review Source: Needcoffee.com

| Comment

Widgett Walls

Needcoffee.com

Despite her obnoxious Nickelodeon pedigree, Bynes proves that, given the right project, she isn't half bad.

August 29, 2003 Full Review Source: Kansas City Star

| Comment

Shawn Bowers

Kansas City Star

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.

August 15, 2003 Full Review Source: Teletext

| Comment

Annette Dasey

Teletext

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

August 10, 2003 Full Review Source: eFilmCritic.com

| Comment

Brian Mckay

eFilmCritic.com

More Critic Reviews

Audience Reviews for What a Girl Wants

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Daphne is an American teenager out to find her father, Lord Henry Dashwood. She's up to the challenge as she encounters snooty rich people & falls in love with a British boy. This is one of my favorite Amanda Bynes movies!!! :) I love it so much! (:

January 27, 2008

Cassie Hill

Super Reviewer

Oliver James and Amanda Bynes are a really good couple in this film and I really enjoyed it. It's a great chick flick and it's quite funny at times. It's a must see!

June 23, 2011

Bethany Murphy

Super Reviewer

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