What a Girl Wants (2003)

Synopsis: Daphne Reynolds (AMANDA BYNES) has what every girl wants – or so it seems. This spirited 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... Daphne Reynolds (AMANDA BYNES) has what every girl wants – or so it seems. This spirited 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. She dreams of one day meeting the father she’s never known, the man Libby shared a whirlwind romance with seventeen years ago, but ultimately left behind because his aristocratic family found her unsuitable.

Determined to live out her fantasy of forging a storybook relationship with her long-absent dad, Daphne impulsively hops a flight to London, where she quickly discovers that her father is high profile politician Lord Henry Dashwood (COLIN FIRTH).

When Henry opens his life and his social calendar to the daughter he never knew existed, Daphne’s appearance in 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 stuffy British social events. But even with Henry’s support, she’s not getting any help from his conniving fiancée (ANNA CHANCELLOR) or her jealous daughter (CHRISTINA COLE), who are bent on ruining Daphne at every turn.

With the aid of Ian, a charming and society-savvy local musician (OLIVER JAMES), Daphne attempts to prove that love – and 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, it’s not worth it if she can’t be herself.

After all, as Ian asks her, Why fit in when you were born to stand out?

Warner Bros. Pictures presents, in Association with Gaylord Films, a Di Novi Pictures/Gerber Pictures Production, What A Girl Wants, starring AMANDA BYNES, COLIN FIRTH, KELLY PRESTON, EILEEN ATKINS, ANNA CHANCELLOR and JONATHAN PRYCE. Directed by DENNIE GORDON, the producers are DENISE DI NOVI, BILL GERBER and HUNT LOWRY. The screenplay is by JENNY BICKS and ELIZABETH CHANDLER. E.K. GAYLORD II, ALISON GREENSPAN and CASEY LA SCALA are the executive producers. ANDREW DUNN, B.S.C. is the director of photography; MICHAEL CARLIN is the production designer; CHARLES McCLELLAND is the editor; music is by RUPERT GREGSON-WILLIAMS.

What A Girl Wants will be released on April 4, 2003 by Warner Bros. Pictures, an AOL Time Warner Company.

What A Girl Wants has been rated PG by the MPAA for “mild language.” [More]