What A Girl Wants Review
by Marshall Garvey (hunter48 AT goodpeopleunite DOT com)August 11th, 2003
"What A Girl Wants" (2003)
Review by Marshall Garvey
Rating (0 to 5): **1/2 Grade: C+
Starring Amanda Bynes (Daphne Reynolds), Colin Firth (Henry Dashwood), Kelly Preston (Libby Reynolds), Anna Chancellor (Glynnis Payne), Christina Cole (Clarissa Payne), Jonathan Pryce (Alistair Payne), Oliver James (Ian Wallace), Eileen Atkins (Jocelyn Dashwood)
Directed by Dennie Gordon
Produced by Denise Di Novi, Bill Gerber, and Hunt Lowry
Written by Jenny Bicks and Elizabeth Chandler (based on the 1958 film "The Reluctant Debutante", written by William Douglas Home)
Warner Bros.
100 minutes
Rated PG for mild language (most ages fine, but watch out for a brief conversation about a dog biting a man's testicle off)
I've got to be honest here: I know "What A Girl Wants" isn't exactly a film targeted towards my taste, so while watching it I felt optimistic enough that it would at least provide an hour or two of light but satisfying entertainment. Sadly, while the actors do a magnificent job and Amanda Bynes truly shows her talent, the film doesn't try that hard to avoid being a thorough, unsatisfying cliche. With it being intended for younger girls, I know this judgment could be considered a bit harsh, and I'll lighten up. However, if you're not in that intended demographic, then chances are "What A Girl Wants" will have you squirming in your seat a bit, and although it stays upbeat and perky it sometimes can't avoid being an incessant bore.
Based on the 1958 Rex Harrison/Sandra Dee film "The Reluctant Debutante", "What A Girl Wants" follows a seventeen-year-old teenager named Daphne Reynolds (Amanda Bynes) who lives in Chinatown in New York. During her whole life she's been without a father, and each year on her birthday she makes a wish that he will come to see her. When he ends up not showing she asks her mom Libby (Kelly Preston) to tell her the story of how they met, which goes a little something like this: One day in Morocco, she met a man named Henry Dashwood (Colin Firth from "The English Patient"), who was working at the time when he caught Libby stumbling down the desert hillside. They fell in love, and were married at an "unofficial" ceremony held by a tribe leader. Later, Dashwood brought Libby back to his wealthy estate in London, and they planned to have an "official" wedding later on. However, Libby's American sense of style didn't fit in well with the rest of the Dashwood family, and when Henry's!
father passed away things became worse. Realizing the problems that they were faced with, Libby decided to leave Henry for good and head to America, where she later gave birth to Daphne.
Seventeen years after their separation, Henry still remains in London, now a standout political figure and highly respected among the higher-class citizens. Hoping to put the final piece of the puzzle together in her life, Daphne sets out for London alone to reunite with her father. When they meet for the first time, Dashwood, already engaged to a woman named Glynnis Payne (Anna Chancellor), is shocked to hear that he had had a daughter for seventeen years without knowing. Right in the middle of a heated campaign, he doesn't at all approve of Daphne's sudden appearance. But his mother Jocelyn (Eileen Atkins) suggests that she stays so that things are cleared up, and Henry agrees.
During her stay, Daphne develops a friendship with a local bandleader named Ian Wallace (Oliver James), who encourages her to be the way she is and not let anyone else try to change her personality to fit with the formal crowd. Although she obviously doesn't fit in and her visits to parties only attract more media attention to her father, she knows that this is true, and as she continues to bond with her father she must decide whether to act normal and help his campaign succeed or stand out and be her real self.
"What A Girl Wants" isn't a bad film, but the reason it doesn't succeed is because it can't help but steer down its ever-foreseeable path without anything to interest anyone who isn't a young girl. While watching it, we're forced to sit through every single element that we've seen countless other times: Girl never sees father, girl finds father, father doesn't approve of daughter's sudden appearance, daughter is allowed to stay, daughter has scuffle with stepsister, daughter somehow bonds with father, daughter embarrasses herself and is exploited by the media, etc, etc, etc.
I've heard from many that this film bears several similarities to "The Princess Diaries". Having not seen that film, I don't feel completely justified in agreeing with this statement. However, judging by the sounds of "The Princess Diaries", it's probably safe to say that "What A Girl Wants" is akin to it, which would most likely sum up the film's limited appeal.
The best point of the entire film is undoubtedly Amanda Bynes' acting. Here she displays lots of talent, and her charm on-screen is undeniable. Sadly, the film doesn't use her to her full potential, sometimes resorting to jokes equivalent to those on her Nickelodeon program "The Amanda Show". If you want to see Bynes at her best, watch "Big Fat Liar" instead. Not only is the film better and far more enjoyable for all audiences, it also allows Bynes to live up to her expectations without limiting her character with predictable attributes and a weak script, which this film does.
There are some clever moments in "WAGW", most of which involve Eileen Atkins' charming character Jocelyn (in one scene, for example, when Daphne takes a shot during skeet shooting and falls back, Jocelyn asks, "Is that how the west was won?"). Still, there are far more laughs to be found in "Big Fat Liar", which, unlike this, had me howling with uproarious laughter quite a number of times. All in all, "What A Girl Wants" is good-hearted and enjoyable in some cases, but is strictly for its intended age group.
Note: This review is purely of my doing, and I do not copy off other reviewers.
So, what does this rating system mean anyway?
*****-A masterpiece of filmmaking that should be seen at all costs ****1/2-A fabulous movie. An absolute must catch.
****-An excellent show. Be sure to see it.
***1/2-A good film. Recommended.
***-Decent movie that could be a lot better.
**1/2-Average movie with a number of flaws.
**-Pretty bad with a few saving graces.
*1/2-Bad. Don't see it.
*-Awful movie. Stay away.
1/2-An atrocious abomination that MUST be avoided.
0-Death may come.
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