Publisher: Buena Vista Home Entertainment
Ages: teen and up
Parental
Advisory:
Disturbing
themes & racial stereotypes
By Wayne Kawamoto
Good films about unknowing
and reluctant
princesses are about as rare as real frog
princes. But while Disney's The Princess
Diaries is such a fantasy, it far exceeded this reviewer's expectations.
Instead of being a cheesy, second-rate television movie comedy for kids, The
Princess Diaries is a captivating and thoroughly amusing film. With Julie
Andrews as its anchor, excellent direction from Garry Marshall, a great supporting
cast, and lots of comic and touching situations, the film charms and wins
hearts. This Special Edition adds deleted scenes (with entertaining intros
by Director Marshall), a blooper reel, wide and full screen versions, a couple
of music videos and some behind the scenes footage.
Shy, awkward San Francisco teenager Mia Thermopolis (Anne Hathaway), a thoroughly despised student at a private school, discovers that she is the princess of Genovia, a tiny (fictional) European country. Mia's grandmother, Queen Clarisse Renaldi (Julie Andrews) tells Mia that she is next in line to rule Genovia and that the queen herself will groom her to look and act the part.
When Mia objects, the two strike a deal: Mia agrees to royal training on the condition that she may decide whether or not to accept her heritage. Her decision is to be announced at an upcoming ball at Genovia's San Francisco embassy. Mia learns to move in royal circles, gets to know her mother and grandmother, and tries to choose between her royal birth and her former ambition, which was, she says, to be as invisible as possible. The comic potential of this young and innocent fish out of water is developed to full effect.
Julie Andrews is every bit the sophisticated and regal queen, but also gets to showcase her considerable comedic talents. It's hard to imagine an actress who would have been better suited for the role. Hathaway succeeds at being funny, but doesn't quite convey her character's teenage angst.
The supporting cast---particularly Joe (Hector Elizondo), Princess Mia's wry and commanding bodyguard, and Lilly (Heather Matarazzo), her best friend---is first rate. Pop singing star Mandy Moore, who plays Mia's popular, mean-spirited tormenter, Lana, sings an obligatory song in the film, but the segment does help keep the story moving.
Under Marshall's excellent direction, the film adds depth to various scenes and situations with carefully-cast small roles, great reaction shots, and throw-away gags. Lots of care went into this film's creation and it shows.
Interestingly, The Princess Diaries is similar to "My Fair Lady," the show that Julie Andrews owned on Broadway (although she was, unfortunately, aced by the more famous Audrey Hepburn for the film role). In The Princess Diaries, Andrews is the sophisticated character who polishes the diamond in the rough, though she's a much kinder and gentler (though strict and demanding) version of Henry Higgins. The plot also has elements of Marshall's "Pretty Woman," in which the lead characters have to learn to move in high social circles to comic effect.
The film's only fault is that it lacks a deep emotional connection. The emphasis here is on the comedy. In the beginning, Hathaway is not all that convincing as the angst-ridden teenager who is harassed by those in the high school's higher social order. And life's ultimate answers, as they usually are in these light-hearted movies, are a simple and pat answer away.
The Princess Diaries Special Edition is excellent family fare that may find itself in an awkward position. Younger viewers, those under eight, may not understand the film's humor and situations. And teens will probably resist seeing a film about a princess (rated G, no less), though young teens will certainly identify with gawky Mia. Never-the-less, The Princess Diaries: Special Edition is a crowning achievement that totally entertains.
www.daytrum.com Editorial Staff 8/2/04
