The Princess Diaries (Full Screen Edition)
by Garry Marshall
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DVD Cover Information
Actor: Anne Hathaway, Heather Matarazzo, Hector Elizondo, Julie Andrews, Mandy MooreDirector: Garry Marshall
Cinematographer: Karl Walter Lindenlaub
Producer: Debra Martin Chase
Producer: Ellen H. Schwartz
Producer: Mario Iscovich
Producer: Whitney Houston
Writer: Gina Wendkos
Writer: Meg Cabot
DVD: Region Code 1
Audio: English (Original Language), Dolby Digital 5.1; French (Original Language), Dolby Digital 5.1; English (Subtitled); Spanish (Subtitled)
Format: Closed-captioned, Color, Dolby, DVD, Full Screen, NTSC
Picture Format: 1.33:1
Running Time: 115 minutes
DVD Release Date: 2001-12-18
Audience Rating: G (General Audience)
Studio: Walt Disney Video
Movie Reviews of The Princess Diaries (Full Screen Edition)
Movie Review: "The elegant European woman didn't stay for tea, but the promise of tomorrow hung in the air."
Summary: 4 Stars
As I again get stuck with babysitting my neighbor's kids, it must be time once more for... Sissified Classic Theater, and this time the spotlight falls on promising actress Anne Hathaway. Nowadays Anne Hathaway is strictly taking on grown-up roles. But she first made her hay by starring in well-regarded teen vehicles like THE PRINCESS DIARIES flicks and Ella Enchanted (Widescreen Edition) (and, yikes, there's even the very controversial Havoc (Unrated Version)). THE PRINCESS DIARIES, coming out in 2001, is perhaps my Hathaway teen movie of choice. In it Anne plays 15-year-old Mia Thermopolis, gangly and awkward, cursed with thick bushman eyebrows and frizzy, messy Roseanne Roseannadanna-type hair. "My expectation in life is to be invisible, and I'm good at it," confesses Mia, except that when you vomit in debate class, everyone tends to notice and bag on you.
Mia is about to get some shocking news, and "It's bigger than orthodontia." The fun fairy tale element comes in once Mia's grandmother flies in from Europe and informs Mia that she's the heiress to the Genovian throne. And when your grandmother exudes the regal presence of Julie Andrews, things like this seem very possible. THE PRINCESS DIARIES is one of those expertly-done films that has such a feel-good theme going for it, and Hathaway is so winning and grounded enough, that you roll with it and grin a lot. Julie Andrews, whose past classic pictures have certainly garnered her her share of good will, is invaluable in lending proven grace and credibility to the story. Hector Elizondo is also very good as the stern head of Genovian security, although I can't wrap my brain around his character's boldness in courting the Queen. Inappropriate much? Or perhaps Genovia espouses a more relaxed set of proprieties. Still, Elizondo excels in these types of roles, and director Garry Marshall, in taking him on, was surely thinking of Elizondo's wonderful turn as the hotel manager in Pretty Woman (15th Anniversary Special Edition). Larry Miller comes in for a cup of coffee as hairdresser Paolo, and is wicked funny.
The one actor I didn't really care for was Heather Matarazzo. She plays Mia's hard-charging environmentalist best pal, and she bristles with so much aggression that she borders on unlikeable. If it's any consolation, I thought she was great in the short-lived (but very awesome) TV series NOW AND AGAIN. Meanwhile, Mandy Moore? She's vacuous but preeety. She sings "Stupid Cupid" in this one, and that might've been her best scene.
Garry Marshall is a pro at movies like this. Heck, even PRETTY WOMAN, despite its subject matter, is for all purposes a fairy tale and comes off as a surprisingly wholesome movie. But, of course, THE PRINCESS DIARIES caters to a younger audience, and so Marshall trades the soiled dove element for the princessly one. It's a real treat watching Mia being groomed for monarchy, taking her princess lessons, the Ugly Duckling turning into a swan. A still klutzy swan, yeah, but definitely a swan. Mia even learns the wango (sort of like a waltz and a tango) and dines at a royal banquet (which she turns into an adventurous meal). Naturally, all these changes can't help but be reflected in her time at school. The usual stuff that happens when the nerd poaches in the in-crowd territory, happens. Can Mia stay grounded enough as she becomes a celebrity and as she becomes suddenly popular? And, in the end, will she make the right choice for herself and for the nation of Genovia?
This is a Disney product, so there's nothing too radical or extreme on the screen. Mia experiences her growing pains, learns important life lessons, even dabbles in romance. The expected vanilla beats come on in, and we take it good-naturedly, because the film is charming and funny and because Anne Hathaway and Julie Andrews develop great chemistry. One of the best bits in the movie is when Anne reflexively tells Julie Andrews to "Shut up!" and then to watch Julie's affronted reaction. And, since this is Disney doing a movie about a princess, of course, there's a royal ball. My absolutely favorite moment in THE PRINCESS DIARIES? Mia in the royal ball, doing the robot.
Frankly, if it's simply a choice between either living in a royal palace or in a way cool refurbished fire station in San Francisco - well, damn, that's still a toughie...
This has been Sissified Classic Theater. Now I gotta take the kids to friggin' Chucky Cheese.
Summary of The Princess Diaries (Full Screen Edition)
A thoroughly engaging fairy tale that's family friendly without being condescending, The Princess Diaries is your basic Cinderella makeover story given a fresh, affectionate twist courtesy of a game, energetic cast and a screenplay that skirts schmaltz in favor of gentle, effective comedy. Mia Thermopolis (Anne Hathaway) is a frizzy-haired, glasses-wearing 15-year-old girl whose two highest ambitions are to become invisible and to get a few smooches from the slickly attractive school heartthrob. As a girl who can't stand being the center of attention so much that she throws up during debate class, she's stunned and horrified when her coolly continental grandmother (Julie Andrews) shows up and informs her that she's the crown princess of the European principality Genovia. Soon enough, Mia has to undertake "princess lessons" (and a makeover) from her queenly grandmother, and eventually she blossoms into a confident, radiant girl--despite the worries and pressure that her newfound status brings. What makes The Princess Diaries work is director Garry Marshall's guileless, irony-free approach to the material (based on Meg Cabot's novel). In comparison to most snarky, ultra-hip teen comedies, The Princess Diaries is refreshingly and enjoyably square, content to win you over on charm alone and not a slick bag of tricks. Hathaway is a charismatic, appealing role model with a sharp sense of comic timing, and Andrews--who came to stardom as the object of a makeover supreme in My Fair Lady on Broadway--is at her regal best whether teaching Mia the proper royal wave or learning how to eat a corndog. Both leading ladies are complemented by a finely tuned cast, including Hector Elizondo as Genovia's head of security (and romantic counterpart to Andrews), Heather Matarazzo as Mia's best pal, and Robert Schwartzman as the good guy who ultimately wins Mia's heart. All in all, a royal pleasure. --Mark EnglehartComedy DVD Video
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