What a Girl Wants (2003)

An American teenager learns that her father is a wealthy British politician running for office. Although she is eager to find him, she realizes it could cause a scandal and cost him the election.

Director:

Dennie Gordon

Writers:

William Douglas-Home (play), William Douglas-Home,

Stars:

Amanda Bynes, Colin Firth, Kelly Preston

1 win.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Amanda Bynes	...	Daphne Reynolds
Colin Firth	...	Henry Dashwood
Kelly Preston	...	Libby Reynolds
Eileen Atkins	...	Jocelyn Dashwood
Anna Chancellor	...	Glynnis Payne
Jonathan Pryce	...	Alistair Payne
Oliver James	...	Ian Wallace
Christina Cole	...	Clarissa Payne
Sylvia Syms	...	Princess Charlotte
Soleil McGhee	...	Young Daphne
Peter Reeves	...	Sir John Dashwood
James Greene	...	Percy
Steven Osborne	...	Staff Member
Mike Toller	...	Libby's Band Member
Tom Penn	...	Libby's Band Member

Storyline

Daphne, a seventeen-year-old girl from New York goes to England in search of her father, who does not know he had a child with an American girlfriend he met while working in Morocco, and whose aristocratic family did not approve of the woman.

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Plot Keywords:

american | england | scandal | morocco | british | 

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Taglines:

Trying to fit in. Born to stand out.

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Genres:

Comedy | Drama | Romance

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated PG for mild language

Details

Official Sites:

Warner Bros. Warner Bros. [uk]

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

4 April 2003 (USA)

Also Known As:

American Girl

Filming Locations:

Battersea Park, Battersea, London, England, UK

Box Office

Budget:

$20,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend:

$182,428 (Brazil) (19 September 2003)

Gross:

$401,212 (Brazil) (3 October 2003)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Warner Bros, Gaylord Films, DiNovi Pictures

Technical Specs

Runtime:

105 min

Sound Mix:

DTS Dolby Digital SDDS

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

This film opened during war with Iraq which made Warner Bros. change the poster art for the film. Because the original artwork showed Amanda Bynes displaying a peace symbol, the artwork was changed so that the peace symbol was airbrushed out. The studio did not want anyone to think the artwork was a war protest.

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Goofs

When Daphne is spotted through the window by Clarissa she runs away from the house and is met from the opposite direction by Henry who was in the house when she ran away.

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Quotes

Clarissa: Oh, very you, lovely. So Henry asked us to give you a few pointers, didn't he? Well, pointer number 1: go home. Mother and I belong here and it's quite clear you just don't fit in. And pointer number 2: while you're packing, keep your grimy little Yankee paws off Armistead Stuart, he's mine.
Daphne Reynolds: If you take your nose out of the air for one second you'll see you're designer, I'm vintage. You've got a mansion, I've got a five floor walkup. You're a snotty little miss cranky pants and I go with the ...

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Connections

References Cinderella (1950)

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Soundtracks

"Ride of Your Life"
Written by John Gregory and Jeff Silbar
Performed by John Gregory
Courtesy of Atlantic Recording Corp.
By Arrangement with Warner Strategic Marketing

User Reviews

Charming movie...Colin Firth makes it worth the admission price!

As far as I'm concerned, this movie gives us the perfect 'time out' from the daily grind. It's sweet, charming, and has a fine cast. Outstanding, of course, is Colin Firth. The reviewers who claim that this movie is great for the "under-13 and over 80" crowd just don't get it. There are many of us who will love Mr. Darcy forever, and who are in dire need of more Colin Firth movies. He is, of course, absolutely gorgeous in the movie, and has a lot of screen time. I would pay to watch and listen to him read a telephone book, so I will see this movie again and definitely will be among the first in line to buy the DVD.

It was strange to see Anna Chancellor as his fiancee, a part which she played in much the same way that she portrayed Caroline Bingley. Her character wasn't good enough for Mr. Darcy, nor is this one suited for Lord Dashwood.

Although numerous people have criticized the sweetness of the movie, I, who am hopelessly romantic, loved its ending. I left the theater feeling better than when I entered. (I felt the same way when "Bridget Jones's Diary" ended. Actually, I couldn't wait to see it again, since the final kiss was probably the best kiss I've seen in a movie. I digress. Sorry.) Although I realize that this movie isn't going to win any Academy Awards, it is still a wonderful way to spend an hour and a half.