What a Girl Wants (2003)

Director:

Dennie Gordon

Writers (WGA):

William Douglas-Home (play)
William Douglas-Home (1958 screenplay)

Release Date:

4 April 2003 (USA)

Genre:

Comedy | Romance

Tagline:

Trying to fit in. Born to stand out.

Plot:

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.

Plot Keywords:

American | England | Scandal | Teenager | Morocco

Awards:

1 win

Cast

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

Also Known As:

American Girl (USA) (working title)
London Calling (USA) (working title)

MPAA:

Rated PG for mild language.

Runtime:

105 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

DTS | Dolby Digital | SDDS

Certification:

Iceland:L | South Korea:All | Ireland:PG | Argentina:Atp | Australia:G | Brazil:Livre | Canada:G | Germany:o.Al. | New Zealand:G | Norway:A | Peru:PT | Philippines:G | Singapore:PG | Sweden:Btl | Switzerland:7 (canton of Geneva) | Switzerland:7 (canton of Vaud) | UK:PG | USA:PG

Filming Locations:

Battersea Park, Battersea, London, England, UK

Company:

DiNovi Pictures

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.

Goofs:

Factual errors: When Daphine is riding in the number 8 bus in London it says "Trafalger Square" in the front. The actual number 8 bus does not stop at or near Trafalgar Square.

Quotes:

Glynnis Payne: [Takes a bite of her eggs] These eggs are positively glacial. When I run this house, senile servants will be the first thing to go.
Clarissa: You'd have to get around the old bat somehow. She'd never allow it.
Jocelyn Dashwood: [Enters the room] Anyone seen my pruning shears? The *old bat* seems to have forgotten where she put them.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in "The Office: Beach Games (#3.22)" (2007)

Soundtrack:

Half Life

Cute movie with a good message

This was a cute, clean movie that you can sit down and watch with your kids. Daphne has never met her father, so she takes off for England to find him. She discovers he is in the middle of an election for some public office. Daphne has to choose between becoming what he wants her to be and staying true to herself. And dad has to make a choice about what is really important.

In response to the reviewer who slammed the movie as being anti British, and saying it was trying to say the American way is better, that is utter nonesense. This was not a typical British family--they were royalty and associated with people like them. Do you suppose the real Queen would find someone like Daphne amusing? Daphne's boyfriend was a decent young man who was also a bit off the wall and his own person--but he was an ordinary English kid, not a member of any royal family. There are circles here in America where Daphne's free spirit attitude would be frowned upon, too. Every country has "classes" that are snobbish and uptight and every country has "Daphnes"--good kids who just want to be themselves.