First Daughter (2004)

The daughter of the U.S. President heads off to college where she falls for a graduate student with a secret.

Director:

Forest Whitaker

Writers:

Jessica Bendinger (story), Jerry O'Connell (story)

Stars:

Katie Holmes, Marc Blucas, Michael Keaton

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Katie Holmes	...	Samantha Mackenzie
Marc Blucas	...	James Lansome
Amerie	...	Mia Thompson
Michael Keaton	...	President Mackenzie
Margaret Colin	...	Melanie Mackenzie
Lela Rochon	...	Liz Pappas (as Lela Rochon Fuqua)
Michael Milhoan	...	Agent Bock
Dwayne Adway	...	Agent Dylan
Hollis Hill	...	Agent Colvin
Ken Moreno	...	Agent Mercer
Andrew Caple-Shaw	...	Agent Dryer
Alex Avant	...	Shift Leader
Barry Livingston	...	Press Secretary
Piper Cochrane	...	Communications Director
Adam Donshik	...	First Lady's Chief of Staff

Storyline

Samantha Mackenzie loves and supports her parents, US President John Mackenzie and First Lady Melanie Mackenzie, and enjoys the privileges that she has received being the only daughter of the President, but sometimes she wants to be what she considers "normal" which means not having her life scrutinized by the world 24/7. She made the decision to go away to college in California at Redmond University in large part to get away from life at the White House and hopefully assert some independence, this first stint at college coinciding with President Mackenzie's reelection bid for a second term in the White House. As such, he knows that his opponents will exploit whatever they can, including placing even more scrutiny on the family, and having even more threats than usual against them meaning his want for more security. So Sam's college experience is less than normal, being followed by a very visible team of Secret Service agents, who are trained to notice the smallest things that may be ...

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Plot Keywords:

college | president | first daughter | college roommate | water gun | 

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Taglines:

The girl who always stood out is finally getting the chance to fit in.

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Genres:

Comedy | Drama | Romance

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated PG for language, sexual situations and alcohol-related material

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English French

Release Date:

24 September 2004 (USA)

Also Known As:

First Daughter

Filming Locations:

Los Angeles, California, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$30,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend USA:

$4,002,067, 26 September 2004

Gross USA:

$9,055,921

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$10,592,180

Company Credits

Production Co:

Regency Enterprises, New Regency Pictures, Davis Entertainment

Technical Specs

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital DTS

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

This film is dedicated to Composer Michael Kamen.

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Goofs

After the day at the fair, when Samantha goes back to kiss James, she walks almost all the way to him while his back is to her. Then she says his name, presumably to get him to turn around, but then we see that he is already facing her so there was no reason for her say "James" in the way she did.

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Quotes

James Lansome: Lucky Charm secure.

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Connections

Referenced in Family Guy: Brian's Got a Brand New Bag (2009)

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Soundtracks

Sway
Written by Norman Gimbel and Pablo Beltrán Ruiz
Produced by Blake Neely
Performed by Matt Dusk
Matt Dusk appears courtesy of Decca Records

User Reviews

A pleasant pastime

The plot itself - about the First daughter who went to College in Carlifornia, far away from the White House, in order to be normal and meet friends may be cliché. Yet the movie on the whole can still hand out nice surprises every now and then. Katie Holmes has a unique face and looks intelligent enough to want to be independent as well as not to disappoint the First family. More importantly, Marc Blucas (her love interest) is not like the stereotyped Prince Charming for a teenager. At least he also looks sophisticated and mature and gives a strong case why the first daughter would fall for him. The two make an attractive couple and are on the same wavelength when they share the views on science etc.

The twist in the movie, at least I didn't see it coming, is good. Considering how many such plots have appeared on screen, I must say this one at least is not as predictable and does give me some credibility as a story about real people. The President and First Lady are not given a significant part here. The young couple already is a good reason to watch the movie. The love songs that accompanied the ball room dances are pleasant and well-chosen. If "monster-in-law" is rated 5 out of 10 here (last time I check), then "the First Daughter" deserves at least a 6.5 or 7, for its creativity and credible performance by the leading couple.

I also hope that Marc Blucas has great roles in future movies for his refreshing looks and performance.