|
 ntirely predictable, mostly silly, and wholly
unbelievable. Then again, it's a Teen Comedy and it's called "What A Girl
Wants", so what did you expect?
Amanda Bynes, who I believe is a teen TV star by the way
the studio bandies her name about (as if everyone should know who she is), stars
as Daphne, the love child of American hippy Libby (Kelly Preston) and British
aristocrat Henry (Colin Firth). On her 17th birthday, the scrappy
teen decides to finally seek out her father, who she has heard a lot about from
her mother, but has never met. Separated 17 years ago due to various soap
opera-like plots, Henry has no idea Libby was with child at the time.
Seventeen years later, the sprite Daphne, infused with
"girls just wanna have fun" attitude, arrives at the doorstep of
Henry's impressive estate. Well actually she climbs over the wall and he
mistakes her for a paparazzi. Unfortunately Henry is a politician and is running
for office, and can't afford an unpredictable (at least to the movie's world)
American teen girl amidst high English society. And oh yeah, he's also engaged
to the scheming Glynnis (Anna Chancellor), who along with evil daughter Clarissa
(Christina Cole), plots to keep the reunited father and daughter apart and
other, er, evil stuff.
Of course Daphne has her own pro-Daphne crowd, including
Henry's mother (Eileen Atkins), the butler, and English lad Ian (Oliver James),
who is also an aspiring musician, not to mention showcasing a strand of hair
that refuses to stay down. Before the movie is over, Daphne has wowed the Stuffy
English, turned Henry's life upside down, and given her evil competition their
rightly deserved comeuppance. Even Jonathan Pryce ("Ronin")
turns in an evil role as the mastermind behind Henry's political career.
The fact is, movies like "What a Girl Wants"
aren't made for anyone over 15, or who isn't a girl. The casting of Amanda Bynes
seems to confirm this, as does the title, which is also the song title of teen
skank queen Christina Aguilera, who is popular with squealing teens that make
appointments with MTV's "TRL". Girls will enjoy many scenes of the
likeable Amanda Bynes supposedly crashing the Stuffy English party, even though
it's not like she ever does anything completely out of the question, like kill
someone. The most she ever does is push an amorous suitor into a pond and
inadvertently destroys a chandelier.
I guess "What a Girl Wants" would work best with
people who has never seen these types of movies before. As for myself, I'm still
a bit perplexed why movies about Wild and Free Americans busting up the customs
of the Stuffy English is still being done. Didn't "King Ralph" already
beat this horse to death already? I guess the target audience of
"Girl" might think this is all new territory. I guess I'm simply the
wrong demographic.
Needless to say, it's a Teen Comedy, so everything will
work out in the end. Daphne will get her dad's unconditional love, as well as
the love of her boyfriend, and she will have reunited her mom and dad and
everyone will live happily ever after. Hey, what did you think was going to
happen, some sort of bleak tragic ending?
|
