What A Girl Wants

Trying to fit in. Born to stand out.

BASED ON "The Reluctant Debutante" by William Douglas-Home

RELEASED: USA - 27 March 2003 (premiere) Australia - 3 April 2003 New Zealand - 3 April 2003 Canada - 4 April 2003 USA - 4 April 2003 Philippines - 19 April 2003 Germany - 26 June 2003 Austria - 27 June 2003 Switzerland - 3 July 2003 (German speaking region) Italy - 4 July 2003 (premiere) Iceland - 18 July 2003 Lithuania - 18 July 2003 France - 23 July 2003 Netherlands - 24 July 2003 Israel - 31 July 2003 Belgium - 6 August 2003 Spain - 8 August 2003 UK - 8 August 2003 Norway - 15 August 2003 Bahrain - 20 August 2003 Russia - 21 August 2003 Italy - 22 August 2003 Sweden - 22 August 2003 Hungary - 4 September 2003 Slovenia - 4 September 2003 Turkey - 5 September 2003 Egypt - 10 September 2003 Czech Republic - 11 September 2003 Finland - 10 October 2003 Estonia - 24 October 2003 Argentina - 30 October 2003 Denmark - 14 November 2003 Japan - 15 November 2003

RUN TIME: 105 minutes	AKA Ce que fille veut - Canada (French title) London Calling - USA (working title) American Girl - USA (working title) Was Mädchen wollen - Germany/Austria Ce dont revent les filles - France Mista tytot tykkaa - Finland Royal Seventeen - Japan (English title) Tudo Que Uma Garota Quer - Brazil Un Sueno para ella - Spain Una Ragazza e il suo sogno - Italy

FILMING LOCATIONS: Lancaster House, The Mall, St James's, London, England, UK Royal Naval College, Greenwich, London, England, UK Chapel of St. Peter and St. Paul, Royal Naval College, Greenwich, London, England, UK West Wycombe Park, High Wycombe, Buckinghamshire, England, UK Hyde Park, London, England, UK Battersea Park, Battersea, London, England, UK The Athenaeum Club, Pall Mall, London, England, UK	FILMING DATES: Summer 2002

DIRECTOR: Dennie Gordon	WRITER: William Douglas-Home (1958), Jenny Bicks & Elizabeth Chandler (screenplay)
PRODUCERS: Denise DeNovi, E K Gaylord II, Bill Gerber, Alison Greenspan, Casey La Scala, Hunt Lowry	CINEMATOGRAPHER: Andrew Dunn

Cast - in credits order 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 Tom Goodfellow ... Libby's Band Member James Bell ... Libby's Band Member Mindy Lee Raskin ... Bride Stanley Townsend ... Bride's Father Raffaello Degruttola ... Groom Pieter Vodden ... Sven James Woolley ... Political Advisor One James Linton ... Political Advisor Two Jonah Russell ... Policeman Ella Desmond Oakley ... Baby Daphne Peter Hugo ... Prince Charles Matthew Turpin ... Prince William Chris Castle ... Prince Harry Ben Scholfield ... Armistead Stuart Charlie Beall ... Rufus Tom Harper ... Edward Natalie Bromley ... Jane Stephanie Lane ... Fiona Antony Carrick ... Prince Michael Neville Phillips ... Butler Roger Ashton-Griffiths ... Lord Orwood Cassie Powney ... Peach Orwood Connie Powney ... Pear Orwood	Production Companies Castle Rock Entertainment DiNovi Pictures Gaylord Films HSI Tomorrow Film Sloane Square Films Warner Bros. Distributors Warner Bros. (Argentina) Warner Bros. Warner Bros. Warner Bros.
MUSIC: Soundtrack: Good Life - Leslie Mills Out Of Place - Gavin Thrope Crazy - Meredith Brooks London Calling - The Clash Who Invited You - The Donnas Long Time Coming - Oliver James Kiss Kiss - Holly Valance What's Your Flava - Craig David I Wanna Be Bad - Willa Ford Half-Life - Duncan Sheik Somebody Stop Me - Erica Rivera Rock And Roll, Hoochie Koo - Rick Derringer Greatest Story Ever Told - Oliver James Whats Good For Me - Lucy Woodward Ride Of Your Life - John Gregory	OTHER MUSIC IN THE FILM: Shout - Isley Brothers, performed by Kelly Preston Get Up Offa That Thing/Release The Pressure - James Brown, performed by Oliver James You Get Me - Michelle Branch What A Wonderful World - Performed by Oliver James Have I Told You Lately - Van Morrison, performed by Matt Acheson Heaven Is A Place on Earth - Performed by Kelly Preston Muddled - Ian Lefeuvre Because You Loved Me - Celine Dion, performed by Kelly Preston Get A Move On - Mr. Scruff Hypin' Woman Blues - T-bone Walker Lament 1, Bird's Lament - Moondog The Way You Look Tonight - Performed by Oliver James

Reviews

Reviewed by Stella Papamichael
Updated 06 August 2003

Cinderella has been done so many times she can no longer wear white to her wedding. Not that Amanda Bynes would ever dream of doing anything so conventional in "What a Girl Wants". You see, she's American, and therefore fun and funky, where we Brits are staid and stuffy. What-ho! I say, spiffing cucumber sandwiches, etc.

One gets the idea. In fact, if you thought "The Princess Diaries" was a mite hackneyed, there are even fewer surprises in this effort - "inspired" by 50s pic "The Reluctant Debutante" - by director Dennie Gordon.

Hip chick Daphne Reynolds ("Big Fat Liar star Bynes) jets from New York to London to make the acquaintance of the father she's never known. He just happens to be Lord Henry Dashwood (Colin Firth), very debonair but so uptight he could crack a nut when he walks.

And that's nothing compared to Dashwood's fiancée (Anna Chancellor) and prospective stepdaughter (Christina Cole) - a frosty double act to rival the Polar ice caps.

Inevitably Daphne causes quite the ballyhoo, threatening Dashwood's impending marriage, and his political ambitions, with her infernal jollity. She even goes so far as to give HRH The Prince of Wales an impromptu lap dance in one of few mildly amusing moments.

Her inclination towards open displays of affection also jars with The Dashwood Way. Moving to give her grandmother a hug, she's waved away with the advice: "I'm British. We only show affection to dogs and horses."

Director Gordon rolls out one cliché after another at a wearing pace. Ironically though, it's Colin Firth's square-shaped performance that proves to be the high note in the movie; Amanda Bynes' monotone exuberance feeling strained by comparison.

Admittedly prepubescent girlie-girls might be won over by Miss Bynes' chickadee antics, but supervising guardians should be warned: it'll take a lot more than a stiff upper lip to swallow this bag of old chestnuts.

PERSONAL REVIEW - CFFan

I don't know what the critics wanted from this movie. I got what I paid to see over and over again. I even bought both the wide and full screen DVD's. As for the movie, we know it was implausible. It was just a fun, fluff film. Every movie doesn't have to be violent, sexual or thought provoking. Sometimes we want escapism, that's what WAGW is. What I wanted was a decent movie and lots of good Colin Firth moments. As ever, he did not disappoint me in any way. Well, maybe the sunglasses in the regatta scene. (Who picked those out?) Otherwise he was gorgeous, gorgeous, gorgeous. Oh, his performance, excellent as always. I loved the scenes of vulnerable emotions. He is so good at that. Did I say good? Understatement. Then there's the leather pants - to DIE for! Definitely the best performance in the movie. Lots of yummy looks.

Supporting him in the movie there definitely was a chemistry that came across with Colin and Kelly Preston, as Libby his one true love. Amanda Bynes has been soundly criticized for her role. I didn't find her all that bad. A few of her facial expressions were over the top, but, I think she did just fine. Oliver James has been criticized a bit. For a new actor I feel he did an admirable job. Isn't he cute? I never liked Anna Chancellor anyway, so this found me no different. I didn't like the barbs about English stuffiness, but it's a small, small phrase in an otherwise delightful film.

Date: 21 October 2003
Summary: Brilliant Colin Firth!

This is a rather foreseable unconventional-teenager-comes-to-find-her-unknown-conventional-father-story. Nothing out of the ordinary really.

What makes this movie so special nevertheless is the brilliant Colin Firth who brings Lord Henry Dashwood to real life, making him a 3-dimensional person despite the script.

An absolute MUST SEE for all Colin Firth-Fans and people who love to see good acting and a beautiful romantic ending.

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