What a Girl Wants (2003) Reviews

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

  CindyWal2003-04-15

  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.

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• What this girl likes

  mllea2005-02-11

  Okay, I love this movie. It's sweet, it's simple, it's cute, and fun. It's clever and well put together. The scenery is great (what's not to love about London)? And Firth and Bynes were adorable. Colin Firth is great no matter what movie he's in, but Amanda Bynes (I've been a fan of hers since she was on Nickelodeon) was fun to watch and a perfect fit for the role of fun-loving Daphne. The rest of the cast was good as well, I loved the jokes that were thrown in and the silly/cute subplots going on (Peach and Pear). I appreciated that this movie didn't take itself too seriously, yet was certainly not all fluff or nonsense, either. I loved how this movie primarily dealt with a father-daughter relationship (so refreshing from other so-called teen movies that often only deal with a teenage romance) and I also loved how the main character, Daphne, was not angry or angsty, she was refreshingly fun and optimistic. Overall this is a good, clean fun movie that can be appreciated by all ages and audiences.

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• May be remembered as her best work - charming, almost impeccable film

  A_Different_Drummer2013-11-08

  This review written in late 2013 at a time when Ms. Bynes career seems to have derailed and we wish her the best. In her career to date, the two most accomplished works she has left for us are this film, WHAT A GIRL WANTS, and the work she did a few years later, SHES THE MAN. Will deal with the latter first. SHES THE MAN is one of a small sub-sub-sub class of Hollywood products that attempts to build a movie around the notion of a woman disguised as man. There are at least a dozen of these floating around the IMDb. The writing in SHES THE MAN is way above average, and the supporting cast is perfect. But it is Bynes who steals the show there, possibly doing the most impressive male-female switch in film history. And speaking of stealing the show, that is exactly what she does in WHAT A GIRL WANTS. (The title never seemed a good match to the actual film, which builds slowly and successfully to a satisfying conclusion). Playing opposite a stellar cast (Colin Firth? Wow!) Bynes provided the perfect mix of energy, youth and charm to move this movie into a class of its own. She "owns" the role and once you have seen the film, it is hard to imagine anyone else doing it.

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• Cute movie with a good message

  alliesmom972004-04-16

  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.

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• A fun kid film

  MLDinTN2004-03-29

  I was expecting a really bad, boring teen film like the Lizzie Mcguire movie, but this movie was entertaining. It's about a girl in America, Daphne, who goes to England to see her dad for the first time. He's a Lord, who is running for political elections, so of course, his handlers don't want any bad publicity. He takes a liking to her, but his finance and snooty soon-to-be stepdaughter don't like her. Daphne turns out to be a hit with the poparazi and has a lot of fun. After going to so many fancy parties, she starts to forget who she really is, but her new guy makes her realize where her true values lie. Along the way Lord Dashwood sees he's missing out on adventure and his true love, Daphne's mom. Will he give up the political dream to become an adventurer again? Watch to find out, but since this is a light-hearted film, you probably know the answer. There are some funny scenes throughout. And I liked the music. FINAL VERDICT: An entertaining clean, fun film that all ages can enjoy.

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