What a Girl Wants (2003) User Reviews

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

[CindyWal · 6/10 · 15 April 2003]

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.

Satisfies the target audience.

[shanfloyd · 6/10 · 11 June 2005]

I saw the movie with my mid-teen sister who's exactly the target audience of this film. Now there are many films that are not for everybody, they do not excel in acting, directing, screenplay or effects to be called a 'good movie'. They are meant for certain part of the audience who, if it sticks to the specific formula, just love them. Now I wasn't meant to love "What a girl wants", but I guess, thinking from my point of view, it's a good diversion from me.

The script is above the level I was expecting and young Amanda Bynes acted quite well. Colin Firth seemed a little wooden. There are bits of little innocent humors in places that makes it a relief to watch. The shooting locations and the sets are fine. The soundtrack too is catchy. So even the storyline is very very shallow, one should not complain or analyze too much about such films.

It's ALL about Colin :)

[ArizWldcat · 7/10 · 4 April 2003]

I have read several reviews of this film, and I have to say that men just aren't going to "get" this one. Our local paper's reviewer said he just didn't get the "stars in the eyes" of the women leaving the theater. His review didn't even MENTION Colin Firth. Well, I will! Colin is what is going to attract women to this film, and he does not disappoint. He is the best thing about the movie. Amanda Bynes is cute, and I enjoyed her too. The rest of the cast is quite good too...Anna Chancellor (Caroline Bingley, for those Pride and Prejudice fans...), and Eileen Atkins, particularly. I found the storyline about the daughter longing for her father and the father who just discovered her quite sweet and moving. Yes, the script was a bit sloppy and the humor often falls flat, but overall, Colin Firth's performance made it worth seeing for me. This is definitely a chick flick, though :)

Cute movie with a good message

[alliesmom97 · 16 April 2004]

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.

Trailers stank, Movie shines

[CaptHayfever · 7/10 · 5 April 2003]

I went into the theater today expecting a good movie. I was wrong. Why was I wrong? Because this was a GREAT movie!!!

The trailers made this film look INSANELY cheesy. Since I know from experience that trailers are highly inaccurate, I was expecting a PARTIALLY cheesy flick. But what I saw had almost no cheese to it at all. What A Girl Wants, despite its unfortunate title, is what a LOT of people want, combining drama, comedy, romance, and self-discovery in an hour and 45 minutes of enjoyment.

I didn't say insight, mind you, I said self-discovery. This is purely a narrative, not a deep thought movie, and it wouldn't have worked any other way. Kudos to Dennie Gordon for not trying to accent a theme that we're already familiar with, rather, she just throws it into the story, almost casually, so that we see the message of individuality but aren't repulsed by an overly blatant moral.

Many of this film's detractors say that it's a rip of The Princess Diaries. Not true. Yes, it's an adaptation, but it's based on "The Reluctant Debutante", which was around for DECADES before Diaries was even conceived. Besides, while it is a little formulaic, there are a few twists.

Many say it portrays inaccurate American/British stereotypes. Not true. Daphne and her mother are CLEARLY presented to be NOTHING like the average American, and Lord Dashwood only behaves so properly because of his political position.

Amanda Bynes as Daphne Reynolds finally gets a chance to show of her incredible dramatic skills. (Moody's Point had too much of a satirical tone to properly show this.) Bynes has her glory moments of comedy alongside her touching moments as the girl who wants to understand who she is.

Colin Firth as Henry Dashwood. Come on, who didn't already know Firth kicks butt? He is the center of every scene Bynes isn't in, and he carries that weight well.

Eileen Atkins as Lady Dashwood does a tremendous job with her supporting role, who is far more crucial to the plot than anyone expected.

Oliver James handles his theatrical debut well, showing much more emotion than the previews indicated. Libby Reynolds isn't a fully round character, but that's the script's fault, not Kelly Preston's. Both are capable singers, and considering that Bynes's one major performance flaw is lack of musical ability, I'm glad these two sang instead of her.

In fact, basically the entire cast here was superb.

See it, you'll be glad you did. Fine entertainment for almost everybody.

Clichéd American Crap!

[alex_UK · 1/10 · 1 July 2006]

What a stultifyingly dull and inept portrayal of Britain! This movie was obviously written by an American who doesn't understand our country, and has probably never even been here (at least not for any length of time).

There were so many inaccuracies, not least the total misrepresentation of our political system, and the hopelessly outmoded portrayal of our "class culture".

This is an England that does not exist, and has never existed!

Worse still was the plot, which presented a nauseatingly sentimentalised picture of family life, not to mention a hopelessly unrealistic adolescent relationship.

If you want a good British movie, you'd be much better off with "The Ghost of Greville Lodge", or "One Against the Wind".

What a girl wants to watch

[scottcavazos · 7/10 · 30 March 2004]

I was actually surprised by this movie. Yes, it was probably conceived by a marketing team. Yes, it isn't very original and yes, some of it is embarassingly obvious. That being said, I was very entertained by this movie. I thought it was well directed, and well acted. I wouldn't be surprised to see Amanda Bynes start taking on more serious roles in the future with great success. This movie does what it set out to do: entertain teenage girls. Anyone who is a fan of lighthearted tween comedies should check this movie out. It is better than most of the teenage girl movies out there and much better than that stupid Big Fat Greek Wedding movie. **1/2 out of ****

Mindnumbingly bad

[Elbel · 1/10 · 28 September 2006]

Like, WHOW, this film sucked!! Can Amanda Bynes be more annoying...erm NO! I don't think so. Don't know how many "woww" "ahh" and "woohoo" sounds she made, but her shrieking frickin' annoyed me.

The story was tame, and so done before, and done better I might add! Girl grows up without her father, wants to see her father, but of course he's some snobbish aristocrat moving in circles she doesn't belong in. Drama, drama, drama! Naturally, as always, things turn out alright.

Colin Firth instills some awe, but then: he always does.

To be fair, haven't seen Miss Bynes in any other films so don't know if she always sucks this bad, but based on this one: go find another profession!

Overall, *YAY* Colin Firth; *AHHH* (horrified scream) for the rest of the film.

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

[A_Different_Drummer · 9/10 · 8 November 2013]

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.

All in the family

[jotix100 · 6/10 · 1 April 2004]

Dennie Gordon has directed this comedy with sure hand. The play by William Douglas-Home was a hit in the London stage and it was filmed before as The Reluctant Debutante with Rex Harrison, Kay Kendall, Sandra Dee, John Saxon and Angela Lansbury in the cast. This new take on the same story is fun basically because of the cast that was assembled to play the main characters.

Amanda Bynes has the right amount of charm to make her Daphne an endearing teen who is in search for a father she never knew. Colin Firth is a very good as the father. Kelly Preston has very little to do and it's a shame. Eileen Atkins, as the would be grandmother doesn't fare better, as it's the case with Jonathan Pryce.

I recently caught up with it on DVD format and all that can be said is that it was mildly amusing as a typical comedy of this genre.

So bad it isn't even funny

[ckrebs-1 · 1/10 · 19 July 2007]

This must be one of the worst movies I have ever seen. It is a shame that Colin Firth agreed to appear in it, although at least we came to see a lesser known part of him: that of the leather-clad arm-swinging Angus-Young-style-jumping former rock musician.

Sorry, but Amanda Bynes can't act. This would not be so noticeable in your average teen flick; the problem here is that her "charm" supposedly makes her be the object of attraction for a whole bunch of lads - even a cranky old princess gets fond of her, although the lady seems to like no one else, apart from her lapdog. Mmm...

I immediately distrust any movie in which the transformation of a character is shown not by virtue of the plot or acting skills, but simply by a change of wardrobe and hairstyle. Scene #1: Amanda Bynes in jeans and T-shirt - the "free, fun and relaxed" teenager. Scene #2: Amanda Bynes in long evening dress - the composed young miss with a circumspect expression on her face. She has changed! Has she? Mmm...

This brings to mind a previous comment by another user: "why does Amanda Bynes insist on one of those crap 'dancing like a berk while trying on clothes' montage scenes in every film she's ever made?" Yes, in fact, why are these 'trying on clothes' scenes in so many teenage films? Probably it has to do with the 'transformation of character' I mentioned before: the theory of filmmakers is that, as a teenager, you express yourself through what you wear. And since teenagers are still building their personality, this is symbolized with rapid, successive changes of clothes. Convinced? OK, right, maybe it is just because you need 90 minutes of film and only have material for 80.

Oh, and those awful "everything fits perfectly" parts of the plot: mom appears at the ball exactly when she has to, perfectly dressed for the occasion; sudden boyfriend Ian is ubiquitous and has 'chosen' to perform all kinds of low-profile jobs, although he attended the best schools and therefore (very convenient) has at least a piece of the necessary substratum to be rightfully considered a peer by "Britain's snobbish upper class"; etc.

Better see something else.

What this girl likes

[mllea · 10/10 · 11 February 2005]

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.

One Third Short of Excellent

[aimless-46 · 7/10 · 13 November 2005]

"What a Girl Wants" is a FAIRY TALE (insert "Parent Trap" here) so those who do not like that type of story need not watch, but just being a fairy tale is no basis for criticism. It is an updated remake of 1958's "The Reluctant Debutante" starring Sandra Dee and Rex Harrison, which itself was based on a 1956 play by William Douglas Home. Home is partially credited with both screenplays although he died in 1992. The basic premise is even older as the humble child who discovers a royal parent is a staple of ancient fairy tales.

The current version is a pretty decent effort, you could even say that it is 2/3's of an excellent movie. It starts off nicely and proceeds in a very entertaining manner well past the midway point. You are just about to conclude that this is an extremely underrated film when the wheels fall off (insert Colin Firth whisking his daughter away on a motorcycle), from that point the film wobbles lamely along until it thankfully recovers its balance just before its final scene.

The only other major problem is the cliché Yank-Brit characterizations and the exploitative use of the Royal Family in several scenes. Yanks are fun and funky, Brits are staid and stuffy, most upper class Brits are evil incarnate-with no redeeming qualities whatsoever. You are warned about it going in, this general stupidity is reflected by the promotional poster of an American flag t-shirt between the British guards. The exuberance of Daphne Reynolds (Amanda Bynes) would have played better if the other performances were toned down a few notches. Doubles of and references to the Royal Family are completely unnecessary and simply distract from what is supposed to be a father-daughter-bonding story.

The best scene happens early, Daphne and her mother are working a local wedding when she discovers the missing groom passed out under a table. She puts ice down his shirt and when he emerges frantically twisting around to remove it, Daphne signals her mom's band to play "Shout" and then mimics the groom's movements.

I see no basis for the criticism of Amanda Bynes in this film. She plays her high energy self and successfully ratchets back a few notches for the serious scenes. In essence director Dennie Gordon has her play two characters which is the basis of the story's theme as her character must reluctantly conform and work at being someone she is not. Under Gordon's direction and working with a skilled ensemble Bynes nails the character so well that it is hard to imagine anyone else in the role. She is not on Brittany Murphy's level yet but she progressing nicely. Two similar scenes really play to her strengths, the fashion runway scene and the grand entrance to the party for Peach & Pear, the film is worth watching just for those moments.

The widescreen edition DVD is a great value as it has some excellent special features including an unaffected commentary by Bynes. They had a lot of audio problems during production and Bynes provides very good behind the scenes information about what the actors had to do to correct this after the actual shooting was completed.

Then again, what do I know? I'm only a child.

Pleasant considering...

[TheOtherFool · 5/10 · 9 April 2004]

Put an attractive, young tv-star in an airplane to Europe and you got your movie-hit. Where Hillary Duff went to Italy and became a singer, Amanda Bynes tries out England to meet her father, some big hot-shot up and coming politician. And those are just two movies from last year. The complete list of comparable stories is endless...

We've all seen it before. Nice mom, cute girl, mean stepsister, father is about to mary to wrong woman... or maybe he doesn't? It's as cliched as it gets, but 'What a girl wants' wasn't as bad as many of those movies, nor as irritating as the 'going to Europe' 'Lizzie McGuire' movie.

The big plus for the movie are it's main characters. Amanda Bynes is perfect in her role as young American girl discovering London, and Colin Firth is always a pleasure to watch (even though he played in the dreadful 'Bridget Jones' movie).

A couple of things bugged me though. First off, those Englishmen have a serious security breach, with Bynes breaking in the house of a Lord and later breaking in at a fashion show with Prince Charles attending. Somehow I guess not...

Biggest problem though was the 'Ian' person. We all think Bynes is gonna fall for him but she doesn't phone him, and later on she goes back to America without even saying goodbye... such an odd thing to do for a girl in love.

The story isn't mindboggling whatso-ever, but I'm sure it's 'what the girls want' who like the Bynes show in the USA. Way better than the Duff movie, that's for sure. 5/10.

A fun kid film

[MLDinTN · 29 March 2004]

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.

Character Dulcinea breaks the mould of teenage gal stereotypes

[stephen_thanabalan_fans · 6/10 · 31 August 2005]

The stereotypical plot, the stereotypical script, the stereotypical teenage chick flick. Well, it is, except for two elements. The first, Colin Firth is on a rampage as the new quintessential British aristocratic leading man and he nails this one yet again. Second, Amanda Bynes' character is written up with a surprisingly down to earth, non-self centric and in fact cheerfully bright and enthusiastically altruistic disposition, that is neither air-headed ditsy, not standard issue bitchy, self obsessed and vanity driven nor even an overtly docile, shy and demure type. This refreshing characterization is far more realistic than stereotypical characterization, which sort of streamlines teenage girls into only one or the other, which in reality, like all other people, they too have a bevy of emotions, intellectual needs and altruistic abilities. That's why this movie still can climb and triumph over lots more of its contemporaries.

Tacky and shallow

[rain_goes_pitap · 1/10 · 8 February 2005]

It was this film that led me to register with IMDb, simply to warn people from watching it.

The parts are acted well, but the characters are so thin and 1-dimensional you could cut yourself if you looked too closely. Which, if you have any sense, you will not. The film is actually produced very well. There are fantastic camera shots, suitable music, and the roles are well cast. It is unfortunate then that the story, dialogue and characters are artless to the point of utter frustration.

Do-Not-Watch!

You have been warned.

Colin Firth in Leather Pants

[ajpop · 7/10 · 29 May 2003]

Granted, I'm not a huge fan of young physical comedians like Amanda Bynes (how many times can one person fall down before it stops being funny?), but I love Colin Firth. He is the only reason I went to see this movie at all and he made it worth it. How could I possibly hate a movie in which Mr. Firth dances in front of a mirror wearing leather pants?

Love England, Love Colin Firth, Hated this movie!

[chellek23 · 1/10 · 18 December 2004]

So, on one of my many couch-potato days I decided to go ahead and watch this movie. I am a bit of an Anglophile, plus over the years I have developed a little bit of a crush on Colin Firth. I remember when the movie first came out that it looked rather silly and it peaked my interest. Well, sitting down and actually watching it certainly took care of that. I thought the movie was Awful! I guess I'm not a huge fan of slapstick and the more stupid things that happened to this girl and the overplayed stuffy/snooty English was just too much. I finally just turned it off and gave it up. Guess I'm just getting a bit too old for corny teen flicks...

Charming and charmed

[Rogue-32 · 9/10 · 9 June 2003]

"What a Girl Wants" is a re-tooling/re-telling of William Douglas Home's "The Reluctant Debutante" with the devastatingly charming Amanda Bynes in the title role; in fact 'charming' is the operative word here -everything about the movie is charming, and charmed.

The casting: impeccably superb. Amanda never hits a false note throughout the proceedings, creating a character who is genuinely believable, lovable and worth cheering for (there was a LOT of clapping in the theatre at various points in the film - I clapped AND whistled, myself); Kelly Preston is radiant as Daphne's mother Libby, a musician who still deeply loves Henry, Daphne's father, but has gone on with her life, and Colin Firth (as Daphne's father, Henry Dashwood) is a revelation here, in that he literally becomes more and more attractive as the tale unfolds - as he becomes more and more who he really is underneath his repressed exterior (the scene where he dons his black leather pants and prances in front of the mirror to the horror of his prim prude of a fiancee is priceless), and Oliver James as musician Ian, Daphne's love interest, makes a memorable splash here as well. Everyone else is perfect in their roles too (even the dog rocks).

The screenplay and direction: completely on the mark. Never gets heavy-handed, contrived, mean-spirited, cloying or tedious, believe it or not. The charm is sustained throughout in a dazzling balance of comedy, heartfelt emotion, conflict and growth, culminating in one of the most satisfying resolutions I've experienced in a movie in a long time.

Occasionally, a movie can have predictable elements without that being a bad thing; sometimes predictable elements can be pleasurable -- you realize what's going to happen but you also realize you're in such capable hands that you actually anticipate the playing-out of the scenes you know will occur. Sometimes it's not WHAT is done in a movie but HOW it's achieved, and WHO is doing the achieving.

A Modern Teenage Cinderella Story

[Darkest_Rose · 6/10 · 19 April 2003]

Daphne(Amanda Bynes) has always dreamt about meeting her father and when she finally turns seventeen, she goes to london to search for him. Her father Henry(Colin Firth) is a wealthy british politician and Daphne's free-spirited and outgoing personality might not be the best thing for him. Daphne is not well liked by Henry's new wife and snobby stepsister and now Daphne must not only get to know her father but also her own true self-identity. I thought this movie was like a modern teenage cinderella story added with a little bit of humor. It's a entertaining little movie, but not everybody will enjoy it, it's aimed more into the teenage audience. I think Amanda Bynes did a great job, she is a very good actress for her age and she is also very cute. Anyways, back to the movie, I would give What a Girl Wants 6.5/10

Disappointing

[JTribbey · 4/10 · 18 April 2003]

This movie wants to be better, but it's just not. It holds no surprises at all - everything that happens is broadcast. I wanted to like it, but I just didn't. I did enjoy seeing Colin Furth dancing in front of the mirror - that was the best part of the movie.

Wow, like lighten up

[RNMorton · 8/10 · 18 April 2004]

The folks banging this movie have to get real. It's about an average girl (Bynes) who gets to meet her dad, who's in the process of running for major political office in England. It's not about Yankee superiority over the Brits (sheesh!), it's a simple fantasy about the effect a teenage girl has on her once-stuffy dad in stuffy society. If you're politically offended by this movie, imagine Amanda as a carefree Portugese girl visiting her long-lost dad, a member of U.S. Congress from Massachusetts, and chill out. That being said, Amanda Bynes is a cool and attractive leading lady/girl and plays very well with the other characters in this film. It's all been done millions of times before, and it's not Oscar material, but it was a pleasant diversion for me.

very nice

[anisharulz · 7/10 · 8 April 2005]

I watched this movie this morning with three of my friends and we loved it! Its a bit cheesy i must say but if you like girlie teen movies you will probably enjoy this one. It isn't a very original script but all the actresses and actors are good and have good chemistry together! Amanda Bynes has a show called the Amanda Show its really daft and full of nonsense so it was good to see her play a realistic role and it has a mix of humour and seriousness in it! You may not want kids below 7 or 8 to see it because they won't understand it and they may get bored. I really enjoyed this movie! If you are having a sleepover with a few friends this is definitely recommended! By the way, it has Oliver James who is like, really gorgeous!!

5 Montages = Bad Screen writing

[thinblueline · 1/10 · 3 December 2006]

This was something I viewed on Oxygen with a girl I sleep with. We both agreed it was not only highly idiotic, unrealistic ( any lessons gleaned by the character or audience are useless because of the way they arrived there), and boring! But the killer was the 5 montages I counted in the movie. This is not something a good movie does. I bet at least 2/9ths of the movie was a montage! The acting wasn't terrible for being a teen oriented movie, the overall plot wasn't terrible, but the actual plot points were. Running for Prime Minister? And his fiancée already has a daughter? WTF? Overall this movie is worthless and anyone who enjoyed is equally so.