The Princess Diaries (2001)

Very disappointing...

Let's be realistic.

I gave it a 7.5 out of 10

A great movie, one of the best of this year. There was a bit of confusion at one point in the plot, but nothing serious.

Honestly, the first time I've actually seen this film was when I was pimply teenage girl who also dreamed to become a princess one day. So, that time I found the plot very impressive and captivating. These lovely stories where unattractive freaky geeks suddenly turn into beautiful self-confident kickass people always seemed very fascinating and inspiring to me. To my amazement, after watching "The Princess Diaries" about seven years later I'm still claiming this story is quite convincing. I laughed at Anne Hathaway's grimace and other characters's jokes were pretty amusing. What's of great importance is the main message the author wants to share with the audience (from my point of view). The premise is that we all often do not value the simple things until we lose them by reason of our stupidity. We don't value our real friends (who love our attractively weird personality, not our beatiful appearance) until we reject them for some popular guy built of lie and flattery. We don't value our privacy and freedom until we become the subject of gossiping. And we definitely don't value our happy and carefree childhood until we have to grow up and make responsible decisions. Anyway, the movie is neither tiresome nor second-rate and I'd higly recommend watching it with your family or just by yourself. The excellent acting of Anne Hathaway (and watching her clumsy geeky character transforming into cut a dashing figure), Julie Andrews, Héctor Elizondo and other exceptionally talented actors certainely worth seeing.

Mia Thermopolis (played by Anne Hathaway) is a 15-year old girl. Awkward and shy she lives with her artist mother Helen (Catherine Goodall) in an refurbished former fire station. Then one day she meets her grandmother Clarisse (Julie Andrews) and is informed that she is the Princess of the European country of Genovia. Despite the perks involved, she is not so sure she wants to assume the title. Very formulaic and obviously made for children, the whole plot and production are pure Disney. Very fairy tale-like and predictable.Yet it is difficult to dislike. The main characters are not your usual irritating, bratty teens. There is an innocence to it all that propels the movie. Plus, Anne Hathaway puts in a wonderful, charming performance as Mia.So, really a children's movie, but adults won't mind being forced to sit through it.

Watching the film by itself, it's easy to call it a good movie. Julie Andrews steals the show (as always), and Anne Hathaway does a good job, except she seems too grown-up after the makeover bit to pass for a teenager. Mandy Moore is clearly destined to be a teenager living in California for the rest of her damn life (sorry, Mandy). The storyline flows in a reasonable manner: Mia Thermopolis is a teenager living in San Francisco with her mother, who is an artist and has raised her with the financial help of her absent father. Her best friend is Lilly, and Lilly's older brother, Michael, serves as the token love interest. Mia's main concerns in life are the fact that she doesn't have breasts and she has a hopeless crush on Josh, a popular classmate who looks like he belongs at a country club rather than the beach. Mia finds out her dead father was actually a prince, she is the heir to the throne, and the entire plot consists of Mia trying to be a princess and having to decide if she actually wants to be royal or not, while dealing with the humiliation of her mother dating her teacher. Good, right?Except, if you've read the books, you realize that there is more to this story that should have been included, and that serious changes were made. In the books, Mia Thermopolis is a teenager living in New York with her critically acclaimed artist mother who specializes in still life. Mia's concerns are the environment, failing Algebra, and the fact that her mother is dating her Algebra teacher. Lilly Moscovitz is still her best friend, but her parents are psychoanalysts, and she is actually a lot meaner in the books than in the movie. Michael is actually a genius, as is Lilly. Mia's father is still alive, and is not a soft-spoken version of Billy Mays, but a bald, European prince who bribes Mia into attending princess lessons. Mia's grandmother is not Julia Andrews-esque, but is more akin to the likes of Cruella de Vil and Emily Gilmore. This woman has tattooed eyeliner, smokes like a chimney, and has an ugly dog named Rommel. Joe the chauffeur is now Lars the bodyguard, and Mia has more friends in the book than in the movie. The books offer a juicier story, more relatable and believable characters, and definitely is not a film that Disney would have wanted to make.The movie alone is okay, but compared to the books, it needs to be shelved in the "let's not ever do that again" of book-to-movie classification.

Many people don't like "Fluff" movies like this. I can tell, because I get negative reviews whenever I write good things about these types of movies. But I think secretly, even some macho men likes these movies. I personally don't care because if it's a good movie, then it's a good movie whatever the genre is. If there's one word to describe this movie, it's Ann Hathaway. All the movie's goodness owes to her. She's convincing as a princess, and she really is an interesting character in this movie. My eyes were pretty much glued to her all through the movie. Much like Julie Andrews attracted attention when she was younger in "The Sound of Music", she carries the movie with her presence. Julie Andrews by the way also appears in a supporting role in this film.The movie definitely made Ann Hathaway a star. She's probably deserving, because she still has nice presence in a more recent movies like the Dark Knight Rising.In any case, this is a good movie, and is definitely worth the watch.