By: debbie lynn elias
Who would ever have imagined that the young, adorable and gifted Amanda Bynes would be involved in a film controversy at this early stage of her career. Certainly not this critic. But, nevertheless, the much anticipated “teen” release “What A Girl Wants,” opening Friday, April 4, 2003 is undergoing some major publicity changes in light of the current war in Iraq. You’ve all seen the posters. A very cute Amanda Bynes dressed in red-white & blue with her fingers raised in a peace sign. Well, it seems Warner Brothers is afraid this might offend some of you out there and are now digitally altering the publicity shots and posters to eliminate the “V.” (Is no one old enough to recall that during WWII and Korea that same “V” was raised by the public and political officials alike to symbolize “V” for Victory.) But hey, what a way to start off a film release. And what a great little film this is.
Based on the William Douglas Home’s play “The Reluctant Debutante” and the1958 film of the same name starring Rex Harrison and Sandra Dee, this is the story free-spirited American teenager, Daphne Reynolds. Raised by a single mother, Daphne has always wanted one thing – to have her dad walk in through the front door, sweep her into his arms and make her his little princess – a fantasy played out in her mind and heart over and over again throughout her life. Similar to the storyline of “The Princess Diaries,” Daphne’s mother Libby had a whirlwind romance some 17 years earlier with the dashing Henry Dashwood, an aristocratic Englishman who was forced to leave Libby as his family deemed her too common and too free-spirited herself to ever be a suitable wife, mother or member of the Dashwood aristocracy. Now 19, Daphne decides if Dad isn’t coming to her, she is going to Dad. So, she hops a plane and jets to England in search of him. But talk about surprises!
Once in London, Daphne learns that her father is actually a high ranking Lord complete with family, social and political responsibilities. He has a family of his own and to make matters even worse, he doesn’t even know that Daphne exists. Despite the misgivings of his family, Lord Henry is quick to open his door, and his heart, to Daphne but not without repercussions to his life and career. Seems that American teenagers are quite different that British teens – especially those of the aristocracy – and Daphne’s exuberance and spirit are just a bit too much for the staid and stoic Brits. However, eager to impress dad, she does a complete makeover, turning herself into someone she’s not, which is, of course, not necessarily a good thing. (Okay, do we all see the moral of the story yet?)
The eternally effervescent Amanda Bynes is an absolute delight as Daphne. As much as I adored her performance in “Big Fat Liar,” I am now an even bigger fan after seeing her here. Her smile and exuberance are positively infectious and she only gets more adept at timing and physical comedy as the years go by. Colin Firth, who charmed us all in “Bridget Jones Diary” is simply smashing as Lord Henry Dashwood and never moreso than when relieving his youth and loosening his tie, so to speak, as he Henry and Daphne draw ever closer. Obviously comfortable in the role, Firth is the ideal choice as an actor to play out both a very staid Brit and very “loose” American. Kelly Preston as Daphne’s mother Libby is, as always, excellent while veteran Eileen Atkins adds the perfect touch of elegance as Daphne’s Countess Dashwood grandmother and is a master at delivering dry British wit. (“I’m British. We only show affection to dogs and horses.” With Atkins’ straight-faced delivery you can’t help but laugh.)
In only the second big screen outing in a long line of television directorial experience, Dennie Gordon, does an admirable of directing this little romp across the pond keeping things light and even tempered. Despite the very obvious grand scale television production values, Gordon nevertheless does an excellent job of showcasing Bynes and her innate sense of comedy and willingness to perform pratfall after pratfall. The film never lags, never loses its “feel good” sense of value, never gets too sentimental or gushy and never belies the storyline, which holds relatively firm to the original William Home play thanks to screenwriters Jenny Bicks and Elizabeth Chandler.
Predictable? Yes. Sentimental? Yes. Charming? Yes. Enjoyable? Without a doubt. Quite simply, this is a Cinderella tale of a girl just wanting to be the apple of her daddy’s eye. But then, don’t we all.
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Daphne: Amanda Bynes
Henry: Colin Firth
Libby: Kelly Preston
Directed by: Dennie Gordon
