Plot
summary
Daphne Reynolds
(AMANDA BYNES) has what every girl wants – or so it seems. This spirited
young American girl has a unique style all her own, an unconventional
but loving relationship with her bohemian mother Libby (KELLY PRESTON)
and a future full of possibilities – but despite her remarkable promise,
Daphne feels incomplete. She dreams of one day meeting the father she’s
never known, the man Libby shared a whirlwind romance with seventeen
years ago, but ultimately left behind because his aristocratic family found
her unsuitable.
Determined to live
out her fantasy of forging a storybook relationship with her long-absent
dad, Daphne impulsively hops a flight to London, where she quickly
discovers that her father is high profile politician Lord Henry Dashwood
(COLIN FIRTH).
When Henry opens
his life and his social calendar to the daughter he never knew existed,
Daphne’s appearance in high society creates an uproar that threatens
to undermine his political career. Not wanting to jeopardize his campaign
for an upcoming election, Daphne stifles her naturally vibrant personality,
refashions herself as a proper debutante and plunges into a whirlwind of
stuffy British social events. But even with Henry’s support, she’s not
getting any help from his conniving fiancée (ANNA CHANCELLOR) or
her jealous daughter (CHRISTINA COLE), who are bent on ruining Daphne at
every turn.
With the aid of
Ian, a charming and society-savvy local musician (OLIVER JAMES),
Daphne attempts to prove that love – and proper etiquette – can conquer
all. But Daphne soon realizes she doesn’t like the person she’s becoming
in the process. As much as she wants to be her father’s daughter, it’s
not worth it if she can’t be herself.
After all, as Ian
asks her, Why fit in when you were born to stand out?
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General
Comments
Inspired by the fairy
tale charm of the 1958 Sandra Dee–Rex Harrison romantic comedy The Reluctant
Debutante, producer Denise Di Novi developed What A Girl Wants, the coming-of-age
story of a spirited young woman who dreams of forging a relationship with
the father she’s never known. “I think every young girl dreams of finding
her prince,” says Di Novi, producer of the inspirational romances A Walk
to Remember and Message in a Bottle. “In What A Girl Wants, we have a girl
who longs to make her fairy tale fantasy come true, but the prince she’s
searching for is her father.”
The resulting film
isn't exact serious film, but in these times of world turmoil, this film
is what the doctor ordered. This Disney-esque world in which the
story occurs is a far cry from our reality, but part of the pleasure of
going to movies is to take the viewer away from their life and troubles
for an hour and some minutes. As long as you don't expect serious
cinema, What a Girl Wants will not disappoint.
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Trivia
Premieres:
Photo by: E CHARBONNEAU / BEI
 US
Premiere: Thursday, March 27, 2003 @Cinerama Dome 6360 Sunset Blvd., Hollywood,
CA. (located near the southwest corner of Sunset and Vine)
NYC
premiere (to benefit the Rainforest Alliance) Wednesday, April 2,
2003 7:00 p.m. @ The Ziegfeld Theatre 141 West 54th Street, NYC
Sneak
previews on 29.3.2003 in select theatres (US)
First
week box office; **
What a
Girl Wants came in second with $11.4 million, almost the same as
Amanda Bynes first
movie, Big Fat Liar. Reviews were not good, but the
CinemaScores were
excellent, getting an A+ among the target audience, and even more surprising
were the good grades among men of all ages (A-).
(added) Overall
grades were A. So this movie should have legs, and $50
million should
be a safe bet. (CinemaScores 10.4.2003)
Locations:
Director
Dennie Gordon was so passionate and determined to make What A Girl Wants
in England that before the film was even greenlit, she traveled to England
on her own coin to woo Colin Firth and to snap hundreds of potential location
photos.
Di
Novi acknowledges with a laugh that the production itself took a coming-of
age voyage. “In England, we Americans were the fishes out of water, so
to speak. For example, we had to explain why we were homesick on Fourth
of July. But there was a really nice give and take between the two worlds
and our experiences underscored the truth that teenagers are teenagers
anywhere you go.”
Director
Dennie Gordon and company commenced principal photography on What A Girl
Wants on June 5, 2002, outside one of Britain’s finest private homes, West
Wycombe Park in Buckinghamshire, an hour’s drive from Central London.
In
the course of the film’s nine-week schedule, London and its environs revealed
hidden gems in a city full of surprises. Location managers Nicholas Daubeny
and Robin Higgs, fresh from the rigors of Harry Potter and the Chamber
of Secrets, flexed their expertise in selecting some of the prime sights
of London and the Home Counties.
Principal
among the locations was West Wycombe Park, which stood in for the Dashwood
home (both interiors and exteriors). The lake provided a memorable scene
between Ian and Daphne and the grounds also doubled as the site for two
lavish weddings.
West
Wycombe Park, a National Trust property, is open to the public – who were
quite intrigued to find themselves in the middle of a film set! Sir Edward
Dashwood and his wife Lady Lucinda and their young family still live at
the Estate, and the family not only played host to the filmmakers, they
also allowed the use of their name for the cinematic Dashwood family. “Dashwood”
is a famous name in English heritage – a Dashwood ancestor started the
Hellfire Club, a scandalous gentlemen’s club of the 19th century.
“Casting
our Dashwood Estate was almost as difficult as casting any of the actors,”
Gordon reveals. “It had to have a very specific ability to be foreboding
and intimidating and massive – and then have the ability to warm up once
Daphne has moved inside the house. We used the theme of Ain’t no sunshine
when she’s gone to inform our production design of the house. For example,
when Daphne moves into the Dashwood Estate, the sky turns a brighter blue
and the flowers bloom more brilliantly. This home is around 500 years old
with this extraordinary color, this gorgeous gold and ochre that gave us
an opportunity to let the house come to glorious sunshine life.”
Gordon
credits director of photography Andrew Dunn with bringing the house – and
her vision for Daphne’s journey – to life. “I hired Andrew because I love
the way he tells stories with the camera,” she says. “His background, from
Ever After to Sweet Home Alabama to Gosford Park, told me that he was the
ideal cinematographer to shoot this movie.”
“Andrew
was just fabulous,” executive producer Alison Greenspan adds. “He really
imparted a beautiful, rich look to the film. As Daphne comes into the house,
it’s infused with a light and an energy, and Andrew is the one who was
able to bring that texture to the screen.”
Because
much of the action in What A Girl Wants takes place during the London Social
Season, the filmmakers emphasized lush and lavish locations. Few locations
could be considered more lavish than the Painted Hall at the Royal Naval
Academy of Greenwich, the setting for the Royal Fashion Show, the first
society event Daphne attends.
The
Royal Naval Academy at Greenwich is now part of the University of Greenwich
campus, and in an earlier age, Henry VIII and his daughters Mary and Elizabeth
were born at Greenwich Palace on the site of the Royal Naval Academy. The
Painted Hall has been magnificently restored and is considered one of the
grandest pieces of baroque painting by an English artist.
The
Chapel at the Royal Naval Academy was used as a location for a political
rally given by Henry Dashwood. The chapel, long associated with Britain’s
seafaring legacy, bears the apt inscription: “Faith is the substance of
things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.”
A
singular breakthrough for the filmmakers occurred when they were granted
permission to film a ball for four days in Lancaster House, currently used
for high level Government entertaining and important international conferences.
(Lancaster House is next door to Clarence House, the late Queen Mother’s
London residence, now to become the London residence of His Royal Highness,
The Prince of Wales.) To secure permission to lens at the prestigious locale,
Gordon had tea with the Vicar.
Several
days were also spent on location at Royal Air Force Halton, once the weekend
retreat of Lionel de Rothschild. Upon Lionel’s death, his son Alfred inherited
Halton and from 1879-1883 built Halton House, one of the first houses to
be built with electric light and to use central heating. In the basement
there is the forerunner of the modern sauna – a plunge bath.
In
addition, two very pleasant days were spent at Henley, by the river Thames,
where the annual Henley Regatta is a prominent date on the social calendar
of England.
In
the East End of London, the What A Girl Wants production team gave a makeover
to Borough Market, a bustling thoroughfare, which was transformed into
a New York Chinatown street, complete with wrought iron fire escapes. A
coffee shop became a Chinese restaurant – confusing a local resident on
that particular Sunday morning when he arrived for his caffeine fix!
During
the final week of the picture, a small unit including Colin Firth and Kelly
Preston traveled by charter plane to Morocco to film for three days in
and around Quarzazate on the edge of the Sahara.
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Comments
on Colin
“Colin
is the master of restraint,” [director Dennie] Gordon concurs. “His integrity
and sex appeal bring added depth and texture to his character. He was my
first and only choice to play Henry Dashwood.”
.
. .But mention Colin Firth, and Dennie, like most women nowadays, *really*
gets excited. “I always wanted Colin. I wanted to get Colin before the
movie was even greenlit. I came over to woo him because I felt he could
bring something for the adults. Since BRIDGET JONES, he makes all girls
kinda weak in the knees.” As for why it is that this proper, straight-laced
Brit melts hearts the world over, Dennie enthuses, “I gotta tell you, when
I first went to England to beg him to be in the movie, we didn’t even have
a script. I just pitched him the story. And there was something about the
pitch, I think, that spoke to him. And with Colin… you get this unbridled
principle integrity from Colin; it’s just there in the man.” . . .
(Mr. Beak's interview from Ain't-it-Cool-News 03.4.2003)
[Producer
Denise] Di Novi observes, “Colin plays this reserved aristocrat so convincingly,
but there’s great heart beating beneath the surface. He portrays so much
through his eyes, through the slightest expression or gesture.”
| Firth’s
experience handling the motorcycle for the sequence wasn’t quite as heroic,
however. “I found that if you have one motorbike lesson, then don’t practice
for a couple of weeks, you have about 10 minutes of thinking you’re rather
brilliant before you fall off,” he divulges. “I went up a hill at high
speed and then fell over at two miles an hour. I came back with bits falling
off the bike.” |
| 'He is amazing! I
adore him, and feel lucky to know him!' --Amanda Bynes' reply in Ask
Amanda to what it's like to work with Colin |
|
“'...When
I found out Colin was doing it I was shocked that he would be near me,
let alone do a movie with me. He was amazing. Even better than I thought
he would be. He's down to earth and has such a good sense of humor and
is so charming and such a lovely guy.'...Sharing the screen with Firth
taught Bynes about the craft of acting. 'There's no exact 'how to' but
he's so natural that when he does it, I don't ever see him studying lines
but he always brings something to it. He's hard on himself and will do
the take 50 times and make sure it's right. Having that type of commitment
and stamina is really impressive and is really a good role model and something
good to see.'” (Amanda Bynes, comingsoon.net)
from
tribute.ca
Q: You got to co-star
with British heartthrob Colin Firth who plays your dad. Did anything surprise
you about him?
A.B. I have yet
to meet a woman who doesn’t love Colin. I just think he is one of the cooler
guys you’ll meet. He is just so down to earth and so funny and so smart.
It’s almost like he is too perfect, but he was a great father. The thing
that sort of surprised me, I guess, was he was so funny. He had a really
great sense of humor.
Q: He was
absolutely perfect in the role.
A.B. As far as
I’m concerned there was no one better to play my dad in this movie. There
was nothing intimidating about Colin Firth, he made me feel at ease right
from when I met him. He is so talented and a real professional. He never
made me feel awkward at all.
Oliver
James on Colin Firth;
[Oliver's] very
first scene was with Mr. Firth (best known here for P&P and BJD).
But Mr. Firth put him at ease right away.
"The World Cup
was going on when we were filming, and I didn't have a TV in my trailer,
so Colin called me in to watch soccer with him. He is very approachable
and keen to help -- even more charming off screen than on." (Dallas
Morning News 1.4.2003)
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Comments
by Colin
regarding
Henry
“Henry
is a good boy,” Colin Firth says of his aristocratic character. “The most
scandalous thing he’s ever done is fall in love with Libby. Now, nearly
20 years later, he’s living out his father’s political dreams and he’s
engaged to a woman he’s been advised to marry.”
“When
Libby left him, Henry shut down,” [Exec. Producer Alison] Greenspan says.
“He completely repressed his spirit and he’s living out dreams that belong
to someone else.”
“He’s
rather formal,” Firth says of Henry’s approach to sudden parenthood, “and
he finds it very difficult to express himself as a father. He doesn’t have
the language for it.”
In
What A Girl Wants, we have a girl who longs to make her fairy tale fantasy
come true, but the prince she’s searching for is her father.
Henry
has to walk a very fine line between getting to know this girl and servicing
his political campaign. He’s a sincere guy who is trying to do the right
thing, but he’s deeply conflicted.”
“Daphne
is the breath of fresh air Henry has needed for the past seventeen years,”
Greenspan suggests. “Not only does she remind him of Libby, she reminds
him of the person he was when he was with her.”
“One
of the things I’ve always loved about this story is that the father learns
something about life from his daughter,” says Di Novi. “Being a parent
teaches you a lot, and this girl’s complete honesty and candor teach her
father who he’s meant to be.”
Daphne’s
first glimmer of the man her mother fell for so many years ago comes at
a prestigious regatta, when she thwarts the advances of a hands-on admirer
and causes a minor sensation among the scandalized bystanders. In a moment
of spontaneity and instinctual rebellion, Henry commandeers Ian’s motorcycle,
Daphne jumps on back and they make a roaring escape from the rabid paparazzi.
Their
daring escapade strengthens the growing bond between father and daughter,
but pressure from [his political advisor, Alastair] Payne and Glynnis for
Henry to return to his proper self and uphold the obligations of the Dashwood
name proves too great. “At a certain point,” says Firth, “the whole burden
of duty and family legacy poses a serious threat to their happiness. Henry
tells Daphne, If you are going to be a member of this family, there are
sacrifices that have to be made. I have to make them. You have to make
them. Basically, it means no more spontaneity. No more fun.”
“Henry
goes from being very stiff and reserved to being more sensitive and communicative
about his feelings and emotions,” Bynes reveals. “Daphne teaches him it’s
okay to be loud and funny and inappropriate, if that’s who you are.
Be true to yourself and follow your heart.”
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Reviews
Amanda
Bynes is pert teen star, but Colin Firth keeps the film fun. . . Watching
Firth mumble and flubber and fidget with adorable sincerity, you wonder
if he took some priestly vow of serious acting. He works through his jokey
squiggles of emotion, even his “air guitar” dance in leather from Dashwood’s
youth, as if he were being loyal to Chekhov or the Oscar Wilde of “De Profundis.”
It is Firth, and the spread of British
sites, sights, speech and clipped wit (plus some dorky stuff) that keep
“What a Girl Wants” bearably amusing. It is all a lot closer to Cyndi “Girls
Just Want to Have Fun” Lauper than to Sigmund “What do women want?” Freud.
Poor old Freud, stuck in a pre-Firth era, never did answer his question.
--San Diego Tribune and MSNBC
This
warm and funny wish-fulfilling fantasy is a richly rewarding ride. From
its seductive wealth trappings to a sweet romance, director Dennie Gordon
pushes the right buttons. Of course, any cast with Firth has built-in
charm. Flustered but entranced by his daughter's appearance, his Henry
is thrown lovably off-balance. . . . Bynes unleashes Firth's inner party
animal. That's epitomized by a hilarious scene in which he dons leather
pants to play air guitar before a mirror.
--Houston Chronicle
for
mothers weary of the boring grown-ups in Crossroads and A Walk to Remember,
there's Colin Firth, who may look like a dad to the kids but will always
be Pride and Prejudice's Mr. Darcy to the rest of us. . . .
Dad loosens up enough to try on a pair of his old leather pants. That's
Colin Firth in leather pants. Now talk about a fantasy.
--Miami Herald
What
a Girl Wants will more likely hook their mothers. Ostensibly, the movie
stars Nickelodeon luminary Amanda Bynes, but it truly belongs to Colin
Firth, the thinking woman's Hugh Grant. . . .
Nobody can do hound-dog eyes coupled
with upper-class repression better than Firth, and here he gets his chance.
--Philadelphia Inquirer
What
a Girl Wants" is about as perfect a pop confection as you could want: sweet,
funny, sly, hip, surprisingly touching -- and a showcase for the dynamic
Amanda Bynes. . . . Firth, who exudes the same repressed hunkiness
he did in "Bridget Jones' Diary," is a sympathetic father figure and sparks
nicely with Preston. --Salt Lake City Tribune
Bynes
has a definite appeal, her supporting cast (Kelly Preston, Jonathan Pryce
and especially Colin Firth, who gives a genuine performance as her long-absent
father) is strong and the movie musters a moment or two of fairy-tale charm.
--Seattle Post Inteligencer
The
extent to which this movie works is a credit primarily to Firth and Atkins.
Firth ("The Importance of Being Earnest") is a delight as the aristocrat
struggling to rein in his wild side and as the bumbling father trying to
figure out the meaning of his new role.
--New Orleans Times-Picayune
A
lot of romance-loving moms will fall for this lighthearted comedy, too,
since it stars handsome British heartthrob Colin Firth ("Bridget Jones's
Diary") and lovely Kelly Preston ("Jerry Maguire") as a pair who missed
the love boat after a whirlwind affair that happened long ago. . . . Firth
is fine as poor, befuddled Lord Henry Dashwood, who never knew he had a
daughter until now. . . .
Slapstick and sweetness combine for a
bright, sometimes poignant 104 minutes of fun -- if you're female, and
young in years or at heart. --Daily Oklahoman
It
lacks Diaries' exuberance, but Girl does boast the likable presence of
Nickelodeon star Amanda Bynes, the suave charm of Colin Firth and a cute,
chaste romance with youthful hunk Oliver James.
--USA Today
Firth
is extremely enjoyable as a befuddled father trying to balance his prim
and proper life with his spirited teenager's influence. Not everyone could
have pulled off the scene in which, clad in leather pants and a muscle
tee, he cuts loose in front of a mirror to the strains of "Rock 'n' Roll
Hoochie Coo."
--TV Guide
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Favourite
Quotes
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Favourite
Scenes/What to Watch out for
Hands
down, the leather pants scene
The
scene with Princess Charlotte when a perceptible change in Henry's attitude
toward Daphne
The
phone call from Libby to Henry where she says "it comes naturally doesn't
it?" he asks "what's that?" and Libby replies "Worrying."
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Ratings
LW "rating
system"
|
*****
|
Superb/breathtaking/heartstopping/etc |
|
*****
|
Excellent |
|
*****
|
Very
pleasing |
|
*****
|
Still
lovely, but . . . |
|
*****
|
Bad
hair day |
RPP "rating system"
|
Colin's
looks |
|
Colin's
acting ability |
|
The
film in general |
|
Ranking
in the films of Colin Firth |
|
Watchability
& rewind factor |
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Weblinks
http://www.allmovieportal.com/m/2003_What_a_Girl_Wants_photo.html
Atlantic
Records
Back
to Main Roles page
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Credits
Unless otherwise
noted, info from WAGW presskit.
Photos courtesy
Warner Bros Pictures, an AOL Time Warner Company.
Research; Mari,
Brenda, Liz
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