Amanda Bynes, Anna Chancellor, Christina Cole

Fresh-faced Nickelodeon starlet Amanda Bynes stars in What a Girl Wants as Daphne, a 17-year-old girl in New York City who's spent her life pining for her absent father, a British lord named He...( read more  read more... )nry Dashwood (Colin Firth) whom her mother (Kelly Preston) met during wilder days in Morocco. Tired of waiting for him to come to her, she decides to head to London where Dashwood is launching his political career--which could be derailed by her fun-loving, free-spirited attitude. Will her father choose the daughter he's never known or a position in Parliament? The plot of What a Girl Wants is ridiculously contrived, but the movie rides on the chemistry between Bynes and Firth. When, under Daphne's influence, Dashwood tries to break out of his stuffy shell and rediscover his inner rebel, the movie really starts to have fun. --Bret Fetzer

Flixster Users

67% liked it

225,878 ratings

Critics

34% liked it

102 critics

PG, 100 min.

Directed by: Dennie Gordon

Release Date: April 4, 2003

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DVD Release Date: August 5, 2003

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Stats: 21,218 reviews

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Flixster Reviews (21,218)


  • December 15, 2008
    A really sweet movie about how a bit of a goofy girl gets the goods in the end. Amanada is a really good actress plus shes funny
  • February 3, 2008
    Pending Review...

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  • February 2, 2008
    ha ha. so funny. wish my life was like that.
  • November 1, 2007
    Cute.
  • September 20, 2007
    It was cute enough to watch a second time.
  • November 4, 2009
    i what to rent the movie for myself
  • November 3, 2009
    I haven't seen this movie in while, but when i did i rememeber it was awesome!
  • November 1, 2009
    hiks2 sweep out of this movie, funny, and very happy ending
  • October 30, 2009
    Amanda Bynes was the best in this movie.. haha. it made me teary eyed. I love it.
  • October 22, 2009
    Colin Firth is tasty like a glass of water out of the fridge; Amanda Bines is enyoing her magic moment and the world hope it won't last.

Critic Reviews


April 4, 2003
Claudia Puig, USA Today

Girls undoubtedly will want to see it, but What a Girl Wants feels a bit like a reheated version of The Princess Diaries. full review

April 4, 2003
Moira MacDonald, Seattle Times

An unsubtle but sunny fairy tale. full review

April 4, 2003
Roger Ebert, Chicago Sun-Times

The movie asks the timeless question: Can a little girl from America find love and happiness as the daughter of a wealthy and titled English lord? If you are a fan of Bynes, you will probably enjoy fi... full review

March 21, 2003
Peter Travers, Rolling Stone

It's slick girlie stuff, but the cast makes it go down easy. full review

View more What a Girl Wants reviews at RottenTomatoes.com

Comments


  • marcelgatete
    January 25, 2009
    This is a wonderful movie,ever. Daphnie is such an unbelievable girl.She is the cutest i ever saw
  • nrvanagrl
    December 20, 2008
    Omg Oliver James is such a hottie! He's going to be starring in Without a Paddle 2... It's about time he was in something new!
  • mcfarlandmarie45
    August 29, 2008
    wats up all
  • alwayshadit00x
    April 20, 2008
    such a GREAT movie i love it and i love Amanda she's AMAZING actor!!!!
  • shortybrooklyn
    December 23, 2007
    what a girl wants is such a good movie i thought amanda bynes did a fantastic job in the movie
  • nbhatti3000
    December 18, 2007
    very good story of daughter and father really it is so nice movie you will like it she has not seen her father ever she wants to see her father who is millioner she goes alone to see him without telling her mother.
  • pinkmarian
    November 9, 2007
    i love this movie!cool
  • kheeem17
    November 4, 2007
    i love this movie...^__________________^
  • coramccomb
    July 23, 2007
    love dis movie
  • lizap14
    July 1, 2007
    the boy in the movie is soooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo hott. well, not that hott. but he is cute.

Critic ratings and reviews powered by RottenTomatoes.com

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What a Girl Wants Trivia


  • in wich movie did amanda bynes go to london to see her father and had to act sorta' like a princess?  Answer »
  • Which movie starred Amanda Bynes as a 17 year old American girl in search of her rich British Father (Colin Firth)??  Answer »
  • W-a- A G-r- W-n-s Hint: Amanda Bynes  Answer »
  • In what movie did a girl find her dad?  Answer »

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