What a Girl Wants (2003)
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35% of critics liked it
(104 reviews) -
67% of users liked it
(431,551 ratings)
Loosely based on the 1958 comedy The Reluctant Debutante starring Sandra Dee, the family-friendly comedy What a Girl Wants features popular Nickelodeon teen star Amanda Bynes in her first feature-starring performance after her debut in Big Fat Liar. She plays teenager Daphne Reynolds, who lives in… More Loosely based on the 1958 comedy The Reluctant Debutante starring Sandra Dee, the family-friendly comedy What a Girl Wants features popular Nickelodeon teen star Amanda Bynes in her first feature-starring performance after her debut in Big Fat Liar. She plays teenager Daphne Reynolds, who lives in New York City with her musician mother, Libby (Kelly Preston). After she turns 17, Daphne is undecided about her future, so she takes off by herself to London in search of her father. She immediately meets cute musician Ian (Oliver James) before sneaking in to her father's estate to surprise him. He turns out to be Lord Henry Dashwood (Colin Firth), a fabulously wealthy aristocrat who doesn't even know that she exists. He had met her mother in Morocco and the two were married in a tribal ceremony. Upon their return to England, she left him and went back to the U.S. without ever revealing that she was pregnant. The uptight Henry is already flustered by his campaign for election, advised by doting aide Alistair Payne (Jonathan Pryce). His no-nonsense fiancée, Glynnis (Anna Chancellor), and her bratty daughter, Clarissa (Christina Cole), are threatened by Daphne's presence, thinking that she will hurt Henry's political aspirations by causing a scandal. However, the family matriarch (Eileen Atkins) takes a liking to her and she soon finds herself trying to liven things up at several stuffy aristocratic parties. Meanwhile, the evil Glynnis and Clarissa conspire against her by trying to sabotage her appearance, leading up to the conclusion at Daphne's very own coming-out party. ~ Andrea LeVasseur, Rovi
- Directed By
- Dennie Gordon
- Written By
- William Douglas-Home, Elizabeth Chandler, Jenny Bicks
- Genres
- Drama, Romance, Comedy
- In Theaters
- Apr 4, 2003 Wide
- Studio
- Warner Bros. Pictures
Critic Reviews
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Anya Kamenetz, Village Voice
A sanitized adventure for the Mary Kate-and-Ashley set.
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Richard Roeper, Ebert & Roeper
There's nothing wrong with this movie, it just kind of moves along at this little pace, no surprises.
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Desson Thomson, Washington Post
Uninspired and insipid all the way.
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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.
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Daphne Gordon, Toronto Star
What A Girl Wants doesn't satisfy.
See more critic ratings and reviews on Rotten Tomatoes
Fresh (60% or more critics rated the movie positively)
Rotten (59% or fewer critics rated the movie positively)
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Cast
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Amanda Bynes
as Daphne
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Colin Firth
as Lord Henry Dashwood
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Kelly Preston
as Libby Reynolds
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Eileen Atkins
as Jocelyn Dashwood
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Jonathan Pryce
as Alistair Payne
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Anna Chancellor
as Glynnis
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Oliver James
as Ian Wallace
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Christina Cole
as Clarissa Payne
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Sylvia Syms
as Princess Charlotte
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Ben Scholfield
as Armistead Stuart
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Stephen W. Anderson
as Television Reporter
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Roger Ashton-Griffiths
as Lord Orwood
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Andrew Clarke
as Male Twin 1
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Judy Collins
as Dancer
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Peter Hugo
as Prince Charles
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Neville Phillips
as Butler
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Tara Summers
as Noelle
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Stanley Townsend
as Bride's Father
- Erik von Detten
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Victoria Wicks
as Henry's Secretary
- Chris Mulkey
- Tom Harper
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Antony Carrick
as Prince Michael
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Stephanie Lane
as Fiona
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Bruno Tonioli
as Fashion Emcee
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Peter Reeves
as Sir John Dashwood
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Count Prince Miller
as Dancer
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Bharti Patel
as Dancer
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Tony Kemp
as Dancer
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Daniel Tuite
as Newspaper Reporter #1
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Matt Acheson
as Country Club Wedding Singer
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Charlie Beall
as Rufus
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James Bell
as Libby's Band Member
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Newton Boothe
as Taxi Driver
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Natalie Bromley
as Jane
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Chris Castle
as Prince Harry
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Flaminia Cinque
as Caterer
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Peter Clarke
as Male Twin 2
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Ethel Crichlow
as Dancer
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Ash Croney
as Dancer
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Raffaello Dagruttola
as Groom
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Malcolm Davey
as Dancer
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Layla Ellison
as Dancer
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Tim Fornara
as Ian's Band Member
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Luke Fredericks
as Ian's Band Member
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Tom Goodfellow
as Libby's Band Member
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David Gyasi
as Ian's Band Member
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Tom Hanna
as Ian's Band Member
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Peter Jessup
as Dancer
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Jafri Jobaid
as Dancer
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Allan Laza
as Dancer
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James Linton
as Political Advisor Two
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Anne Lucas
as Dancer
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Sarah Mark
as Newspaper Reporter #2
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Soleil McGhee
as Young Daphne
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George Miller
as Dancer
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Susan Mills
as Dancer
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Nita Mistry
as Girl in Hostel
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Ella Desmond Oakley
as Baby Daphne
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Steven Osborne
as Staff Member
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Basil Patton
as Dancer
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Tom Penn
as Libby's Band Member
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Cassie Powney
as Peach Orwood
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Connie Powney
as Pear Orwood
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Vernon Preston
as Duke of Edinburgh
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Mindy Lee Raskin
as Bride
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Elizabeth Richard
as Queen
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Jonah Russell
as Policeman
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Louis Saint-Juste
as Dancer
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Barrington Shaw
as Dancer
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David Temple
as Ian's Band Member
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Sian Todd
as Dancer
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Mike Toller
as Libby's Band Member
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Matthew Turpin
as Prince William
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Jane Victory
as Dancer
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Pieter Vodden
as Sven
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Thomas Michael Voss
as Dancer
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Maureen Waters
as Dancer
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David Whitmey
as Ian's Band Member
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James Woolley
as Political Advisor One
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James Greene
as Percy
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June Walker
as Dancer
- Roger Ashton Griffiths
- Dame Eileen Atkins




