What a Girl Wants Starring Amanda Bynes, Colin Firth Directed by Dennie Gordon Rated PG for mild language **3/4 out of **** Stars, Movie Grade: B

Theatrical Release: April 4, 2003
Running time: 100 minutes

by Kevin Lang

"What a Girl Wants," directed by Dennie Gordon and starring Amanda Bynes and Colin Firth ("Bridget Jones's Diary," 2001), was a nearly satisfying film about a teenage girl, Daphne, who runs away from home and her mother to go to England to introduce herself to her father, Lord Henry Dashwood, who is unaware of her existence.

Certain elements of "What a Girl Wants" felt a little too contrived. Henry's current fiancée, Glynnis, and her daughter were clearly presented as the villains very early on in the story. This made the fairytale ending all that much easier to predict.

Daphne's romantic interest, a local musician, who she met immediately upon arriving in England, seemed to show up everywhere she went. Henry eventually addressed this coincidence, which at least conveyed to me that the film was aware of its somewhat pre-constructed feel. Simply put, the plot unfolded too easily because everything fell into place too readily. However, this is something that won't likely be as much of an issue with the film's younger, targeted audience.

Overlooking certain mild discrepancies in the development of the story, I came to enjoy "What a Girl Wants" more as the story went on. Colin Firth is a talented actor, and he gave an enjoyable performance as Henry Dashwood. Also keep an eye out for the legendary Jonathan Pryce, who plays Henry's conniving assistant.

In the end, if you enjoyed such films as "The Princess Diaries," then you should like "What a Girl Wants."

"What a Girl Wants" Review written April 2, 2003, CTF.

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