Movie Review by Nigel A. Messenger
Starring: Amanda Bynes, Colin Firth, Kelly Preston, Anna Chancellor, Tom Harper
Director: Dennie Gordon
Some stories seem to get told again and again – same characters, different situation. Sometimes though they seem to get it right and fortunately WHAT A GIRL WANTS falls into this category.
It’s a simple story of Daphne Reynolds (Amanda Byrne) a teenage girl who lives in the US with her mother Libby (Kelly Preston) who left Daphne’s very rich father Henry Dashwood (Colin Firth) when his family’s advisors tricked her into thinking that Henry no longer wanted to be with her. In turn Henry was tricked into believing Libby did not want him and he didn’t even know she was pregnant.
So Daphne goes off to England without telling her mother and arrives unannounced at her father’s house. The fun starts when she has to try and fit into a completely different way of life only to be sabotaged at every corner by Henry’s new fiancé and her evil daughter.
Will Henry realise what’s going on in time and will Daphne’s mother and father be reunited and live happily ever after?
Well what do you think?
The story is completely corny no matter how you look at it, but the players nail their characters so well and Amanda Byrnes hits the screen with such a fresh quality that it’s hard not to give in and actually enjoy the film.
In reality WHAT A GIRL WANTS is probably only going to appeal to teenage girls although Amanda Byrnes will definitely interest the teenage boys too.
A teenage date movie? May be.
A fluffy bit of fun for everyone else? Definitely.
