The Princess Diaries (2001) User Reviews (363)

Typically Disney

[sddavis63 · 6/10 · 13 July 2002]

A fun story - if entirely unoriginal - about an awkward and unpopular 15 year old San Francisco girl (Anne Hathaway) who discovers out of the blue that she is the heir to the throne of the small, fictional European principality of Genovia, and has to deal with all the adjustments that requires.

It's typically Disney-esque. There's nothing here that would cause you to blush even a little bit as you watch this with your 8 year old. The strongest language used is "shut up" - and it was quickly explained to the Queen that in America "shut up" doesn't necessarily mean "be quiet;" it might just mean "wow!"

There's a strong cast. Hathaway put on a very good performance in the lead role of Mia, moving from shy and awkward teenager, to sudden celebrity causing her to have to deal with being popular not for who she is but for what she is, to - finally - elegant princess. Julie Andrews was - well - Julie Andrews. She didn't miss a beat in her portrayal of Queen Clarisse, and Hector Elizondo handled the role of Joseph - Mia's driver and bodyguard - with great style.

It's a fun movie. Nothing heavy, nothing that will cause you to think too much. Just nice, light fun. It loses a few points for being entirely unoriginal (how many movies have used this theme?) but is still enjoyable to watch. 6/10

Formulaic but difficult to dislike

[grantss · 6/10 · 10 October 2016]

Mia Thermopolis (played by Anne Hathaway) is a 15-year old girl. Awkward and shy she lives with her artist mother Helen (Catherine Goodall) in an refurbished former fire station. Then one day she meets her grandmother Clarisse (Julie Andrews) and is informed that she is the Princess of the European country of Genovia. Despite the perks involved, she is not so sure she wants to assume the title.

Very formulaic and obviously made for children, the whole plot and production are pure Disney. Very fairy tale-like and predictable.

Yet it is difficult to dislike. The main characters are not your usual irritating, bratty teens. There is an innocence to it all that propels the movie. Plus, Anne Hathaway puts in a wonderful, charming performance as Mia.

So, really a children's movie, but adults won't mind being forced to sit through it.

A fun and bubbly rom-com that took me back to my memorable teen years

[polar24 · 7/10 · 20 February 2007]

This entertaining and hip teen comedy was a surprise winner for me. Definitely not part of the target audience (though I do consider myself young at heart!) I was charmed by Ms Hathaway's naivety and photogenic presence and the always reliable Julie Andrews who wonderfully never takes herself too seriously, poking fun at her family-friendly screen persona. Garry Marshall demonstrates his talents of sweet irresistible romantic comedies in what could be called his follow-up to his 1990 smash "Pretty Young Woman". And with Hathaway, he has found his 21st century young muse.

The storyline fits perfectly into the soapsud daydreams of all young ladies. Never the popular kid graced with mawkish looks and a geeky personality, Mia Thermopolis resigns herself to a life of miserable loneliness and school bullies. However, in a moment of emancipation, she is uncovered by her Grandmother Clarisse Renaldi and when told that she is the last remaining bloodline of a royal family, she must take over the throne of the idealistic kingdom of Genovia. Cue Cinderella-like transformation and plenty of vivacious trying on of clothes and groovy pop tunes.

The film has a simple but great (even hackneyed) message at heart, to be true to yourself and never forget that your friends and family can be the most honest and important in your life. It could have come off contrived and cheesy but the film still conveys heartwarming moments and a sincere semblance.

There is great energy in the film and some of the scenes in the palace and garden are quite picturesque and dreamy. The storyline can be pretty thin considering the good-guy-bad-guy syndrome but Mia's closest friends are still commendable and mature young people capturing the trials and tribulations of teenage "fitting in", first loves, peer pressure, pressure from Mums and Dads and realisation of adult responsibilities.

I had a really fun time with this film, absorbed in it's fairytale story lines and taking myself back to when I was young and naive. Thanks to the irresistible company and chemistry of the two female leads I was able to totally identify with their dilemmas. This film has Disney written all over it. A good simple message at heart and fully of quirky side characters and a charismatic underdog. Lovely to look at and listen to (I went out afterwards to check out the soundtrack!), this one always brings a smile to my face whenever I catch it on TV - I had a good time.

Entertaining

[Bondorf39 · 24 February 2004]

I will admit that when I first heard a Disney movie called "The Princess Diaries" was coming out, I thought it would be corny. But upon actually SEEING the film, I found (as is usually the case when stupid judgmental people make up their mind about films without watching them, I won't name names, you know who you are...Tom!) that it was in reality a charming, original, humorous and thoroughly entertaining family film.

The plot is fairy tale in nature: Mia is a social misfit with terrible hair and no self-confidence. Her only friends are eccentric activist Lilly and rock band headliner Michael (played by real-life rocket Robert Carmine of "Rooney") who has a little crush on her. Then, who of all people should turn up but Julie Andrews to tell Mia that her father (who she hasn't seen since she was tiny) was actually royalty and that she, Mia, was princess of a country no one's ever heard of. What it comes down to is this: She has until a big embassy ball to decide whether she wants to give up the crown (and basically open the country up to a hostile political takeover) or take her place as princess. After a makeover (at the hands of funnyman Larry Miller), some training and at least four horrendously traumatizing incidents, she decides...well, that would be giving it away, wouldn't it?

This is not a movie for little girls dressed in tutus who want to be princesses when they grow up. For the first time in the studio's tenure (I'd wager) this film depicts the responsibility of royalty. Mia tackles with the pressures of ruling a country. But for my money the best part of this movie is the love story. No, not Mia and the uniquely attractive rocker (although, that is great). A second, unscripted love story exists between Andrews and her chauffeur, Hector Elizondo. That's terrific.

It's about being yourself and bettering yourself. It's about knowing who your real friends are. It's about living up to your own expectations. It's about smushing an ice cream cone on the blouse of a bitchy cheerleader who deserves it. And maybe that sounds corny to all y'all (rustic expression) but I know a lot of adults who could use lessons like these.

Charming and likable, though somewhat uneven.

[TheLittleSongbird · 7/10 · 11 June 2009]

I really liked this. Loosely based on the books by Meg Cabot, Princess Diaries is a charming, if somewhat uneven film, though it does boast a spirited and lovely-looking Anne Hathaway in the title role. Though the film does belong to Julie Andrews as her grandmother, the wonderful actress who brought us classics such as Mary Poppins and Sound of Music. Hector Elizondo is also fun as Joe. The film has some lovely locations and costumes, and the two actresses are well supported by some very talented co-stars, such as the lady who played the bitchy Lana. The film also has a feel-good nature about it, that just adds to the film's appeal. However, the film isn't without its flaws. The story had an oft-tendency to become predictable, and the script while very funny on the most part, had some clichés here and there. There were some scenes that were a little, and that word I am putting a lot of emphasis on, slow and could have been developed a little more. On the whole, and I genuinely mean this, a charming, likable, if not entirely successful film. 7.5/10 Bethany Cox.

Surprisingly good - Anne Hathaway is going to be a huge star!

[zetes · 7/10 · 2 January 2002]

I was completely expecting to despise this movie. The only reason I watched more than five minutes is because I was lazy. Fortunately, it turned out to be quite good. I mean, yeah, it is sort of trite. It doesn't ask for too much. You know, be yourself kind of thing. Anne Hathaway is at first provided with hair, eyebrows, and glasses that don't make her ugly at all. In fact, when she gets her magical makeover, she's no more pretty than before. So what makes this movie good? Well, Julie Andrews, for one. It's just wonderful having her back in a movie, for God's sake. But it would be a very slight film if it weren't for Ms. Hathaway. She's a very rare breed indeed: she's Hollywood A-list material, easily one of the most beautiful faces out there. But she's also a fine actress. Her character is the typical accident-prone, romantic comedy type, but Hathaway provides her with so much character that it's difficult not to be swept off your feet. Even in scenes that were clearly terrible, she shone through. I laughed at jokes that were quite bad. Her character's growth was nothing but cliches, but she convinced me. Also of note is the excellent supporting cast: Hector Elizondo especially, but also Heather Matarazzo, so great in Welcome to the Dollhouse, and Sandra Oh, who was great in Don McKellar's film Last Night. Most people are, of course, still going to hate this movie. That's fine – there is plenty to frown upon. Young girls will very much like it. It's very harmless. The lessons taught are all valuable ones, however cliche. 7/10.

Skip the flick, read the book (spoilers)

[matchboxer372 · 6/10 · 15 June 2003]

Before seeing "The Princess Diaries" in theaters, I was browsing through the book store and came across a book by the same name. The words 'Now A Major Motion Picture' were right across the front. I decided to buy it and read it, since the movie looked interesting enough and the short description on the back of the book sounded good. A week after I read it, I saw the movie and was highly disappointed. The book was a very well-written story meant for the younger teen set. The movie was a piece of fluff designed for those ages 5-9. The movie lacked any kind of depth, and it's the kind of film that makes you wonder if the screenwriters even picked up the novel.

Julie Andrews was good as the airy-fairy "You Will Prevail" grandmother, but the grandmother in the book (known not-so-affectionately as Grandmere) was--for lack of a better word--a complete bitch. The romance that Mia's mother had with her algebra teacher Mr. Gianini in the book was cut down to a single date with Mia's debate teacher in the movie. And the biggest skewered plot point of all: in the movie, Mia's father is dead, which is why Mia has to step up as princess. In the book, her father is very much ALIVE, but he can't bear children, so Mia (his illegitimate child) must reign.

Let's just put it this way: if you want a cheesy puff piece with little to no character development or plot, see the movie. If you want something with a bit more depth and characters that you can actually care about and relate to, pick up the book.

They killed it. (herein lay spoilers)

[tooturflute · 1/10 · 30 April 2004]

This movie completely killed the novels. In my opinion, it's not the acting that totaled it, it's the stupid plot/corny dialogue that threw the last dirt onto the grave.

****SPOILERS*****

Basically, Disney dumbed the entire plot of Meg Cabot's series for the twelve-and-under set. Instead of Mia's father having testicular cancer, and Mia's parents never being married, Mia's father divorced her mother and then died tragically.

And then there's the whole Grandmere scandal. In the novels, Grandmere is the antagonist: a scary pain in the ass grandmother who Mia constantly struggles against. In the movie, Mia and Grandmere suddenly become best friends.

Plus, what's with the yoga? And debate class? Mr. G and Mia's inability to do Algebra and sports are comic reliefs in the book.

In my opinion, had they followed the books more and NOT Disney-ed it up, the movie would have been okay.

I loved the casting for Michael & Lilly Moscovitz, as well as Lana.

Fun & Entertaining!

[juliegi · 10/10 · 22 March 2002]

I really enjoyed this movie. It was fun to see a fairly clean movie that was fun to watch. The acting of Julie Andrews and Anne Hathaway is superb and the story shines out hope. The director takes a very unlikely event and makes it believable, teaching us all something in the process. It was refreshing to see a teen film without all the sexual inuendos and crude language.

A few social graces

[bkoganbing · 7/10 · 19 December 2018]

I think the Magic Kingdom really tapped into something basic in The Princess Diaries. What young girl especially one as socially challenged as Anne Hathaway is in this film would't like to wake up and be told you're a princess.

But that's what happens to Hathaway, a young high school girl who pines for the high school hunk Erik Von Detten, but when we meet her blows lunch during what is a debate class. She's a social misfit and her only real friends brother and sister Robert Schwartzman and Heather Matarazzo.

So after that debate performance she finds out from mother Caroline Goodall that her recently separated and deceased dad was heir to a Monaco like principality and her grandmother is the Dowager Queen Julie Andrews who lives over at the country's consulate in San Francisco as they do. She's high hatted them for years and it comes as some shock to Hathaway that she's a royal heir.

The rest of the film is taken up with Hathaway learning a few social graces. And when the school finds out she's a blood royal princess Hathaway still has some problems with a squad of mean plastic cheerleaders headed by Mandy Moore.

There are some very funny moments in The Princess Diaries, but it's also a rather sweet tale of a girl coming rather publicly of age.

For those who dream of dreams coming true, The Princess Diaries is your kind of film.

A pedantic waste of time

[Arwyn · 1/10 · 3 January 2002]

Not even good performances by Julie Andrews and Hector Elizondo could save this from being a dreadful waste of time. It was so predictably awful that I can't believe it did even relatively well in the box office. My only surmise is that a lot of people thought it would be good and by the time they discovered it wasn't, it was too late to get a refund.

The story had potential, but as usual it was taken to such extremes as to defeat the original purpose. The melodrama and the predictable bad lines were so consistent that we actually started a betting pool to call what would happen next. It was the only way to survive watching the film.

If this is the sort of thing we allow our children to watch, it is no wonder they grow up with their minds made of mush. There was absolutely no substance to this movie - nothing you could wrap your mind around and think about. There are good movies out there aimed at teens, such as 'Ten things I hate about you' and 'She's all that'. These movies center around fairly normal people with normal problems, mixed in with good lines and imaginative plot twists. But this movie seems to say that your life will wind up perfect only if your grandmother happens to be a queen and you wind up being a princess. The only thing you might improve by watching this movie is your ability to groan.

Wow, I can't see why this film has such a low rating on IMDb

[planktonrules · 8/10 · 10 June 2007]

I am a forty-something year-old father and not the sort of person to which this film was targeted. I like foreign films, classic Hollywood and even silent films and am very critical about the horrid quality of the films that have been released over the last thirty years. Because of all this, you would assume that I would hate THE PRINCESS DIARIES--I sure did. But when my oldest daughter insisted we buy this film and watch it together, I was genuinely shocked that I found myself enjoying and being sucked into what is essentially a teen and pre-teen girls' film. Due to terrific writing, very good acting and a fairy tale-like quality to the film, I was very, very impressed.

The movie, by the way, reminded me of a much better retooling of the old Grace Kelly film, THE SWAN. However, unlike THE SWAN, this film was really engaging and sweet.

FYI--SPOILER ALERT!!! I have never seen the sequel to THE PRINCESS DIARIES and have no desire to. That's because the fundamental message in the first movie is that you need to be true to yourself and your friends and no matter what the pressures were, the new princess did not forget her friends or nerdy boyfriend. However, the main plot idea of PRINCESS DIARIES II is that she's in search of a prince to marry--what happened to the message and happy ending to PRINCESS DIARIES?!

"Delightful"

[funkymonkey5142 · 7/10 · 1 April 2006]

When I first heard the title of the movie, I thought it would be exactly like the book. Boy, was i wrong. The movie is close to the book but not exactly like it. I think one of the reasons the changed the movie from the book is because the book is for older kids while the movie is for younger kids. The movie is for kids who dream of becoming a princess one day.

The movie is basically about a girl who wakes up one day and figures out that she is a princess (what are the odds of that?). She has to learn the rules of becoming a princess and slowly starts to like her best friend's brother. The movie has a happy ending so all's well that ends well.

Awful and horrendous

[pranayet_writer · 1/10 · 19 November 2004]

I just LOVED the Princess Diaries books by Meg Cabot, and my friend loved the movie, so I went and saw the movie with pretty high expectations. Ten-twenty minutes into it, I was like, Um, What??? Halfway in, I was outraged. Leaving the T.V room of my friend, I was determined that I would like to sue Disney and the makers of the movie. What is WITH those people? Why couldn't they stick to the book? The book was funny, original, and interesting. The movie was seriously crap. One of the best things about the books was the setting in New York, not to mention Grandmere's total scariness, Lilly's bossiness, Lana's total cruelty, and TINA HAKIM BABA. None of these things were there in the movie. Lana Weinberger (Thomas?) was not even mildly threatening. The school was more like some museum. And, what, there weren't even any students in for Assembly when Mia threw up? Michael was scarily creepy-looking. Josh was - less said about him, the better. Julie Andrews was graceful and supportive and beautiful - but, HELLO, GRANDMERE IS NOT SUPPOSED TO BE GRACEFUL AND FRIENDLY AND BEAUTIFUL!!! Anne Hathaway as Mia was the only watchable thing about the movie, and not even because of her (lack of) acting skills, but because she was at least portraying Mia like in the book. And she is also quite pretty. But apart from her - and the part in the movie where Mia dines with all those important people, and where she gives her speech, and of course the part where Lana sings that song at the beach party - the movie is TERRIBLE!!!

A surprise treat!

[AbeStreet · 7 September 2004]

When I was 32 years old, back in 2001 when this movie came out, I took my then 7 year old daughter to see this move. As a parent I often have to suffer through books my children read to me, music they like, and television shows & movies that I have no desire to see. The previews made this movie look like the standard Disney channel fluff I occasionally have to endure. However, I found that I actually enjoyed this movie.

Garry Marshall basically redressed his PRETTY WOMAN storyline for kids. He even brought in Hector Elizondo, the hotel manager in PW, as the head security officer for the Queen of Genovia, who is played by Julie Andrews. The story also has aspects of the LITTLE LORD FAUNTLEROY novel in it.

The story is not all that original. A long lost heir to the throne of Genovia has been identified as a klutzy teenager who lives in San Francisco. The Queen of Genovia goes to San Francisco and attempts to persuade her to come back to Genovia and take her place as a princess of the realm. From their the typical hijinks ensue. The princess gets an education in proper royal behavior & procedures. The Queen learns to loosen up and relax. Princess Mia also struggles between dating the school jock, who ignored her before she became famous and dating an unpopular guy who has been her friend for years.

The story is predictable and hold no real surprises. Despite this I still found myself enjoying the film. Julie Andrews did well in her role as the Queen and it was a treat to see her in another Disney film. I was surprised by how well Anne Hathaway did in her role as Princess Mia. She held her own against such performers as Andrews and Elizondo. This movie could have come off as cheezy but thanks to the director and skilled actors it proved to be a real treat. I remember back in 1990 when PW came out that girls thought it was so romantic that a hooker could find romance, true love and wealth. In my opinion PD is a much better role model. I'd rather have my little girl wishing she that she was heir to throne than a hooker who happens to find true love.

Anyway, thanks to my daughter I discovered a film that I really enjoyed It is also because of her that I just saw the sequel, PD-2. It was even better than PD.

Cute.

[rmax304823 · 6/10 · 4 August 2015]

Anne Hathaway makes a cute San Francisco teen age preppie. The Zeitgeist demands that she dress and act like an iconoclast. She and her friends are rowdy, rude, unkempt. Her hair looks like it was attacked by a mad dog.

Then, it's discovered that she is heir to the throne of Genovia or Ruritania or Arcadia or someplace. She is visited by the queen, Julie Andrews, a warm personality who has brought innumerable consultants and factotums who are intent on turning Hathaway into the Princess she will become.

The director, Garry Marshall, does a good job. He's an Italian-American and must have gotten a kick out of Larry Williams as an uncredited hair dresser and make up artist named Prego Putanesco. As he trims her up, he remarks, "I love your eyebrows. We'll call them Frieda and Kahlo." Now, if this were a dumb movie made only for young girls barely into their growth spurt, would a joke like that have been included? (Hint: No.) I kind of enjoyed it. Nice shots of San Francisco in winter's rain.

The fairy-tale story is pretty damned hoary. (I think that's called iambic dimeter. The voices tell me to do it.) Yet the setting, the gags, and the animated performance of Anne Hathaway who has the sparkling grin of a toothpaste commercial, bring it all over the goal line.

Great Movie for the "Awkward" Girl in All of Us.

[RebeccaWood · 7/10 · 28 July 2007]

I remember when I first watched this movie. I was an intensely tomboyish preteen and pretty much against all media with the word "Princess" even associated with it. Needless to say, I was not super excited when my cousins came over and popped this bad boy(err..girl) in our VCR. I honestly didn't expect much: Disney, princess, tiaras, romance, please.

But as I began watching it, I soon realized that I identified completely with Mia,(Anne Hathaway) an extremely awkward teenage girl who was rebellious, weird, unpopular, and yet, was offered the one thing that almost all teenage girls dream of: princess-ship, complete with new looks, limos, balls, gowns, hot guys, and power. Whoop!

Yet, she practically had to be dragged into it kicking and screaming. Forget preppy hair do's! Just leave me alone! Here was a princess story I could relate to! Mia wasn't some whistling girl with a pure heart who caught birds on her fingers while working at a terrible job, that really wasn't that terrible because she made it fun! She was an ungraceful chick who had learned to cope with the hardships of life, but not in the usual way. Everything about her was weird, and she liked it like that.

But Mia had to grow up during this movie. She went from awkward to awesome in a matter of two hours. I loved the transformation were she went from laughed at, to applauded for by the end when she slams ice cream all over Lana's(Mandy Moore) cheer leading outfit(something I personally loved because I was not particularly fond of cheer leading at this point..)

Overall, great chick/ teen girl flick. It makes you believe that no matter how messed up your life is or you are, you still have a chance to be some super cool girl. And who doesn't want to be a princess? Really.

CUTE MOVIE FOR YOUNG TEENS, THE REST SHOULD ABDICATE

[Mitch-38 · 6/10 · 7 January 2002]

Rather tepid, uncreative offering from Disney, Inc. involving the well worn formula of yet "another spin" on the rags-to-riches story. Anne Hathaway plays Mia, and of course, Julie Andrews, do the best they can. They are troopers with a so-so script that really keeps its focus on the teen trauma, that IS adolescence.

Unfortunately, adults will become rather distracted and start counting the lonely minutes, as the film wears on. The script tends to really drag, laden with the usual provisos that require more than a few dull-witted adults, hip kids, et al. Worse yet, the script aims at the adolescent thought zone and stay there, making it way too cute to suspend a gram of belief. Throw in the fact grandma is the head of state of a country, and knowing her name and being totally oblivious to this fact, is a serious stretch.

Julie Andrews comes as close to anyone, to being the antagonist of the film. I'm sorry, but the mere thought of Julie Andrews being nasty or even rude to anyone, could bring down the republic. She is a goddess of musical entertainment, and we would still worship her anyway.

The real standout of this pic is Hector Elizondo, who is believable, likeable and charismatic, as Joe. The scenes between him and Julie are some of the best.

THE PRINCESS DIARIES is not one of the best, but it's not the worst, by far. Just don't expect any of the usual nod and wink moments of adult humor, that keeps those over twenty on their toes. This one makes it over the hump, to be recommended.

Maybe 8-15 year old girls would enjoy this

[Tony-385 · 1/10 · 11 February 2002]

I've seen a lot of bad movies, but this one takes the cake. Julie Andrews does an excellent job in her role, but there is little else to compliment in this film. It is cliche' driven and generally most of the players overact, possibly to compensate for the story that trudges along. Perhaps young girls would enjoy this film, but I don't think any adult would want to spend the time watching this ruined fairy tale. I give this movie a half star, only because Julie Andrews does such a fine job.

favorite movie

[ladykayedee · 10/10 · 18 August 2005]

I loved this movie and although it may have been slightly cliché, the dialog was quite smart and it was quite a funny movie. I think that if you expect the movie to be Oscar worthy, it will obviously fall short. But as it only attempts to be a sweet story about a misfit 15 year old turned princess, it completely lives up to it's potential. I think that Julie Andrews completely made the movie and that Anne Hathaway also did an excellent job. The movie is great for people of all ages because it has a simplistic plot yet has great one liners and great repartee between the characters of the Queen and Princess Mia. I also think that the minor characters are great also because they provide even more comic relief.

okay, but slightly annoying

[tititata · 7/10 · 28 July 2002]

I thought the movie wasn't bad. Julie Andrews certainly does a good job. There were many funny bits, but still I disliked a few things about it. For one thing, I did not feel the need for Mia to get "transformed". I never thought she looked ugly before her transformation. I thought she looked like a perfectly healthy and rather nice looking teenage girl. Also, the movie gave me a slight impression of being too girlish/childish for my interests.

One of the dumbest movies I've seen.

[jkcook · 1/10 · 20 September 2001]

A waste of so many talented people - and my time. It was supposed to be funny, but I heard not one laugh in the theatre during the showing. It was a cute premise, and I thought this director would always do things well. But is was a dumb, boring movie, in my opinion. The three who were with me agreed.

Anne Hathaway delivers the charm

[Stay_away_from_the_Metropol · 8/10 · 19 July 2022]

"I am invisible and I am wet" -Mia Thermopolos

This came out when I worked at a movie theater but I ignored it because I was a 16 year old boy. 19 years later I watched it with my girlfriend and it SLAMMED, which is no shocker cuz I really grew to appreciate Anne Hathaway over the years (she absolutely slays the acting game in Rachel Getting Married).

Seriously, this script is witty as heck. The jokes all hit - it's on par with something like FRIENDS (LOL). There are some really obscure references that somehow fit in so naturally. I feel like I would get along with whoever wrote this. And the movie tugs at your heart strings just enough at just the right times. The energy was really welcomed for me - it felt like it existed somewhere between the 90's off-kilter family film-ness of something like Disney's HEAVYWEIGHTS and that rom com Along Came Polly, but obviously way more on the Along Came Polly side.

The casting is immaculate. Joe the limo driver might be the best character of 2001. Mary Poppins makes an ultimately believable queen. Heather Matarazzo's character is kind of annoying and has the worst lines but I would love to have her in anything - her presence is very welcomed. That cute kid with the shaggy hair who plays keyboards with M&M's on them for some reason has an utterly believable high school band boy weirdo personality and he is very likable. Erik Von Detten (Brink) is perfectly douchey and it made me happy to see his blue eyes for the first time since the early 2000's. Whoever played the mom killed it - most realistic mom ever, cool mom. And Anne Hathaway just delivers the charm. The casting and the writing completely make this movie. There's hardly a dull moment.

Can't wait to watch the sequel! To see what happens with Queen Mia!

Totally and only for kids

[bopdog · 6/10 · 19 December 2001]

To be fair, this movie MUST be recognized for the intended target audience: Young girls, maybe 8 to 15 years old. My childless roommate, a female, thought some of the dialogue and behavior of the title character was a bit fakey. My experience with young adolescent girls in the household was that the movie dialogue was actually right on key. Kids have a way of over-dramatizing things, and a penchant for making even the most ordinary situations theatrical and melodramatic. "The Princess Diaries" certainly seemed to capture that.

The thing is, what truly interests and occupies a 13 or 14 year-old girl is NOT what interests anybody else. Thus, the movie comes off as kind of stale, lame, and way too low key. In our house, we gamely tried to get in the spirit and enjoy what the movie could offer us. Sadly, that wasn't much, and we ultimately gave up and quit watching before the end. Within 4 or 5 seconds we had forgotten that we had even been watching it.

But for the kids-- it seems wholesome and authentic, and possibly just the thing for those angsty early adolescent theater queens. Rent or buy it for them, but save yourself the trouble of dismissing it.

Terrible movie.

[fuzzyslippers · 1/10 · 18 June 2002]

This is one of the worst movies that I have ever seen. I am in the age group that this movie was made for, and I hated it. The plot was childish and totally absurd. Who ever heard of a Genovia or whatever it was?? It was very slow moving, and the viewers never got anywhere in the movie fast. Remember the trailers? The trailers were funny, which was the reason that I paid to see this movie. The movie is soooo slow.

The acting also contributed to the terrible plot. It was way too overacted. Mia's friend Lilly totally drove me insane with her whining. Trust me, if you watch the movie, you will be thinking, "Just shut UP ALREADY!!!" once you hear that girl speak. Her part totally ruined the movie.

All-in-all, skip this one. You'll be glad that you did.