Mia Thermopolis (Anne Hathaway) is your average teen-ager. Gawky, awkward and slightly socially inept. She’s teased at school, but despite being unpopular, still remains upbeat and fiercely loyal to her best friend Lily. She is sweet and caring and has a good heart.
One day, Mia learns that her father (who has not been part of her life) has recently passed away, and that he was the crown prince of a tiny country called Genovia. Mia’s grandmother, the Queen, wants to bring Mia back to Genovia where she will be schooled in all things royal and begin her studies so that when the time comes, she will be ready to assume the throne. The choice is Mia’s however, and while she’ll miss her mother, she can’t give up the chance to become every girl’s childhood dream, a princess.
Mia goes to Genovia to begin her princess studies. First order is a makeover, the first step in Mia’s royal transformation. But Mia is Mia, and even though she begins to learn proper etiquette and manners, she’s still the same klutzy, fun loving girl. Her grandmother, at first stuffy and overly proper, begins to relax as she gets to know her granddaughter and comes to love her for who she is. Mia must then juggle her new persona and who she is supposed to be as princess with who she is naturally.
“The Princess Diaries” is fairly typical Disney fare, but is a great movie for all ages. It calls to every girl’s childhood fantasy of being a princess. Julie Andrews is great as Mia’s grandmother, and her bodyguard, played by Hector Elizondo is sweet as well. The relationship between them is a subtle, yet sweet love affair that according to the actors was unscripted. Hector Elizondo said in an interview that they “felt that a romance after 50 was important to tell and it can be sensual and sexy while keeping your clothes on.”
“The Princess Diaries” is based on the book series by Meg Cabot, and was directed by Garry Marshall. It is suitable for all ages, though because it is nearly two hours long, younger viewers (under 9) might have trouble sitting through it all.