That this failed is largely down to the stilted, clichéd dialogue of the screenplay; fans of the wittier novel by Meg Cabot may well be disappointed.
Comment
03/09/09
The Princess Diaries (2001)
47
%
Tomatometer
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Reviews Counted:111
Fresh:52
Rotten:59
Average Rating:5.1/10
Consensus: A charming, if familiar, makeover movie for young teenage girls.
Runtime: 1 hr 55 mins
Genre: Childrens
Synopsis: Teen actress Anne Hathaway gives an endearing performance in Garry Marshall's delightful Disney comedy, THE PRINCESS DIARIES. Assisted by such seasoned pros as Julie Andrews and Hector Elizondo (a... [More]
Starring: Anne Hathaway, Julie Andrews, Hector Elizondo, Heather Matarazzo
Director: Garry Marshall
Reviews for The Princess Diaries
Top CriticA light, uneven Pygmalion story that may win young girls over with its wish fulfilment theme and teen movie staples, but does not live up to the expectations created by the cast and director.
12/30/06
Top CriticNotions of responsibility, surrogacy, rites of passage and the value of friendship are gone through, but the highlighting of modern tropes merely serves to emphasise the film's conventionality.
02/09/06
Top CriticWhat starts as a feel-good movie quickly degenerates into a feel-bored movie, not least because at two hours it’s at least thirty minutes too long.
10/30/02
The film is so carelessly made that every surprise in the story is given away very early on--we know from the beginning exactly what will happen, and scenes are so badly staged that any comic or dramatic potential is lost.
03/14/02
I'm sick of these movies.
01/06/02
A very watchable, very warm little Disney comedy.
12/03/01
Top CriticThe unexpected rewards of director Garry Marshall's ("Beaches") latest spin on the well-worn Pygmalion fairy tale are numerous.
07/19/09
This Cinderella fantasy transforms a geek into a princess, and teaches a few life lessons along the way.
03/09/09
Marshall milks the San Francisco scenery for all it's worth, but is all thumbs when it comes to squeezing the full comic possibilities of the story...
08/07/08
One of the most delightful and touching comedies to grace the big-screen in years that features no swearing, no sex, no violence, no drugs -- and no dull moments.
12/06/05
Screenwriter Gina Wendkos, working from Meg Cabot's novel, resorts to monotonous movie clichés: almost uniformly cruel classmates and a callous, cacophonous mob of media jackals.
07/21/05
...doesn't hold much appeal for those outside its target audience.
08/21/04
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02/25/04
These diaries have too many dull pages and not enough juicy bits to keep you interested.
08/18/03
It's a cozy message for young girls, even if it's couched in a predictable plot that is pure Disney.
03/10/03
Despite the hackneyed quality of the pretext, nice performances save this film from itself.
02/08/03
It’s an absolute credit to the cast that The Princess Diaries has charm at all.
08/17/02
It’s another movie where teenage girls look like a bunch of unfeeling idiots or worse.
08/02/02
Garry Marshall directs with the same fairy tale charm he gave "Pretty Woman," but without the disturbing prostitution angle.
06/20/02
Latest News for The Princess Diaries
November 22, 2005:
Fox Searchlight Digs the "Phat Girlz"
Fresh out of my inbox comes a press release from Fox Searchlight that informs us of a movie called "Phat Girlz," which stars Mo'Nique, Eric Roberts, Jack Noseworthy,... More...
June 24, 2005:
From "Coyote Ugly" to "Big Man on Campus"
Screenwriter Gina Wendkos, the scribe responsible for movies such as "Coyote Ugly," "The Princess Diaries," and "The Perfect Man" will pen... More...
August 09, 2001:
More...
June 05, 2001:
Diaries was shot on the same soundstage used for Mary Poppins, and Marshall owns the house Andrews lived in while making that film.
More...
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