Notions 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.
Comment
02/09/06
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 CriticThe 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
A very watchable, very warm little Disney comedy.
12/03/01
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 CriticI'm sick of these movies.
01/06/02
What 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
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.
03/09/09
Top CriticThe Princess Diaries can be quickly summed up as a series of bland vignettes about a 15 year-old girl's makeover as if directed by an 80 year old man.
08/01/01
The most surprising thing about this movie is just how little humor or heart it has.
08/03/01
This old-time story works one more time due to newcomer Hathaway.
08/03/01
Those in the target audience will love it.
08/23/01
After a rocky start, the film gradually develops its own goofy charm.
08/02/01
It's easy to suspend, or at least relax, critical capacties in the name of good, wholesome fun.
08/01/01
Squeaky clean and rather sweet.
08/03/01
To be effective, many movies require the viewer to engage in a willing suspension of disbelief. For The Princess Diaries to work, the viewer will have to engage in a willing suspension of higher brain activity.
08/02/01
A refreshingly -- but not aggressively -- reformist fairy tale that doesn't talk down to its audience.
08/01/01
It’s not grand cinema, but it is an enjoyable confection that will give some families an excuse to spend some time together.
08/02/01
As slick, professional and bland as anything else Garry Marshall has directed in recent years, including 1999's Runaway Bride and The Other Sister. He doesn't do edgy.
08/09/01
All young girls are princesses inside, although many don't know it and some never will. The more movies that let us in on this wonderful secret, the better.
08/04/01
A non-animated G-rated movie is a rarity these days but the rating here reflects the fact that all the guts, all the good stuff, has been exorcised from the finished product.
08/08/01
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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