Princesse Caraboo

This story is set several hundred years ago. A mysterious girl who apparently speaks no English is found begging in the streets. The magistrate wants to put her in jail, but the wife of one of the prominent men of the city wants to take her home to stay with her. Several people are consulted to determine what language the girl speaks, including one language expert played by John Lithgow who is very funny (especially when he tries to speak various languages). The girl doesn't look Asian or Middle Eastern, but if she's faking it (as some suspect) she's doing a good job. She has a tattoo and strange religious customs that provide clues, though the language in which she writes is not known to anyone. It is decided that she is speaking a dialect from Asia.

When she does understand what is going on, she comes across as quite charming. Eventually, it is determined that she must be a princess, and her name seems to be Caraboo.

Phoebe Cates gave a performance worthy of an Oscar nomination. Whether her character did as well I won't say. You'll just have to watch.

I was worried when the movie wasn't funny at first, but the humor came in large doses after a while, and not the usual type of movie humor. This was quite a sophisticated film considering it often tried to be silly, and the costumes and the settings were very nice. The music was magnificent, whether highbrow classical or period music that sounded more like what ordinary people would enjoy.

Everything about this movie was well done, and while it's not normally the type of movie I would watch, I enjoyed it.

"Princess Caraboo" is a rare breed of film these days -- aimed at adults, but highly respectful of the human soul and therefore safe for all ages. All viewers should find the historical angle fascinating, lovers of whimsical, offbeat humor will be delighted, "romantics" will be stirred by the powerful ending...and the ravishing color palette of the sets and costumes will enchant those who crave sheer visual beauty.

I personally thought the wonderful ending was handled very well -- it was particularly powerful for being beautifully understated, and did not "take away" from the effectiveness of the story. Because it had been foreshadowed (with great subtlety) throughout the movie, it did not arrive as a shock but rather as a fulfillment.

I must also put in a good word for the glorious music...another home run. See this film. As others have noted, it will stay with you long afterward.

This film is a good story, and you do think more of it once it's ended than you might while watching it. One of the main points is that it is hard to be who you want to be. But it's also hard NOT to be who others think you are. Other than that, it's hard to talk about the actual story without influencing others viewing of it. I saw the film with no knowledge of it other than what was on the back of the video box. That's a good way to go into it. Mr. Gutch (Stephen Rea), the newspaper reporter, isn't who he wants to be. Mrs. Worral, the rich aristocrat who takes the Princess under her wing, isn't who she wants to be. The servants aren't allowed to be anything other than who they are supposed to be. Throughout the film, you see how the Princess inspires others- with jealousy, lust, greed, and also with admiration and love. Good story.

Wonderful piece and the best role Phoebe Cates has ever had. A sweet and sad tale based on true events, although how close this film is to the truth I do not know. But it is still one of my favorites, I even bought the DVD even though it wasn't in widescreen and had no extras, I just could resist owning this wonderful movie!

Phoebe Cates was very cute in the lead role of "Mary Baker/Princess Cariboo." The story was a nice one, too, with no complaints about inappropriate language or behavior.

Kevin Kline supplies many of the laughs, at least with me. I preferred him over John Lithgow or Jim Broadbent.

This is supposedly based on a true story but I am going to assume they took a lot of liberties with it. Nonetheless, it's a story and a decent for "the whole family," as the cliché goes. However, I think this is mostly appealing to females. I found it pleasant, but more of a "chick flick" than a guy's film. Thus, I doubt I would watch it again, especially knowing the surprise ending.

I definitely recommend this comedy-drama-romance for people who haven't seen it, and for most people who are not adult males.