Pretty Princess

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

Though this story sounds like a cheesy teenage fairy tale attempt, it is something quite the contrary. The 'girl who finds out she is a princess' story, has been most certainly covered, but this makes you forget about it being a fairy tale cliché.

All thanks to Anne Hathaway, who just sizzled as Mia – her cool/ funny tone of voice and personality, just made her picture perfect. It was as is she was just born to play it. In the end, this movie ranked no.19 in the top 20 movie list of the year 2001, grossing more than 100 million at the box office….something which it completely deserved. Julie Andrews, makes a sudden re-appearance as Queen Clarise. Though she does fit perfectly to what the casting director's envisage of the Queen, there is something that does not fit, to make it perfect. However, that does not stop anyone from not enjoying the movie and having fun. Mandy Moore's debut performance…well was HORRIBLE (listen to her cover version of 'Stupid Cupid'- its even worst than her acting)! But because Anne Hathaway's character was brought out with a lot of strength, all these minor faults seemed invisible. Hector Elizondo was equally good as the chauffeur Joe. He had wit and the personality. Heather Matarazzo always plays a freak, and in this case, it is still the same.

This may be a kiddie movie, but I believe it was made for everyone to enjoy it- and it did serve it's purpose. I ENJOYED THIS MOVIE SO MUCH and would make a great recommendation, for anyone who just wants to make movie night fun.

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.

I was surprised to see that the overall voting average for PD was in the 6 range, as so many people I know enjoyed it as much as I did. Anne Hathaway plays the role perfectly, making the awkward Mia extremely likable, as the heroine always should be. Julie Andrews shines like a true royal. The entire supporting cast adds something special to the film. It's quality family fun, and destined to be another Disney classic! 9/10 stars!

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.