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The Movie: During it's hey-day Walt Disney's Disney Pictures made quality entertainment for the whole family. It had two distinct subsections, the animation department and the live action department. Now decades later the line has been blurred even more with Buena Vista Entertainment distributing Touchstone Pictures, Miramax Films, Pixar Animation Studios and it's own Walt Disney Feature Animation. In the good old days Disney not only produced top quality animated features such as Dumbo (1941) and Sleeping Beauty (1959) but also "G" rated live action movies the whole family could enjoy like Mary Poppins (1964), the Apple Dumpling Gang (1975) and the unforgettable Love Bug (1969). The name Disney was synonymous with family entertainment. In recent years it's been a different story altogether as the only visible remnant of the past being the animation department. The animation department which used to release films aimed primarily at kids has changed gears slightly as well by releasing Atlantis and Princess Mononoke which were aimed at a more mature audience. However live action Disney films didn't disappeared completely during the 90s. They were just simply cut back in number as many bombed at the box office. Despite the majority of them not doing well financially there were still a few moderate successes. Now director Gary Marshall (Pretty Women, Runaway Bride) attempts to breathe fresh life into a forgotten genre with The Princess Diaries. Mia Thermopolis (Anne Hathaway) is your regular run of the mill 15 year old living with her single mom in San Franscisco. She's not in the A-Crowd, she's not popular and boys don't really know she exists. Her best friend is Lily (Heather Matarazzo) an outspoken environmental crusader with her own local cable access show. Mia like most teenager girls is also crushing hard on the school hottie Josh Bryant (Erik von Detten). However he doesn't know she exists. You see it's been Mia's goal in life to become invisible and well she's rather good at it. One day out of the blue Mia's grandmother who has had no contact with the family for 15 years contacts them to setup a meeting with Mia. At this meeting Mia learns that she is the heir to the throne of Genovia a small European country. Mia's grandmother Queen Clarrise Renaldi (Julie Andrews) explains to Mia that she is the only remaining blood relative and as such holds the fate of the small country in her hands. Mia of course is taken back by all and is in shock. She doesn't want to be a princess as she'd prefer to just blend into the scenery. Reluctantly Mia agrees to take Princess lessons but will hold off on making her final decision until the Genovian Independence Day Ball. It is at this ball that Clarrise wants present Mia to the press. The lessons have Mia learning how walk, sit, stand, behave and also include a radical make over that is almost too good to be considered true. Anne Hathaway gives a breakout performance as the lead Mia. Anne who previous acting experience consisted of a role on the short lived Fox series Get Real turns Mia into a real person with real emotions. Mia is a positive role model to all involved both in and out of the film. She is often unsure what to do and wavers back and forth. Ultimately she learns to think about others and not just herself. Anne captures and embodies Mia's spirit well, be it the geeky awkward moments or the shining star type moments. It is clear that Anne is a star to watch for in the future. Julie Andrews returns to the Disney fold here as Queen Clarisse and radiates the true essence of a Hollywood screen legend. Watching these two ladies side by side was always a pleasure. Julie manages to deliver her comedic lines just as well the young Hathaway ***. Heather Matarazzo gives another one of her trademark performances as the slightly different Lily who encourages Mia to not give up and let things fall by the wayside. Heather is a talented actress and a welcome addition to this ensemble cast. Marshall regular Hector Elizondo is given the pivotal of Joe the head of the security at the Genovian consolute who finds his duties now involving being a limo driver. His father figure approach to teaching Mia gives her a male point of view something she doesn't get at home. Singer turned MTV host Mandy Moore tries to further her career into the movies as Lana the leader of the A-crowd. Lana also just happens to be the head cheerleader and lead singer in all girl pop act. Mandy should stick to her music as her bubbly portrayal of Lana is overly annoying and made me cringe during her scenes. For the most part the Princess Diaries works though it's not without a few small problems. At 5 minutes shy of the 2 hour mark the film is a bit on the long side. After the first 30-45 minutes where the main plot is setup the pacing seems to slow down. There are only so many embarrassing moments that can happen and each one seems only slightly different from the last. As a person slightly older then the targeted demographic the running time while a bit long isn't unbearable and held my attention quite well. However by removing as little as 10 minutes of footage the film would work better for the younger audiences it's targeted at who may not have the attention span of an older person. At 115 minutes it's a good film at 105 minutes it could have been a great film. Director Marshall whose previous efforts have been hit and miss at the box office with the huge smashes Runaway Bride and Pretty Woman while The Other Sister and Dear God crashed and burned. I found Marshall an odd choice for the project as Pretty Woman was about a hooker with a heart of gold and this is about a teenage girl destined to become a princess. Marshall has said recently that he wanted to make a film his young daughter could watch and this is one of only a handful of recent films that are really appropriate for a younger audience. The Princess Diaries is based on the first book in a continuing series of novels by Meg Cabot. I wouldn't be surprised to see this series continues on in movie form as well. There is a lot left to discover for the young Mia as she faces new obstacles and more awkward situations as the head of a small European country. If a sequel or sequels were to be made it would be best to start sooner rather then later as 18 year old Anne Hathaway the film's star is getting older and won't be able to pass for 15 forever. As for recasting the role that would be a pretty big mistake on Disney's part and would certainly harm the franchise. The Princess Diaries is a throwback to the days of old where a parent could drop off their kids on a Sunday afternoon and not have to worry about the content of the film. A smartly written, well acted story with a positive message for everyone. In a market place dominated by loud, violent action pictures and raunchy sex comedies. The Princess Diaries is a breath of fresh air that doesn't have to resort to adult language or adult themes. Highly Recommended. Reviewed August 6 by Mark McLeod |