The Princess Diaries (film)
The Princess Diaries is a 2001 American coming-of-age[3][4][5] comedy film produced by singer Whitney Houston, Debra Martin Chase and Mario Iscovich, and directed by Garry Marshall. Loosely based on Meg Cabot's 2000 young adult novel of the same name, the film was written by Gina Wendkos and stars Anne Hathaway (her feature film debut) and Julie Andrews, with a supporting cast consisting of Héctor Elizondo, Heather Matarazzo, Mandy Moore, Caroline Goodall, and Robert Schwartzman. The film follows Mia Thermopolis (Hathaway), a shy American teenager who learns she is heiress to the throne of a European kingdom. Under the tutelage of her estranged grandmother (Andrews), the kingdom's reigning queen, Mia must decide whether to claim the throne she has inherited or renounce her title permanently.
The Princess Diaries
Gina Wendkos
- Whitney Houston
- Debra Martin Chase
- Mario Iscovich
- July 29, 2001 (El Capitan Theatre)
- August 3, 2001 (United States)
115 minutes[1]
United States
English
$26 million
$165.3 million[2]
Feeling confident about the novel's film potential, Cabot's agent pursued producer Debra Martin Chase about adapting The Princess Diaries into a feature-length film, an idea she pitched to Disney upon reading the book. After obtaining the film rights, Disney originally greenlit the project under the title The Princess of Tribeca, reverting it once its setting was changed from New York to San Francisco, where the majority of the film was shot between September and December 2000. Marshall, who was known for helming several romantic comedies, agreed to direct because he found the story ideal for family entertainment. Despite having little involvement in the film's development, Cabot was consulted about various changes to its story and characters. Hathaway won the lead role over several established young actresses in her motion picture debut, while The Princess Diaries commemorated the end of Andrews's semi-retirement from acting and return to Disney films, her first since Mary Poppins (1964).
Released on August 3, 2001, the film was an unexpected commercial success, grossing over $165 million worldwide. Despite earning mixed reviews for its plot and themes, Hathaway's performance was widely praised by film critics. Ranking among the most profitable films of 2001, The Princess Diaries defied industry expectations as pundits had expected the film to underperform due to its G rating and subject matter. The film's success is credited with establishing Hathaway as a bankable actress and reviving Andrews's film career. A sequel, The Princess Diaries 2: Royal Engagement, was released in 2004 to similar success. A third installment is currently in development.
Plot[edit]
Mia Thermopolis is a student at Grove High School residing with her single mother, Helen, at a refurbished firehouse in San Francisco. Unpopular among her peers, Mia suffers from a fear of public speaking while harboring a crush on Josh Bryant, and is often teased by his popular girlfriend, Lana Thomas. Mia's only friends are social outcast Lilly Moscovitz and her older brother, Michael, who secretly harbors feelings for Mia.
Mia learns from her estranged paternal grandmother, Clarisse, that she is sole heir to the small European kingdom of Genovia, having inherited the throne from her recently deceased father, Philippe. Clarisse is determined to make Mia into a refined princess so that she may one day rule the kingdom over which Clarisse currently presides. Overwhelmed by the discovery, Mia initially refuses until her mother convinces her to attend her grandmother's "princess lessons" on the condition that she need not make her final decision until the Genovian Independence Day Ball in three weeks' time.
Mia receives a glamorous makeover and a limousine chauffeured by Joe, the queen's head of security and confidant, who becomes a father figure to her. Mia's transformation causes her schoolmates to treat her differently, while her increasingly hectic schedule strains her relationship with Lilly. To appease her best friend, Mia tells Lilly the truth and swears her to secrecy. However, the public soon learns that Mia is a princess after the secret is sold to the press by Paolo, the hairdresser responsible for Mia's makeover, and paparazzi begin to pursue her relentlessly. Although Mia embarrasses herself at her first state dinner, Clarisse admits that she found her clumsiness endearing and suggests that they spend quality time together, canceling their lessons for the following afternoon. While bonding, Clarisse explains that although Mia's parents loved each other, they divorced amicably in order to pursue their own passions, Philippe remaining in Genovia to eventually become king, and Helen returning to America with Mia to offer her a "normal" childhood.
As Mia's popularity grows, Josh invites her to attend a beach party with him. Mia accepts, causing her to neglect Lilly and forgo her plans with Michael. The paparazzi ambush Mia at the beach party. Josh kisses Mia in front of the paparazzi to get his "15 minutes of fame", while Lana helps the paparazzi photograph Mia wearing only a towel; both photographs are printed in the newspaper the following day. Finding the photos inappropriate for a princess, Clarisse admonishes Mia for her behavior, after which a humiliated Mia promises to renounce her title. Joe reminds Clarisse that Mia is still both a teenager and her granddaughter, suggesting that the queen reacted too harshly.
After making amends with Lilly, Mia finally stands up to Lana for bullying a schoolmate. Mia invites both Lilly and Michael to the ball but Michael declines, still heartbroken over Mia's initial dismissal. After Clarisse apologizes to Mia for scolding her, she states that Mia must publicly renounce the throne at the ball. Terrified by the prospect, Mia plans to run away until she discovers a touching letter from her late father and relents. Mia's car malfunctions while driving to the ball, stranding her in a downpour until she is retrieved by Joe.
When they finally arrive, Mia, still wet and untidy from the rain, accepts her role as Princess of Genovia with Clarisse, while Helen and Lilly look on proudly. After changing into a gown, Mia accompanies Clarisse into the ballroom where Michael, who has accepted Mia's apology, invites her to dance before proceeding to the courtyard, where they confess their feelings for each other and share their first kiss. In the final scene, Mia is shown traveling to Genovia in a private plane with her pet cat Fat Louie, and writes in her diary that she plans to relocate to Genovia with her mother.
Production[edit]
Development[edit]
The Princess Diaries is based on the young adult novel of the same name by author Meg Cabot.[3][9] Cabot's agent believed that the first Princess Diaries book had strong film potential,[10] and pursued film producer Debra Martin Chase, who had recently co-produced the television film Rodgers & Hammerstein's Cinderella (1997), about adapting the book into a film due to their similar "rags-to-riches" and "Cinderella-type" themes.[11] Chase highly enjoyed the book and convinced Disney to adapt the novel into a feature-length production.[11] Disney chairman Peter Schneider optioned the project in an "effort to re-establish the Disney brand for live-action family films".[12] Cabot was thrilled to learn that Disney was interested in her book,[13] the film rights for which the studio paid her $4,000,[10] although some media outlets reported that Cabot had been offered "mid- to low-six figures".[10][14][15] Cabot recalled that Disney's decision to adapt The Princess Diaries resulted in her getting promoted at her own job, prior to which she had struggled to convince publishers to publish her novel, the content of which some found inappropriate for young readers.[16] Several publishers had rejected Cabot's manuscript before HarperCollins showed interest in 1999, followed by Disney shortly afterward.[17]
Legacy[edit]
Elite Daily contributor Alana Altmann described the film as "a bonafide fave of '90s and 2000s kids alike".[3] Writing for the same publication, Kristen Perrone called the film "an essential part of the childhoods of anyone who grew up in the early 2000s".[154] Andrews attributes the film's longevity to new generations re-discovering it approximately every seven years.[49] The actress believes the film continues to resonate with audiences due to its strong morals about responsibility, obligation, decency, growing up, and self-discovery.[49] Seventeen ranked The Princess Diaries the 10th best "Best Teen Movies You Can't Grow Up Without Watching".[155] The scene in which Mia undergoes a physical makeover has garnered significant attention, with several media publications ranking it among the greatest makeover sequences in film history.[156][157][158][159][160] E! contributor McKenna Aiello identified the montage as "the first scene that comes to mind" when remembering The Princess Diaries,[161] a sentiment with which InStyle agreed.[162] Lauren Hubbard, writing for Allure, believes the film "may very well be one of the single greatest makeover movies of our generation", publishing a list of "11 Beauty Lessons We Learned from The Princess Diaries".[163] Cosmopolitan's Eliza Thompson wrote "Few makeover movies hold up as well as The Princess Diaries".[57] Katie Rosseinsky of Grazia credits the film with introducing "one of the best makeover sequences in teen movie history" while teaching "excellent life lessons".[164] Ranking it second, Her Campus hailed the scene as "the best teenage makeover ever".[165] Total Beauty ranked the montage ninth, dubbing it the "Best Hair Movie Makeover".[166]
Bustle writer Veronica Walsingham believes The Princess Diaries' makeover sequence distinguishes itself from similar scenes because Mia undergoes a complete physical transformation, avoiding the trope of simply removing her glasses.[80] The Ringer placed the scene seventh on its "definitive" movie makeover ranking.[167] The sequence's popularity has resulted in makeover films becoming something of a trademark genre for Hathaway, whose characters have undergone similar transformations in Ella Enchanted (2004),[168] The Devil Wears Prada (2006), and Les Misérables (2012).[166] Some media publications crowned Hathaway the "queen of makeover movies".[165][167] In her AllMovie biography of Hathaway, Rebecca Flint Marx said the actress "became a familiar face to millions of moviegoers" by proving her comedic timing in The Princess Diaries, in turn opening "a number of doors" for herself as a leading lady.[169] Hathaway initially suffered from being typecast in "good girl" roles after the film's success,[30] which inspired her to pursue a variety of more serious, non-princess roles in subsequent years.[39][104][170] In 2018, Marie Claire ranked The Princess Diaries Hathaway's second best film performance.[171] The website NewNowNext credits The Princess Diaries with beginning to establish Hathaway as a gay icon, comparing her debut as a "reluctant princess" to that of actress Audrey Hepburn in Roman Holiday (1953).[172] The film is credited with reviving Andrews's film career and introducing her to a younger generation of fans,[5][173][174] rivaling her career-defining performances in Mary Poppins and The Sound of Music (1965) in terms of popularity.[175] The film's popularity is also credited with evolving Cabot from an author into a celebrity.[17] Cabot remarked that the novels had actually been intended for slightly older readers, but parents who saw the G-rated film would purchase the books for their 6-7-year-old children, unintentionally exposing them to teen content.[176]
The Princess Diaries is the work for which Marshall is best remembered among millennials.[82] When Marshall died in July 2016,[177] several cast members paid tribute to the late director online.[178] Following Marshall's death, The Daily Telegraph film critic Robbie Collin wrote that The Princess Diaries is "by no means a flawless movie", but rather "one from which a star was able to bounce out, eyes bright, teeth flashing and primed for adoration. Marshall’s films may never have made him a critical darling, but his best work thrived on smile power – on both the faces of his audience and cast."[179] When the film was released on Netflix in 2018, the streaming service tweeted their surprise at the revelation that Houston served as a producer on the film, inspiring several Twitter users to comment the same.[66] The film's popularity among audiences has since defied expectations initially indicated by its lukewarm reception nearly two decades after its release.[80] Observing that the film experienced a renaissance in 2018, Walsingham credits the film's resurgence to its release on Netflix and American actress Meghan Markle's marriage to Prince Harry,[80] whose narrative has been compared to Mia's role in The Princess Diaries in the media, particularly the fact that Markle underwent "duchess training" for the title.[180][181]
