Variety
Gina Wendkos' screenplay dutifully installs roadblocks in Mia's path, but her future as princess is never in doubt; it's in her training where the comedy should lie, but virtually never does.
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The Princess Diaries
A San Francisco teen (Anne Hathaway) inadvertently becomes European royalty in this Disney rom-com co-starring Julie Andrews (Mary Poppins).
Following the death of her long-absent father, socially awkward 15-year-old Mia (Hathaway) makes two shocking discoveries: that her father was the prince of a small European country called Genovia, and that she is directly in line for the throne. She must now make the choice between continuing the life of a West Coast teen or embarking on a life of royalty...
Less2001Rating: G115 minsUSA
ComedyKids & FamilyRomance
- Director:
- Garry Marshall ('Pretty Woman', 'Runaway Bride', 'The Princes Diaries 2: Royal Engagement')
- Writer:
- Gina Wendkos
- Cast:
- Anne HathawayJulie AndrewsHeather MatarazzoRobert SchwartzmanHéctor ElizondoMandy MooreCaroline GoodallErik von DettenSandra Oh
The Princess Diaries | Reviews
49%117 reviewsRotten Tomatoes® Score
All reviews on Rotten Tomatoes
Total Film
A fairy tale adventure with a heart of gold, it hasn't got quite enough spark to set the box office alight, but is still an enjoyable Disney romp. If you're looking for a Pretty Woman Jr to keep the pre-teens happy, you could do a lot, lot worse.
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Time Out
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.
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The New York Times
The G-rated Princess Diaries could be a television pilot, but it can't hope to compete.
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Roger Ebert
The Princess Diaries is a march through the swamp of recycled ugly duckling stories, with occasional pauses in the marsh of sitcom cliches and the bog of Idiot Plots.
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