What a Girl Wants

(Dennie Gordon, USA, 2003)

This film begins inauspiciously, with a very lame piece of slapstick involving live music and dancing.

Gags like this tend to announce a sense of humour disconnected from the modern world, and much in What a Girl Wants backs up this retro ambience, as if in homage to Disney's family comedies of the '60s.

All-American Daphne (Amanda Bynes) is a perennially perky teenager who lives with her mother, Libby (Kelly Preston), and pines for the father she has never known. He turns out to be Lord Henry Dashwood (Colin Firth), a politician about to be hooked up with the go-getting Glynnis (Anna Chancellor) and her prim daughter (Christina Cole).

Daphne introduces herself to this clan in England, and from there the film plays out a predictable and often clunky comedy of inter-cultural manners, complete with tourist-brochure views of London. Relief comes from the working classes, in the shape of scooter-riding, salt-of-the-earth Ian (Oliver James).

This plot outline will alert Vincente Minnelli fans to the rather horrifying fact that What a Girl Wants is a remake of the immortal The Reluctant Debutante (1958). As often happens these days, both the movie and its promotional machine keep this matter as quiet as possible.

Against all odds, there is a single element that surges forth and saves this often twee film. It is the warm rapport between Bynes and Firth. As Dashwood opens himself up to life's simple pleasures under the guiding influence of Daphne, What a Girl Wants becomes a touching ode to the love between father and daughter.

MORE Gordon: Joe Dirt

© Adrian Martin April 2003