"The Princess Diaries"

     Wanna run a country?
     No?
     Do the next best thing.  Look in on "The Princess Diaries", starring the inimitable Julie Andrews, sans umbrella and soot marks, and newcomer Anne Hathaway.
     This deliciously predictable family film is a breath of fresh air.  Julie is a delight as the "Queen By Marriage" of the quaint little country of Genovia.  The ruling family has died off.   The monarchy, as well as the country, will disappear unless young Amelia Thermopolis, a not-so-typical teenager living in America, agrees to return and assume her dead father’s throne someday.
     Regardless, she must be groomed and trained as any good little princess so the Queen can decide whether or not Amelia is worthy.  Much of the movie addresses Amelia’s transition and the task at hand—turn a young lady nerd into a future queen.
     Difficult?  You decide.
     Here’s a brief profile of the reluctant raw material.
     We learn early on that Amelia’s expectation in life is to "be invisible," while waiting patiently "for normal body parts to arrive."
      Joseph, the royal chauffeur, played by Hector Elizondo, becomes one of the trainers.  Joseph is not one to mince words.
     "You look so young, so clean," he observes and "you dance like a doggie on a dashboard."  If Joseph were a songwriter, he would pen "To Tackle The Impossible Task".
      Joseph is not mean, just realistic, when he tells Amelia, "we’re trying to learn a waltz and a tango, not a twango."
     You will love Amelia’s dearest friend, Lily, played with gusto by Heather Matarasso.  Once Lily knows that her friend has won the genetic lottery and is truly royalty, the fun really starts.  "Sure, go ahead and be a queen someday, but don’t dare change your feelings toward me or the way you treat me," Lily’s actions seem to say.
Change but don’t dare change—that would suit Lily just fine.
     Amelia is torn between the here and now and a future throne.  What will it be?
How can I rule a country?  I get ice headaches at state dinners.  I can’t give a toast and I break things.  Such thoughts can bring down a princess.  What will it be?
     You will see and you will be surprised.
     A movie with a message—how unusual these days and how pleasant!
     Here’s a taste to whet your appetite:
     "Nobody can quit being who they really are."
     "Courage is not the absence of fear, but the realization that some things are more important than fear."
     "The Princess Diaries" shares all this and fun, too.
     Enjoy, and take a few notes while you’re at it.
 
 
 
 

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