The Princess Diaries is a comedy-drama film and the screen adaptation of Meg Cabot's 2000 novel of the same name. The film stars Anne Hathaway as Mia Thermopolis, a teenager who discovers that she is the heir to the throne of the fictional Genovia, ruled by her grandmother, Queen Clarisse Renaldi, who is portrayed by Julie Andrews. It also stars Heather Matarazzo as Mia's best friend Lilly Moscovitz, Héctor Elizondo as Renaldi's head of security, and Robert Schwartzman as Lilly's brother, who has a crush on Mia.
It was released to North American theatres on August 3, 2001 and peaked at number three in the box office. The Princess Diaries produced ticket sales well over its production budget.
Plot
Mia Thermopolis (Anne Hathaway) is a fifteen-year-old tenth grade private school student who lives with her mother Helen Thermopolis (Caroline Goodall) and her cat, Fat Louie, in a San Francisco firehouse. Her father, Philippe Renaldi (who was divorced but in touch with her) died two months earlier in a car crash. Although Mia is an average student, she is very unpopular, but has two good friends: Lilly Moscovitz (Heather Matarazzo) and Lilly's older brother, Michael Moscovitz (Robert Schwartzman).
Shortly before Mia's sixteenth birthday, she learns from her mother that her paternal grandmother is visiting from Genovia, a fictional country in Europe (which bears some similarity to the actual Republic of Genoa). At first Mia does not want to see her, but agrees later. The next day, Mia meets her grandmother, Clarisse Renaldi (Julie Andrews), at the Genovian consulate for the first time, who explains that the reason she wanted to see her was because of a "life-changing" problem. She learns that her father was the crown prince of Genovia and she is the next crown princess of Genovia and the only heir to the Genovian throne because of her father's death. She was shocked to learn that she is a princess.
Mia's mother and grandmother convince her to attend "princess lessons" in preparation for her introduction to the Genovian government, under supervision from her new bodyguard, the head of Genovian security, Joseph (Héctor Elizondo). To look more presentable to the Genovian government, Mia receives a makeover from Italian hairdresser Paolo (Larry Miller).
A couple of days later, the San Francisco Chronicle learns that Mia is the Genovian heir after Paolo tells the media so everybody will know that he is the one that made Princess Mia look like a princess. Although unimpressed, Clarisse opts to ignore the situation and prepares for the State Dinner, which Mia attends. The day after the State Dinner, Mia agrees to appear on Lilly's public-access television program Shut Up and Listen and to watch Michael's band perform at a venue that Saturday night. Mia is almost 16 so she is almost able to drive a car, (her "baby", a Ford Mustang.) She takes a test drive with her grandmother and takes her to the arcade, and buys her a corndog. When they are driving back, Mia's grandmother tries to teach Mia of knowing what to use when driving a car. All goes well until Mia catches a very steep hill which causes her to crash into a bus load.
Josh asks Mia to go with him to the Baker Beach Bash, the school's annual beach party, and she excitedly agrees. She remembers to tell Michael that she will watch his band the following Saturday night, but forgets to tell Lilly of the change. The beach party goes well at first, but spirals out of control when the media learn of Mia's presence. Josh publicly embarrasses her by kissing her in front of photographers. This causes a media frenzy and displeases Clarisse. Clarisse then gets a wake up call from Joe, telling her that she has to remember that although Mia is a princess, and the heir to her throne, Mia is still her granddaughter. To reconstruct her friendships with Lilly and Michael, Mia invites them to the Genovian Independence Day Ball, where she must reveal whether or not she wants to accept her duties as a princess. Originally intent on running away to Colorado because she wants to avoid renouncing her throne with a speech (Mia is terrible at public speaking), Mia finds a sixteenth birthday gift and letter from her father, written before his death. After reading the letter, she changes her mind and makes her way to the ball, as it begins raining. Her car's roof will not go up though, so she is stuck driving in the rain and her car breaks down when she attempts to go up an incredibly steep hill. Joe finds her drenched halfway to the event. Upon arrival, Mia makes a speech announcing her acceptance to the Genovian throne. Clarisse and Joe also walk out of the Genovian consulate holding hands, showing sparks of a relationship.
Cast
Production
The film was directed by Garry Marshall and produced by Debra Martin Chase and Whitney Houston. Anne Hathaway was hired for the role of Mia because Gary Marshall's granddaughters saw her audition tape and said she had the best "princess hair."[2]
Héctor Elizondo, who appears in all the films which Garry Marshall directs,[3] plays Joseph "Joe", the head of Genovian security. Garry Marshall's daughter, Kathleen Marshall, plays Clarisse's secretary Charlotte Kutaway. Charlotte's surname is mentioned only in the credits, and Garry Marshall says it is a reference to how she is often used in cutaway shots. In one scene, Robert Schwartzman's real-life group Rooney makes a cameo playing a garage band named Flypaper, whose lead singer is Michael, played by Schwartzman.
The book was set in New York City, but the film's location was changed to San Francisco because Marshall's granddaughters lived there. West coast radio personalities Mark & Brian appear as themselves.
The Princess Diaries 2: Royal Engagement, the film's sequel, was released in August 2004.
Box-office
The film opened to $22,862,269 from 2,537 theaters in the U.S. and ended its run with $165,335,153 worldwide. Reviews were mostly mixed as Rotten Tomatoes came up with a 49% rotten rating with 52 out of 106 critics recommending the movie.
Soundtrack
Differences between the film and novel
[original research?]
There are many major differences between the film and novel.[4] While they essentially follow the same plot, there were additional sequences written for the film to produce more drama.[2] Mia is portrayed as a very awkward adolescent, and while in the film she is more comfortable with herself after the makeover, in the book she becomes more uneasy.[4] Other major differences include the following:
- In the novel, Mia's grandmother is named Clarisse Renaldo not Renaldi
- In the novel, Mia's grandmother, Clarisse Renaldi, is not the Queen of Genovia, but instead the dowager princess. She is much less considerate of Mia's feelings and is somewhat clueless about the lives of non-royal people. She frequently dresses in purple to emphasize her social status and speaks French most of the time. Clarisse in the film has more heartfelt moments.
- In the novel, Mia's father, Philippe Renaldo, is not dead. Instead, he is a survivor of testicular cancer and is physically incapable of producing another heir. Because Mia is his only daughter, this forces her to take the Genovian throne.
- In the novel, Mia had previously met both her grandmother and her father. She's known them her entire life. In the film, she says that she has never met her grandmother.
- In the film, it is said that Mia's grandfather has been dead for a year.
- While the film introduced Joe, the novel excludes his character. Mia has a bodyguard named Lars, who bears some distinction and similarity to Joe. Clarisse and Lars do not hint a romantic relationship like Clarisse and Joe do in the film. In The Princess Diaries 2: Royal Engagement, a bodyguard trainee of Joe's named Lionel appeared in the film.
- In the novel, Mia lives in New York, not San Francisco like in the film.
- In the novel, Clarisse Renaldo lives in a grand suite of the Plaza Hotel while visiting New York. In the film, she lives in a large consulate-style house while visiting San Francisco. In the novel, "Grandmére" (Clarisse Renaldi) owns a poodle named Rommel while in the sequel to the movie, Clarisse has a standard poodle name Maurice.
- In the novel, Lana does not have friends named Ana and Fontana, and Lilly does not have a friend named Jeremiah. Instead, in the books, Lana's best friend is named Trisha. Mia has many other friends than Lilly and Michael, including Perin, Boris Pelkowski, Ling Su Wong, Shameeka Taylor, John Paul Reynolds Abernathy IV (more commonly known was J.P. and previously known to Mia and her friends as The Guy Who Hates It When They Put Corn in the Chili), and Tina Hakim Baba (whom she befriends during a fight with Lilly).
- Other small changes include Lilly's cable show, which is titled Lilly Tells It like It Is in the novel and Shut Up and Listen in the film. Mia's teacher who dates her mother Helen is not Mr. Patrick O'Connell and instead Mr. Frank Gianini, who has a much larger role in the novel.
- Josh and Lana's surnames are different in the film. Originally they were Richter and Weinberger respectively, and not Bryant and Thomas. Although it was never disclosed why Josh's surname was changed, Garry Marshall said that "Thermopolis" and "Thomas" are close together alphabetically, which indicates that Mia and Lana would sit near each other in their classes.[2]
- In the novel, Mia Thermopolis lives in an apartment; in the film, she lives in a house. Her neighbor in the novel is Ronnie, not Mr. Robatussen.
- In the novel, Mia ruins Lana's outfit with ice-cream in defence of Tina Hakim Baba (who is not mentioned in the film), not Jeramiah (who is not even in the books). Within the novel she is given detention by the principal while in the film, the principal pretends not to notice.
- Mia does not tell Lilly that she is a princess in the novel. Also in the novel, Mia gets into a huge fight with Lilly when Lilly finds out that she is a princess while in the film, their bond gets stronger.
- Mia does not have a car in the novel.
- In the novel, Mia's paternal grandmother Clarisse Renaldi does not go out for fun with Mia.
- In the novel, Mia goes to Albert Einstein High School. The name in the film is changed to Garden Grove High School.
- In the novel, Josh makes out with Mia on the doorstep to Albert Einstein High School since they were on their way to a school dance. In the film, they were attending a beach party instead of a dance, and Josh kissed Mia outside the supplies cabin.
- In the novel, Josh asks Mia to the Cultural Diversity Dance which is in October. In the film, he asks her to the Baker Beach Bash which is set during the last week of the school year.
- In the novel, Michael Moscovitz did not work at a car repair shop, Instead he donates his time to making an online magazine 'Crackhead'. He was musically gifted, however.
- Fat Louie is ginger in the novel, not black and white as in the film.
- According to the novel, Mia does not move to Genovia in the end.
- In the novel, Mia calls her paternal grandmother 'Grandmere' and not Grandma.
- In the novel, Mia's maternal Grandmother is not dead. In fact Mia (in the novel) has seen her maternal grandmother and maternal grandfather (Mamaw and Papaw) a couple of times.
- In the novel, it is Grandmere who publicized Mia's royal heritage, not Paolo.
- There is no Genovian Independence Day Ball in the novel.
- In the film, Mia was turning 16 and had a learner's permit in driving. In the series, Mia did not turn 16 until book seven and a half: Sweet Sixteen Princess. She was 14 in books one, two, three, and four. She turned 15 in book five, and was 15 until book seven and a half. In the series, she is currently 18, and a high school graduate.
- In the novel, Lilly and Michael are not twins like they are in the movie. Instead, Michael is about three years older.
- In the novel, Mia has a crush on Michael, and it isn't explained, until the two finally get together, that Michael returned those feelings. In the film, Michael has an obvious crush on Mia, who appears not to feel the same way.
- In the novels, Michael and Mia share their first kiss at the Nondenominational Winter Dance while in the film, it's at the Genovian Independence Day Ball.
- In the novel, Mia's full name is HRH Princess Amelia Mignonette Thermopolis Grimaldi Renaldo. In the film, Grimaldi and Renaldo are combined into one name: Renaldi.
- In the film, Mia is portrayed as being a brunette and her hair is long and obviously curly, later straightened. In the novel, Mia originally has dishwater-blonde hair which is dyed "the same color as Lana Weinberger's", although later in the other books, Mia refers to her hair as dishwater-blonde again. Also, in the book, it is short and 'not straight or curly' but when grown longer, it is in the shape of "an upside down yield sign".
- In the film, Mia's most hated subjects are Gym and Debate. While, in the novel, it is true that in the novel Mia hates Gym, Algebra is her least favourite. It is also noted that Mr. Gianini (novel) teaches Algebra, while Mr. O'Connell (film) teaches Debate and History. There is also English, French, and Gifted and Talented.
- The plot for the sequel film, The Princess Diaries 2: Royal Engagement is not included in any part of the book series; that is, Mia does not become queen or has to get engaged in any of the books.
- In the movie, Michael's band is named Flypaper and consists of people not important to the movie but in the novel, Michael's band is named Skinner Box and consists of more important people, such as Boris Pelkowski.
- In film, Michael and Mia just decide to stay good friends while he goes off to tour the world with his band. In the novel, Michael goes to Columbia University and is still in a relationship with Mia. Michael and Mia break-up (in the novel) after Mia discovers he slept with Judith Gershner (not mentioned in the film) who also took his virginity. Mia, convinced that Michael lied to her, breaks things off with him.
- In the movie, Mia's crush is called Josh Bryant, in the novel, he is called Josh Richter
- In the movie, it is Paolo, Mia's hairstylist who tells the press about Mia being a princess. In the novel, it is actually Clarisse Renaldi, Mia's grandmother who tells the press.
- In the books, Grandmere is supposedly French. In the films, she is British.
Awards and nominations
| Year |
Award |
For |
Notes |
| 2001 |
Heartland Award of Excellence |
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| 2002 |
ALMA Award - Outstanding Song in a Motion Picture Soundtrack |
"Miracles Happen" by Myra |
Nominated |
| ASCAP Top Box Office Film |
John Debney |
|
| Artios Award - Best Casting for Feature Film, Comedy |
Marcia Ross
Donna Morong
Gail Goldberg |
Nominated |
| BFCA Award - Best Family Film - Live Action |
|
| Golden Trailer Award - Best Animation/Family |
|
| Hollywood Makeup Artist Hair Stylist Guild Award - Best Contemporary Makeup - Feature |
Hallie D'Amore
Leonard Engelman |
| MTV Movie Award - Breakthrough Female Performance |
Anne Hathaway |
| Teen Choice Award - Film - Choice Actress, Comedy |
Anne Hathaway |
| Teen Choice Award - Film - Choice Movie, Comedy |
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| Young Artist Award - Best Family Feature Film - Comedy |
|
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Notes and references
External links
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The Princess Diaries film series |
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| Crew |
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| Cast |
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| Novels |
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| Films |
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