What a Girl Wants
What seventeen-year-old Daphne Reynolds (Amanda Bynes) wants is to meet her long lost father, an English aristocrat named Lord Henry Dashwood (Colin Firth). Seems a freak accident threw him and pop singer Libby Reynolds (Kelly Preston) together. A whirlwind romance ensued and Daphne was the result. Evil machinations of a family advisor kept the lovers apart, preventing Daphne from ever getting to know her dad.
Well, that’s a small obstacle for the precocious teen who gets a passport, buys a plane ticket and heads across the pond to ingratiate herself into her father’s life on the eve of his running for reelection to Parliament. Her arrival stuns not only Dashwood but his scheming fiancee´ (Anna Chancellor) and her daughter (Christina Cole) as well.
Based on the 1958 play, “The Reluctant Debutante” by William Douglas Home, Girl covers well-trodden ground, most recently given the once-over by Disney’s The Princess Diaries. But where that effort tried much too hard to please, this film is relaxed and sincere as it unfolds. Yes, it is utterly predictable but it doesn’t seem calculating, thanks to Bynes. Making the leap from Nickelodeon, the young actress has a sweet, fresh quality. Pretty yet completely unassuming, she remains completely accessible to the young teens this project targets. She’s ably supported by Firth, who never been more likable than he is here.
I could have done without the numerous pratfalls and social faux pas Bynes is forced to commit. But, that aside, Girl proves to a be winner. It has true heart, an ingredient that Diaries and other retreads regrettably failed to include.
(Running time 1:44, rated PG)
Grade B
— Chuck Koplinski
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Head of State
Having gotten Warren Beatty’s blessing to remake Heaven Can Wait a few years back (the result was the dismal Down to Earth), comedian Chris Rock must have thought Beatty’s entire oeuvre was at his disposal. His newest comedy, Head of State, borrows heavily from Bulworth–as well as the works of Frank Capra, Ivan Reitman’s Dave, and almost every political satire you can think of–to chart the rise of the first African-American candidate for president. There’s nothing wrong with putting your own spin on established material; George Lucas has become a billionaire doing just that. But all Rock comes up with in his directorial debut (he also co-wrote the script with Ali LeRoi) is a collection of hit-and-miss gags, some of which prove to be pointed and genuinely hilarious, while others go over like a lead balloon.
After a freak accident kills the Democratic nominees for president and vice-president, D.C. Alderman Mays Gilliam (Rock) is tapped by the party to run for the land’s highest office. Thinking Gilliam has no chance to win, Senator Bill Arnot (James Rebhorn) hopes to curry favor with minority groups and have their votes in his pocket when it’s his turn to run four years down the road. What he doesn’t count on is Gilliam’s strong sense of independence–and when he speaks his mind about society’s ills, the disenfranchised respond. (His campaign slogan is “That ain’t right!”) With his numbers rising in the polls, Gilliam gets an extra boost by naming his brother, Chicago bail bondsman Mitch (Bernie Mac), as his running mate. The public likes his no-nonsense approach to dealing with big-business interests and inquisitive reporters.
With his director’s hat on, Rock wastes little time developing the story. Delivering laughs is one thing, but caring for the characters is another. Gilliam becomes interested in a young woman (Tamala Jones) working two jobs to make ends meet. Though we can readily see what draws him to her, we don’t get much of an opportunity to see if they have any true chemistry. Robin Givens is Gilliam’s ex-girlfriend, a predatory harridan who isn’t given the chance to act like a real person–she’s simply a tiresome running gag. The film needs more of Mac. The comedian is a formidable presence, and he doesn’t come into play until the film’s final act, a serious miscalculation. The two comedians interact effortlessly and to great effect–had their banter been given more screen time, the film would have been a lot better.
But the main problem is that the movie only contains an hour’s worth of good material–it’s stretched far too thin over its 95-minute running time. Many of the script’s jokes are repeated, a sure sign of desperation. When we first hear the campaign slogan of Gilliam’s opponent (“God Bless America and No Place Else”), we laugh, but it’s much less potent the third time around. Rock won’t be making these same mistakes if he’s allowed to grow as a filmmaker. If not, well, that ain’t right.
(Running time 1:35, rated PG–13)
Grade C
–Chuck Koplinski
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This article appears in Apr 3-9, 2003.
