Have you ever imagined finding out one day that you were actually a princess? Not because you were dreaming about it, but because someone suddenly came to tell you that you had royal blood?
That was exactly what happened to Mia Thermopolis (Anne Hathaway) in The Princess Diaries.
Released in 2001 and directed by Garry Marshall, the movie followed a shy and awkward teenage girl whose normal life suddenly changed when she discovered that she was the heir to the throne of a small European country called Genovia.
At first, Mia was just trying to survive high school. She was not popular, she was uncomfortable around people and she was constantly worried about embarrassing herself.
Then came Queen Clarisse Renaldi (Julie Andrews), her grandmother.
Queen Clarisse arrived with some shocking news, Mia was not an ordinary teenager. Her late father had been the Crown Prince of Genovia, which meant Mia was next in line for the throne.
And just like that, the quiet girl who struggled to speak in front of her classmates had to start learning how to behave like a princess.
Mia Thermopolis (Anne Hathaway)
This was easily one of Anne Hathaway's most memorable roles.
Mia was awkward, funny and sometimes painfully shy. She was not the kind of person you would immediately imagine sitting on a throne.
What made her character enjoyable was that she did not suddenly become perfect because she discovered she was a princess.
She still made mistakes.
She still got embarrassed.
She still had problems with her friends and classmates.
And that made her feel like a real teenager.
Watching her slowly gain confidence, was one of the best parts of the movie.
Then we had Queen Clarisse (Julie Andrews), who was almost the complete opposite of Mia.
She was elegant, calm and knew exactly how a princess was supposed to behave.
But she was not simply there to teach Mia table manners and how to wave to a crowd. She genuinely wanted to know her granddaughter and help her become confident enough to make her own decisions.
The relationship between Mia and Clarisse was one of the strongest parts of the movie.
At first, Mia found the whole royal situation overwhelming, but with time, she began to understand why her grandmother was pushing her so hard.
Mia's best friend, Lilly Moscovitz (Heather Matarazzo), brought plenty of humour to the movie.
She was outspoken, confident and very different from Mia.
Their friendship also showed that Mia had people who cared about her before she ever discovered she was a princess.
Joe (Héctor Elizondo), Queen Clarisse's security officer, was another character I enjoyed.
He was serious about protecting the Queen, but he also had a warm and caring relationship with Mia. His presence added a different kind of humour and warmth to the story.
What made The Princess Diaries special was that it was not only about becoming a princess.
It was about growing into yourself.
Mia did not need a crown to become valuable. The royal title simply forced her to face things she had always been afraid of speaking up, dealing with people, making difficult choices and believing in herself.
The movie also had plenty of funny moments, especially during Mia's princess lessons and her attempts to adjust to royal life.
And the transformation was not just about her appearance. The biggest change was in her confidence.
What Could Have Been Better
Some parts of the story were predictable, especially if you have watched plenty of teenage coming-of-age movies.
There were also moments when the high-school drama felt a little exaggerated.
But honestly, that did not take too much away from the movie because The Princess Diaries was never trying to be a complicated film.
It was meant to be a fun, sweet and entertaining story about a girl discovering who she was.
Overall, The Princess Diaries was one of those movies that combined comedy, teenage drama, friendship, family and a little bit of fantasy without making things too complicated.
Mia Thermopolis (Anne Hathaway) started as a shy teenager who did not believe she could fit into the royal world. By the end, she had become much more confident and ready to take responsibility for her future.
The relationship between Mia (Anne Hathaway) and Queen Clarisse (Julie Andrews) was the heart of the movie, while Lilly (Heather Matarazzo) and Joe (Héctor Elizondo) added humour and warmth.
It was a simple story, but it was beautifully executed.
And honestly, who wouldn't enjoy watching an ordinary teenage girl discover that she is actually a princess?
Rating: 85/100
Images are from https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0247638/?ref_=ext_shr
Originally posted through scrobble.life/movies.
