Marshall, G. (Director). (2004). The Princess Diaries. [Motion picture]. United States: Walt Disney
Home
Entertainment.
Genre: Princesses,
Royalty, Real Fiction, Beauty, Comedy, Coming of age
Reading level/
interest age: 12+
Plot summary:
Mia is an average high school student with average friends
until one day, she discovers she is a princess! Heir to a small country called Genovia, Mia must embark on a journey to transform from the person
she once was into an heiress. With her Grandmother’s guidance and some help
from a team of professionals, Mia begins to morph from plane Jane to a future
queen. Her friends all think Mia’s royalty is amazing until they realize Mia
has less time to see them and more important duties than hanging out. Mia
begins to notice the change in her friends and herself as well and becomes more
distant as people at school start treating her differently. Being a princess is
a lot of work and something Mia did not exactly sign up for. Her clumsiness
continues to embarrass her Grandmother and delight the competition for the
crown until it all comes to a head.
While on a date, Mia is publically humiliated. The guy she
thought liked her gets his fifteen minutes of fame by calling in the paparazzi to
snap photos of them kissing. Trying to escape the scene, Mia flees into a
changing room where the tent is removed, leaving her exposed for the cameras.
The next day, her family is furious at the unwanted attention she drew and Mia
begins to plan on running away. Is a life on the road better than a seat on the
throne?
Reader’s annotation:
All Mia ever wanted to be is normal but when you’re the heir
to the throne, life’s anything but! Can Mia trade in her old life to rule as
princess?
Information about the
author:
“Famed director and producer Garry Marshall was born Garry
Kent Masciarelli on November 13, 1934, in the Bronx, New York. The son of an
industrial filmmaker and a dance instructor, Marshall majored in journalism at
Northwestern University and served a stint in the army before becoming a
reporter for the New York Daily News. During the course of his extensive
career he's produced many iconic and beloved television series, such as Happy
Days and The Odd Couple, and directed films such as Pretty Woman.
“In 1961, Marshall moved to Los Angeles, where he teamed up
with writer Jerry Belson. Together, they wrote episodes for The Dick Van
Dyke Show and The Lucy Show. In 1970, Marshall produced the sit-com The
Odd Couple, based on a popular Neil Simon play and starring Jack Klugman
and Tony Randall. He reached the height of his career as a television producer
during the 1970s, with such hits as Laverne and Shirley (a Happy Days
spin-off starring sister Penny Marshall) and Mork and Mindy”
(Biography.com, 2014).
Curriculum ties: N/A
Booktalking ideas:
1.
Would being a princess really be everything you
ever dreamed?
2.
Would you take the crown or decide to live a
normal life?
Critical evaluation:
The Princess Diaries
did a fantastic job of convincing the viewer that Mia is unfit to wear the
crown. A gangly teenager with no great responsibilities, the viewer has a hard
time believing that she will be a successful queen. Throughout the tough
decisions Mia is forced to make, she beings to transform from a girl into a
woman. This coming of age story is timeless and wonderfully light hearted. Mia
is at once relatable and her metamorphosis is astonishing. The family dynamics
are something rarely seen in Disney movies as well. Mia’s mother, while having
had great respect for Mia’s father, disliked his background and chose to live
outside the limelight.
Costuming for the movie was well chosen as the dresses and
jewelry Mia wears are eye catching. Casting was fantastic as well as Anne
Hathaway was relatively unknown at the time and Julie Andrews makes for a
stunning queen with her on-screen regality. Héctor Elizondo is also a great fit
for his part as a family assistant and serves to provide Mia with the guidance
and clarity she sometimes so desperately needs.
Challenge issues: N/A
Why included:
I included the Princess
Diaries because I think that it is a great transitional movie from children
to teen. Mia is a great role model because she is caught between being a teen
and a princess with rules and responsibilities.
Reference:
Biography.com. (2014). Garry
Marshall Biography. Retrieved August 29, 2014 from
http://www.biography.com/people/garry-marshall-9542496#synopsis
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