Bought this movie for a 14 yr. old girl for a Christmas gift and she enjoyed it very much. The movie came very quick and was carefully packaged!

Great family movie that's fun to watch - girls will be sure to love it if they have any princess fantasies. Good story that anyone can watch no matter what their age.

This movie does NO justice to the books. Not only does it make Mia seem like a total geek at the beginning, you notice Michael only "falls for her" after she undergoes her makeover. A great image to put out to young girls, "You have to be pretty to get the guy you want, because who loves a girl who is actually comfortable in her own skin?". Not.

Although, on a lets-not-think-about-the-disintegrating-self-image-idea-here basis, this is a rather cute movie. The books are just way better. So go get off your lazy bum and exercise your brain by reading them! They are by Meg Cabot. And rent this, dont bother buying it. [See my review for Ella Enchanted...ew!]

This film exceeded my expectations. I thought it would be kind of cute, but it was much more than that. Anne Hathaway and Julie Andrews are absolutely perfect, and the blend of comedy and touching drama is most engaging. Special DVD features are not sensational, but are worth a look.

Cheesy, corny jokes - but it's for young girls, right? The problem with that is the role model for young girls isn't the best. Hathaway is a cutie, but she's disrespectful to her less-than-attentive mother. Her mother does not seem to mind at all when she talks about hoping to get her first kiss at a party one night - no limitations stated, warnings, advice, comments, nothing. Just, "Go have a good time." There are some good lessons in the movie, especially the concept of sacrificing one's privacy as an ordinary citizen for the good of others that can be accomplished leading a nation.

I suppose at one time or another, we all fantasize about discovering we are actually royalty. But what would it really look like? The Princess Diaries is the story of a plain, nerdy fifteen-year-old girl from San Francisco who suddenly discovers she is a princess and heir to the throne of a small European country. Mia, played by the absolutely charming Anne Hathaway, is an awkward, insecure girl whose self described expectation in life is, "to be invisible - and I'm good at it." However, with the help of her Grandmother, Queen Clarisse, superbly played by Julie Andrews (An inspired bit of casting, that. It is nice to see her back with Disney after her Academy Award winning performance in Mary Poppins.), Mia is transformed with the help of a remarkable makeover and "princess lessons." Mia learns not just how to be a princess but to have confidence in who she is. Not to say there are not some bumps along the way with mean girls, boy problems, and other problems all teenagers face - but in Mia's case, through the camera lens of the paparazzi. In the end, it all works out and she gets the right boy who "saw her when she was invisible" and sees her for the person she truly is.

The movie is family friendly and I would say the story is good for Jr. High and above. Garry Marshall does an excellent job directing. I must say it is good to see Julie Andrews moving gracefully into older rolls where her acting talents continue to shine. As I mentioned, Anne Hathaway does a great job as Mia. The show stealer in my opinion is Hector Elizondo who plays Joe, the Chief of Security, with a dry whit. Also appearing are Heather Matarazzo as Mia's best friend, Mandy Moore as the lead mean girl, and Robert Schwartzman as Mia's true love.

This movie was a great modern fairy tale~the geeky girl goes from invisible to fabulous and goes from a nobody to a Princess. Julie Andrews is of course an elegant, sophistocated Queen that loosens up with the help of her new granddaughter and the romance of her head of security and Anne Hathaway is wonderful: a cross between Lucille Ball and Audrey Hepburn. Enjoyable for all ages but definitely a chick flick.

Although I ordered this Video not long before Christmas it arrived in time to give as a Christmas present.

A great and entertaining movie, starring Anne Hathaway as Mia Thermopolis , a dorky and less than popular highschool girl of 15 , whose life is changed around when she is invited to see her grandmother (Julie Andrews) who reveals to her that she is the Crown Princess of the Kingdom of Genovia.
Lots of grooming and she is changed around to a radiant and beautiful princess.
This go's without saying , changes absolutely everything as everyone who previously ostracized her, suddenly wants to be her friend.
Her previous best friend, Lilly Moscovitz (Heather Matarazzo) doesn't know how to deal with it. Lilly's brother Michael Moscovitz (Robert Schwartzman) falls in love with her,while Mia at first is thrilled to date the jock who always ignored her Josh Bryant (Erik Von Detten).

All sorts of jinks and soirees before Mia grows fully into her role as Amelia Mignonette Grimaldi Thermopolis Renaldo, Her Royal Highness, the princess of Genovia.
Also starring attractive young pop star Mandy Moore as her catty rival, cheer leader Lana Thomas.
Thomas is also given space to show off her magnifficent talent by singing Stupid Cupid , selected for performance by her character.
Julie Andrews is in fine fettle , and Hathaway is a talented young actresses. Hector Elizondo stars as Mia's driver and bodyguard Joe, and is excellent as usual.
Ultimately humorous and entertaining.

This movie and its sequel are pure food for your heart and your spirit. They are also a perfect antidote for the general overdose of violence, hopelessness, and emptiness found in so much of today's media. Anyone, at any age, can benefit from opening up to the warmeth, humor, adventure, imagination, beauty, and sheer fun of these movies. Watch 'em both and experience some joy!

This movie is fantastic for all ages, especially for teenage girls. It is all about believing in yourself and going for what is best.

I think there should be series of the Princess. I enjoy these kind of movies.

I really enjoyed this movie. It may not be amazing, but it's funny and just deep enough to pull you in. It's one of those movies I like to watch when I'm sick because it just makes you feel good.

I just wanted to find out and please let me know dat is the A*Teens music video "Heartbreak Lullaby" which is part of the soundtrack for the movie on the Princess Diaries DVD ..lyke as in the Bonus Features or something?? ive been trying find out but i cant so plzz lemme know cuz I just wanna get the DVD for the music video!!!

One of the often repeated themes in recent movies is the story of the girl or woman who becomes a princess. In comparison to most of those other movies, this one succeeds. Mia Thermopolis (Anne Hathaway) is in her gawky, geeky, teen years. Mia's reaction to not fitting in is to wish that she were invisible. She is an extreme type-B personality; introverted, shy, abhorrent of being the center of attention.

Mia's grandmother Queen Clarisse Renaldi (Julie Andrews) interrupts Mia's attempt at making herself invisible by revealing to Mia that she is heir to the throne of Genovia. Mia is alternately fascinated and distressed by the opportunity that has been presented to her. Attempting to help her in this decision, either directly or indirectly, are an assorted variety of friends, relatives, and others with an interest in whether she will accept the responsibility of being the Princess of Genovia.

Perhaps two of the strongest influences in her life as she tries to make this decision are those of her grandmother and Lilly Moscovitz (Heather Matarazzo), both type-A personalities. Her grandmother strongly encourages her to take up the mantle of princess, but ultimately backs off, realizing that the decision has to be Mia's own. Lilly, an ardent environmentalist, is alternately fascinated by the possibility that her friend might have a chance to influence the world in a very positive way, and yet concerned that her friend may become like the other A-crats (autocrats); concerned with power, status and style over substance. Lilly vocalizes Mia's fears in a way that Mia is unable, and is thus a very important (though frequently obnoxious) character.

Mia also has other, more subtle influences. Her mother (Caroline Goodall) wants Mia to choose for herself, and clearly show that she will stand by Mia's decision. Chauffeur and bodyguard Joe quietly watches Mia mature from an indecisive, geeky teenage girl to a beautiful, self-confident young woman, with minor assistance and perspective along the way. Joe is played perfectly by Hector Elizondo in a near reprise to a similar role in "Pretty Woman," though here he attempts to be more aloof from the activities, ultimately failing.

Thrown into this mix are the usual issues faced by maturing teenagers of every age. The guy Mia thinks she would like to have as a boyfriend (handsome, shallow and self-centered) versus the guy who will be truly supportive of her and who truly loves her (Robert Schwartzman). Her comparison to the stuck-up cheerleaders (Lana, Anna and Fontana, who make me ill remembering similar types from my own high school years) makes her secretly envious.

It would be easy to be critical of this movie. It does have a lot of cliche, it does present stereotypes, and it does retread material that has been done so many times before. However, it is the relatively straightforward story with a solid cast that makes this movie a winner. Anne Hathaway is perfect as the princess. She communicates her fear of being one of the "establishment," but is fascinated by the possibility of being accepted. Her ultimate choice brushes aside all the trivialities and focuses on being mature and responsible. Heather Matarazzo and Robert Schwartzman are excellent as a brother and sister, one a best friend, the other who loves her, both who support her. And best of all are Julie Andrews and Hector Elizondo in roles for which she they were perfectly cast. The combination of talent and the clever way in which Mia's character evolves make this movie a perfect family movie, most especially for all the special princesses in our lives.

The story is not all that original. A long lost heir to the throne of Genovia has been identified as a klutzy teenager who lives in San Francisco. The Queen of Genovia goes to San Francisco and attempts to persuade her to come back to Genovia and take her place as a princess of the realm. From their the typical hijinks ensue. The princess gets an education in proper royal behavior & procedures. The Queen learns to loosen up and relax. Princess Mia also struggles between dating the school jock, who ignored her before she became famous and dating an unpopular guy who has been her friend for years.
The story is predictable and hold no real surprises. Despite this I still found myself enjoying the film. Julie Andrews did well in her role as the Queen and it was a treat to see her in another Disney film.

This is a charming, light hearted film that is fun for the whole family. It is a bit of fluff that tells the tale of a gawky and shy fifteen year old misfit named Mia, who is, in reality, Princess of Genovia.

Mia, played with adolescent charm by beautiful newcomer, Anne Hathaway, is just another adolescent living in San Francisco with her artist mother. Out of the blue, her estranged, paternal grandmother, Queen of Genovia, swoops down upon her and tells Mia that she is, in fact, a princess of royal blood and the next ruler of the kingdom of Genovia. Granny, regally played by the stately, always lovely, and seemingly ageless Julie Andrews, is determined to turn her awkward granddaughter into a princess worthy of her crown. Mia, a most reluctant royal, agrees to these "princess" lessons, and along the road to royalty learns a few hard lessons about growing up.

An excellent supporting cast, Hector Elizondo, Heather Matarazzo, Mandy Moore, Caroline Goodall, and Robert Schwartzman, contribute to the charm of this film, which provides good clean fun for the entire family.

When I first saw the film, I liked it. I didn't love it or anything, but I found it vaguely enjoyable. Then I found out there were books! So I read the books...

And now I hate the movie.

What is the big idea here? I like Anne Hathaway, but she completely failed to portray Mia the way she should have. Mia in the books hates being a princess, did not really want to be dressed up and pretty, and is obsessed with Greenpeace and saving animals. She is opinionated, funny, and a bit nerdy, with her head way up in the sky. She is not a girly-girl, she is not glamourous, and she is not a great beauty.

As for the other characters? Mia's friend/bodyguard Lars in the books is changed to the bodyguard Joe, who is in love with Mia's grandmother. I'm sorry, but no.

And speaking of Mia's grandmother, what is up with Clarisse Renaldo here? In the books, she was a cranky witch who always yells at Mia and puts her down or tries to manipulate her, and she always drinks and smokes while her balding poodle cowers in the corner. In the movies, she is nice. The perfect royal grandmother. I would not have picked Julie Andrews to play her, mostly because I can't see Julie Andrews tattooing eyeliner around her eyes and shaving her eyebrows to pencil new ones on.

Lilly wasn't terribly different that I can remember. She was more fleshed out and detailed in the books, though. But Mia never mentions her crush on Michael until the end. She liked Josh Richter for about two weeks. She had a crush on Michael from the first grade.

Also, Disney is gearing this towards the wrong audience. The books were definitely PG-13, what with Mia's mother getting pregnant with her Algebra teacher's baby, Mia at one point catching her cousin Rene using a fax machine to photograph his "nether regions," and other things like that. It was not meant to be a cutesy movie for eight-year-old girls who love pink. The integrity of the books has been raped.

Go ahead and praise it if you want, but this movie is complete and total garbage. I haven't even seen the second one, where Mia turns 21 and has to get married, although there is no such clause in the books, the whole movie isn't even based on a book, and in the books, Mia never passes age 15. What are the fine folks at Disney doing to people? All the new movies that have come out recently, with the exceptions of Finding Nemo and Pirates of the Carribean, have been terrible. Just like this movie. I would reccommend the books in the Princess Diaries series to anyone, but PLEASE do not watch this movie.

I loved this movie.
It is a "modern day" fairy tale, and since it's from Disney you can expect a happy ending. But it is also very funny. Anne Hathaway as Mia was great, and Julie Andrews as the grandmother was hilarious as well.

This is a "feel good" movie that is a guaranteed good time, with laughs guaranteed.
It's a great movie that the whole family can enjoy.

It's a disney movie so don't expect too much depth and the moral is always the same, but it's not too "in your face",which makes the whole experience enjoyable.

I whole-heartedly recommend this movie.

Girls in this movie are portrayed as underdogs struggling against stupid boy bullies. It's a pretty way to boy-bash and promote sexist stereotypes that girls are good and boys are bad..

It's not spectacular and there are better Disney movies that deal with the same issues yet resulting in some more laughs BUT this film is not to be disgarded. With a spectacular breakthrough performance by Anne Hathaway as Mia, a young socially retarded young girl who find out she is actually the heir to the throne of Genosha she of course freaks...I mean, she's already weird enough, now add a tiera. Her grandmother, the spectacular Julie Andrews, is trying to make her presentable enough for the Genoshian ball where she will announce Mia as the new Princess. But will she make it that far? With her newfound popularity Mia is faced with problems she never had before. She used to be invisable...now she has jealous rivals at her school and kocks now striving to get a taste of her...you know, because she's famous. She's now being used and thats not something she likes. This film, while not wonderful, surely has it's moments and while they may be spaced apart, they are still wonderful moments.

My earliest movie memories are seeing Julie Andrews in Mary Poppins and The Sound of Music. So you might guess that I have a soft spot for her. The Princess Diaries is Julie's return to the studio that made her famous.

Mia Termopolis is your average teenager trying to survive high school. She lives in an old fire house (probably the one from Herbie Rides Again) and he has her own socially impaired friends. She is set to have a quiet and inconsequential life. But one day her life is thrown into upheaval when her grandmother arrives. She has never met her before.

When Grandma arrives it turns out that she is more than just a grandmother, she is the Queen of Genovia. And she has news; Mia is the sole heir to the throne. And she is going to go through a royal makeover for a reception that will announce her to the world. (This is very predictable but still funny.)

At first Mia tries to hide her royal secret from everyone. First her friends find out then the news breaks and everyone finds out. This turns her from social outcast to the most popular girl at school. And the dreamboat that she fantasizes over now is after her. This is where the movie gets very predictable with an ending that is even more predictable.

This is a charming film and is a great family film.

The quality of the film is Julie Andrews. She takes a role that could be minor or trivial and shows the star quality that she has. She was even mentioned as a longshot supporting actress Oscar nominee - and that would have been justified.

Anne Hathaway makes a great debut as Mia but at times shows her naivety in the early scenes with Julie. But in the end she shows her ability to be a future star.

Hector Elizondo once again shows why he is a great movie character actor. He is polished and makes the perfect number two man.

Garry Marshall started in sitcoms like The Odd Couple and Happy Days but transferred to movies with ease. This is the first film in which he shows some of his old sitcom tendencies but you can overlook it in the end.

DVD EXTRAS:
A New Princess Featurette - making of featurette with interviews by producers Debra Martin Chase and Whitney Houston, director Garry Marshall, actors Anne Hathaway, Heather Matarazzo, Mandy Moore

Deleted Scenes with Introduction by Garry Marshall - 8 deleted scenes with commentary

Audio Commentary by Garry Marshall
Audio Commentary by Julie Andrews and Anne Hathaway

Music Videos - Miracles Happen by Myra and Supergirl by Krystal Harris

This 2 disc set is great. It has the Fullscreen and widescreen versions of the movie. It also includes deleted scenes,bloopers and of course Gary Marshall and his friends puppets :).

It also gives you a little sneak peek into Princess Diaries 2 which is a fabulous continuation of the story.

This movie is the best, and I don't know if it would be in your interest
but if you like princesses and you like to wonder what princesses do
this is the movie for you!!

Mia Thermopolis (Anne Hathaway) is a normal 15-year-old whose one goal in life is to be invisible, and maybe catch a kiss from Josh Bryant (Erik Von Detton),the most popular boy in school. She lives with her mother, Helen (Caroline Goodall) and cat Fat Louie in a refubrished firehouse in San Francisco while going to Grove High School. Mia doesn't really think her life will ever change until her grandmother (Julie Andrews) comes to town and tells her she is actually a princess! Even though she doesn't like it at first, Mia accepts the changes in her life. Mia is forced to take princess lessons with the promise of that she can back out of the deal at any time. She also befriends her head of security, Joe (Hector Elizondo), who also wants to get romatically involved with Mia's grandmother. After a makeover, Mia tries her best to fit in more with the in-crowd, especially the most popular girl in school, stuck-up cheerleader Lana Thomas (Mandy Moore). Of course that doesn't sit well with her grandmother, Mia's best pal Lily (Heather Matarazzo) or Lily's twin brother Michael(Robert Schwartzman, who has a crush on Mia. Now Mia must learn to find out who she really is and be herself. All that, and see if she is ready to be a princess.

Great movie, I recommened this movie to all!

Princess Diaries MPAA Rating: G
Overall: A
Violence: B+ Movie portrays verbal intimidation (bullying).
Sexual Content: B Movie has some kissing and a suggestive scene
Language: A
Drugs/Alcohol: B Movie has a couple social drinking scenes.


The MPAA rated Princess Diaries G.

Any girl or woman who has dreamed of having her own fairytale come true will delight in the story of Mia Thermopolis, played by Anne Hathaway. Mia, a 15 year old girl from San Francisco, CA, whose "main purpose in life is to be invisible", experiences a life changing event when she receives an unexpected visit from her grandmother Clarice Renaldi (Julie Andrews). She learns that her grandmother is the queen of Genovia, a small country by France. Mia then discovers her true identity: princess of Genovia. Afraid and overwhelmed, Mia resorts to the same solution for all her problems: she runs away from them.

With the persuasion of her mother Helen, played by Caroline Goodall, Mia agrees to take princess lessons from her grandmother and wait to decide whether she wants to accept her title or not. She starts meeting with her grandmother everyday after school for lessons in how to be a proper princess: how to dress, walk, eat, sit, and behave. Despite all these lessons, she still has trouble with fellow schoolmates who tease her for her clumsiness. Her best friend Lilly Moscovitz (Heather Matarazzo), an outspoken environmentalist and fellow student, gives her emotional support amidst the torment. However, when Mia changes her appearance through a makeover requested by her grandmother, Lilly too gets frustrated. She accuses Mia of "selling out" to be popular. Far from the truth, Mia lets Lilly in on her secret princess identity.

When Mia's identity is leaked to the press, she faces challenges such as false publicity and new "friends" that use her for fame. Getting caught up in her new found popularity, she temporarily loses sight of what is most important: her friends and family who have always been there for her.

Throughout the movie Mia struggles with the challenge of overcoming her klutziness and fitting into the world of royalty. Luckily, through the journey of becoming "princess-ified" she learns more about herself, her potential, and how to face her problems.

The theme of this film stems from some wise counsel written in a letter by Mia's father. Have courage to "allow yourself to make the journey from who you are to who you have the potential to become." Aside from a few brief sexual references and some slight immodesty, the overriding themes and plot are enjoyable for the whole family.


Talk about the movie with your family...

While it is unlikely that you will suddenly discover that you are royalty, it is important to allow yourself to make the journey to become the person you have the potential to be. What things might you do to further develop your potential? Must you always conform to others' views of ideal perfection?
Mia runs away several times from her problems. Are there any problems that you are running away from? What are more appropriate ways to solve them?

Video Alternatives...
If you liked this movie, look for the sequel Princess Diaries II. For another good movie involving the process of self discovery, check out What A Girl Wants.

We saw this at the theatre, and I have to admit that it wasn't the movie that we planned to see (which was sold out). We weren't at all disappointed, and have since purchased the DVD and watched it umpteen times with all the girlfriends of my teenage daughter. It's a 'feel-good' movie that will make you smile on a cloudy day!

The excellent casting of Julie Andrews as the Queen of Genovia and newcomer Anne Hathaway as the reluctant princess instills THE PRINCESS DIARIES with its undeniable charm. Hathaway plays commoner 15 year old Mia, the class invisible girl, whose life is thrown into chaos when Queen Julie arrives to tell her that she is the sole daughter to the Prince of Genovia, and theretofore, the next in line to rule the kingdom. A MY FAIR LADY transformation occurs, with the formerly nerdy Mia becoming quite a fetching young woman to the dismay of her best friend and wanna be boyfriend (marvelously embodied by Heather Matarazzo and Robert Schwartzman). Hathaway brings the right amount of naivete and insecurity to her role, while Andrews is regal as always. Hector Elizondo is marvelous as the Queen's security chief and possible love interest as well. Although predictable in its resolution, the movie is charming, well done and entertaining.

The Princess Diaries
Staring Anne Hathaway

Okay so maybe not the best movie in the world but I think its still pretty great! This movie has some hillarious scenes and great acting. Anne Hathaway who is by the way A really great actress fits the character perfectly. My favriote of the sequal style movie is definitl the Princess Diaries #2 Dont get me wrong #1 is fantastic but #2 is Quirky and funny.
This movie I think is as a rate of 3 stars because I felt as if the movie should have maybe clued the viewers i a little more. Dont get me wrong this movie is good but definitly not for all ages I think eight year olds might sit still throgh this movie I dont think that many teens would be to interested in this movie.
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we saw the movie on Disney Channel but did not saw all of it. So we decided to get the movie. It was funny and it was great to see the movie.

i love the first princess diaries. its beautifully done. the acting is great. a movie the whole family will enjoy. take my word my mom loves this movie and bought it for me the first day the special edition came out. its great. ann hatheway has found her self a new fan......me(and my mom)watch it its wonderfully magical and funny.

This movie is so charming. Anne Hathaway is perfect as the nerd to princess. Although the premise is not totally believable , "Miracles Happen". It was wonderful to see Julie Andrews in a movie. I felt that the story was well written, well cast , and well directed. My hats off to Gary Marshall for taking the care to do such a nice film. I can see the comparisons to Pretty Woman. If you liked Pretty Woman, you will love this film.

4.5 stars? I can't believe it! This movie is awful!
I'm not a guy and I'm a teenage girl, but seriously who will love this dumb movie?
Ok, there's a normal girl find out she's princess blah blah blah... so damn boring! The story is pointless, acting are anoying, not fun, not funny, unrealitic...etc.,etc
I hate this movie.

How would you react, if you live your life, and then one day, you find out that you are royall family, that is what Mia Thermopolis finds out in this movie, I mean would you believe it. I know that I would have to watch this movie before watching the sequel, to get a better understanding of the series. When the movie opens, Mia Thermopolis (Anne Hathaway) is just shy of her 16th birtday, and goes to school, and lives with her Mom (Caroline Goodall), and doesn't even know that her father was royal, and that she is a princess, until her Mom tells her that her long lost grandmother Clarisse Renaldi (Julie Andrews) has come to vist, and wants to meet her and have tea, so even through she hates it, goes to the hotel, that she is staying, and there she is informed that she is a princess by her grandmother, and her father was the king, her parents was like dirvoced, and her father had passed away. And her grandmother orders her to not tell anybody until the royal ball, or the press will have a field day with this story, she goes to school by day, and she even tell her best friend Lilly Moscovitz (Heather Matarazzo) that her grandma has sent her the limo, to get on her good side, and it is driven by her grandma's head of scercuity (Hector Elizondo). Even, though with the negtive reviews, I still liked this movie, and maybe soon I will own my own copy of the film.

I really enjoyed the followup to The Princess Diaries. Both movies are enjoyable by all ages. They are wholesome movies for the whole family