441:. After forming a friendship when Ian shows Daphne around London, they start dating. When Henry catches Daphne at his estate, he is stunned to learn he has a daughter, but his mother, Jocelyne, the current Countess of Wycombe, immediately welcomes her in, giving her a room at the estate. After confirming things in a phone call with Libby, Henry embraces the opportunity to connect with her. Daphne tries to win the acceptance of her father's social circle, but is repeatedly thwarted by Glynnis and Clarissa, who feel threatened by her arrival. In addition, Daphne has to ward off the advances of a boy, Armistead Stewart, a sleazy and arrogant upper-class boy whom Clarissa fancies and with whom Ian has long-standing rivalry. Daphne eventually pushes Armistead into the
452:, including an elderly royal, Princess Charlotte, whenever she interacts with them. However, Henry's political campaign suffers due to Daphne's flamboyant behavior, and his subsequent misbehavior with her. He asks her to assume the more dignified manner of the Dashwood lineage, after which Henry's polling numbers quickly begin to improve. But Ian is disappointed in her new behavior, made worse when she attends the
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Daphne is serving as a caterer at a wedding, where Libby is the singer. When the father–daughter dance begins, Henry shows up, telling Daphne that he loves her for who she is. Daphne embraces him, calling him "Dad" for the first time. Daphne finally gets the father–daughter dance she has been longing
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party, hosted by her father, who flies Libby over to attend, Daphne overhears
Alistair telling Glynnis how he "got rid" of her mother. When Daphne confronts him, Glynnis locks her in another room. Glynnis then asks Ian, the band's lead singer, to announce the father–daughter dance, knowing Henry will
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of
Wycombe. Alistair Payne, the family's aristocratic advisor, tricks Libby into leaving Henry, telling her it is best for Henry's duties not to know she is pregnant; then he lies to Henry, hiding the pregnancy from him, and saying that Libby's claim for leaving him was because she had fallen in love
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of
Wycombe. He is Daphne's biological father and Libby's former lover. First appearing as stuffy, Henry is a kind man who buries his own eccentric, carefree life style in the favor of keeping up appearances. Although he previously thinks that Libby had left him for someone else, he is still in love
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as
Jocelyne Dashwood, Countess of Wycombe. Henry's widowed mother and Daphne's paternal grandmother. Level-headed and having a dry wit, Jocelyne openly welcomes Daphne into the Dashwoods' lives. She despises Alistair, Glynnis, and Clarissa for their snobbiness and over-emphasis on social standing,
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with her single mom, Libby. Daphne has desired to meet the father she never met, Lord Henry
Dashwood, for most of her life. Care-free and eccentric, but loyal and kind-hearted, Daphne tries her best to fit in with her father's world, but ultimately finds out that she is happy for who she truly
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as
Glynnis Payne. Henry's fiancée, Alistair Payne's daughter and Clarissa's mother. A snobby and materialistic social climber, intent on marrying Henry to become the new Countess of Wycombe, Glynnis is over concerned with appearances. She and her daughter feel threatened by Daphne's
472:, Henry discovers that Alistair knew about Libby's pregnancy and manipulated their separation and punches Alistair in the face for concealing Daphne from him for seventeen years. Henry then breaks off his engagement to Glynnis and calls off the wedding.
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by the United States, the United
Kingdom, and their allied forces had begun. A rep for Warner Bros. explained: "'In a time of war, we made a slight alteration so that we could avoid any potential political statement in a completely nonpolitical film."
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as
Clarissa Payne. Glynnis's equally snobby, bratty and gossipy daughter and Alistair's granddaughter. As the stereotypical evil stepsister, Clarissa is not as intelligent as her mother, but is cruel to Daphne and everyone she views as of lower
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as Peach and Pear Orwood, the twin daughters of Lord Orwood that Daphne befriends whose mother named them Peach and Pear due to her obsession with fruits. They also mentioned to that they have a sister named
Parsnip who doesn't get out
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as Ian
Wallace, a young, aspiring British musician and Daphne's love interest. He loves Daphne for her go-getting, lively personality, though he tries to be supportive of her trying to fit in, even though she was really "born to stand
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the film holds an approval rating of 36% based on 109 reviews, with an average rating of 4.80/10. The website's critical consensus reads, "Little girls will definitely enjoy it, but it's too syrupy and predictable for adults." On
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for her whole life. Henry informs Daphne that he has brought a large apology present for her—at which point Ian appears and asks her to dance. As Ian and Daphne dance, Henry apologizes to Libby, and the two also start dancing.
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as Alistair Payne. Henry's pompous and manipulative advisor and campaign manager. He was the advisor of Henry's late father. Alistair orchestrated Henry and Libby's separation, because he viewed Libby as unsuitable to be a
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Ben Scholfield as Armistead Stuart, Baron-Smthye, the son of the Earl of Doughton, he is an arrogant and womanizing upper-class boy whom Clarissa fancies. He lusts for Daphne, who wants absolutely nothing to do with
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to Alistair's snobbish daughter, Glynnis, who only wants to marry Henry in order to become the new Countess of Wycombe, who also had an equally snobbish and bratty teenage daughter, Clarissa.
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Libby has always been honest with Daphne about who her father was, though Daphne felt a sense of emptiness without him. Daphne soon graduates from high school and she runs off to
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In the epilogue, Glynnis has married a wealthy nobleman, who bores her to death, Clarissa has married Armistead, who still womanizes, and Alistair now works on a London
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have to dance with Clarissa. Libby frees Daphne, but when they see Henry dancing with Clarissa, Daphne rejects her new self, telling Henry she is returning to the
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661:($ 15 million). By the end of its run, the film had grossed $ 36.1 million domestically and $ 14.6 million internationally, totaling $ 50.7 million worldwide.
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In its opening weekend, the film grossed $ 11.4 million in 2,964 theaters in the United States and Canada, ranking #2 at the box office behind fellow newcomer
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with her. At first shocked that he had a daughter, Henry warms up to Daphne and ultimately realizes that he needs her and Libby in his life.
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The film was released on April 4, 2003, and received mixed-to-negative reviews from critics, but grossed $ 50.7 million worldwide.
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as Daphne Reynolds, the protagonist. A seventeen-year-old American girl living in
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described the film as "a sanitized adventure for the Mary Kate-and-Ashley set."
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The film won and was nominated for a number of awards throughout 2004.
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as Lord Orwood, a lord who hosts a party that Daphne attends.
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called it a "dreadful teen comedy." Anya Kamenetz of
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The film is available on various streaming services.
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as Princess Charlotte, a royal whom Daphne befriends.
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1151:Films scored by Rupert Gregson-Williams
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817:"What A Girl Wants Reviews-Metacritic"
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797:from the original on March 30, 2022
761:from the original on April 14, 2003
575:James Greene as Percy, the elderly
390:, and they had gotten married in a
359:to meet the father she never knew.
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878:from the original on April 3, 2023
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422:, hoping to eventually become the
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866:Guthman, Edward (April 4, 2003).
1146:Films produced by Denise Di Novi
1086:2000s coming-of-age comedy films
897:Kamenetz, Anya (April 8, 2003).
855:from the original on 2018-12-20.
1141:Films directed by Dennie Gordon
1111:American romantic comedy films
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331:of this work and stars
320:The Reluctant Debutante
239:April 4, 2003
185:Rupert Gregson-Williams
84:The Reluctant Debutante
583:Roger Ashton-Griffiths
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1181:Films shot in Morocco
675:2003 invasion of Iraq
599:Elizabeth Richard as
225:Warner Bros. Pictures
1201:2000s American films
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485:University of Oxford
325:William Douglas-Home
90:William Douglas-Home
1156:Films set in London
930:"Sign of the Times"
909:on October 22, 2012
781:"What a Girl Wants"
713:Kids' Choice Awards
510:as Henry Dashwood,
412:disclaimed his seat
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701:Recipients
658:Phone Booth
627:CinemaScore
560:Sylvia Syms
508:Colin Firth
459:During her
450:aristocracy
337:Colin Firth
315:Jenny Bicks
307:comedy film
259:105 minutes
167:Andrew Dunn
134:Colin Firth
108:Bill Gerber
96:Produced by
67:Jenny Bicks
50:Directed by
1076:2003 films
1070:Categories
822:Metacritic
730:References
671:peace sign
651:Box office
623:Metacritic
372:restaurant
288:Box office
243:2003-04-04
192:Production
113:Hunt Lowry
60:Written by
801:April 25,
765:March 16,
698:Category
695:Ceremony
682:Accolades
665:Promotion
568:as Noelle
556:standing.
461:Debutante
380:Manhattan
376:Chinatown
194:companies
173:Edited by
1029:Joe Dirt
938:Archived
913:July 25,
882:July 25,
876:Archived
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791:Fandango
759:Archived
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481:tour bus
439:musician
272:Language
181:Music by
122:Starring
79:Based on
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704:Result
607:Release
428:engaged
414:in the
396:England
392:Bedouin
388:Morocco
275:English
264:Country
241: (
1056:(2013)
1048:(2004)
1040:(2003)
1032:(2001)
899:"Film"
577:butler
435:hostel
408:London
384:Briton
351:, and
280:Budget
709:2004
692:Year
596:much.
549:out."
542:lady.
454:Queen
969:IMDb
946:2014
915:2011
884:2011
835:2019
803:2022
767:2013
723:Won
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