What a Girl Wants (2003)
Produced byDenise Di Novi Bill Gerber Hunt Lowry
Written byJenny Bicks Elizabeth Chandler
StarringAmanda Bynes Colin Firth Kelly Preston Oliver James
Daphne Reynolds (Amanda Bynes) lives a comfortable but unsatisfying life as a young American girl with a bright future. She has never met her father. She lives with her single mother, Libby (Kelly Preston) above a Chinese Restaurant in Chinatown, New York. Believing it is in his best interest, her mother left Daphne's father seventeen years ago because of his family's disapproval of their relationship; ultimately, his father's secretary gets rid of her for good, without Libby having a chance to tell him that she was pregnant with their daughter.Daphne flies to London to get to know her father Henry Dashwood (Colin Firth), who recently inherited an Earldom but has disclaimed his seat in the House of Lords to run for election to the House of Commons to eventually becomePrime Minister. On visiting a hotel, she meets Ian Wallace (Oliver James), a local boy whom she finds friendly. She notices her father on the television during a news broadcast, and tells Ian that the politician is her father.When Henry is informed of the existence of the daughter he didn't know existed, he embraces the opportunity to connect with her, but her appearance causes a controversy that endangers his political ambitions. Daphne tries to win the acceptance of her father's social circle but is blocked by his fiancée, Glynnis (Anna Chancellor) and step-daughter-to-be, Clarissa (Christina Cole).She has to ward off the advances of Armistead Stewart (Ben Scholfield), a sleazy upper-class boy whom Clarissa would like to pursue. In the end, Daphne ends up throwing him into the Thames at the Henley Regatta when he tries to kiss her.To please her father and his social circle, she abandons her old style and dons the upper-class sophisticated look, and behaves herself. She is noted in the British newspapers because of this.Ultimately, Daphne rejects her new self because it is not who she is. She returns to America, and restarts her work as a wedding server. Henry announces in a ceremony he is no longer going to pursue his political career. On the steps on his way out, he discovers that Glynnis' father Alastair Payne knew about Libby's pregnancy and punches him for concealing Daphne for seventeen years. He then breaks off his engagement to Glynnis.Daphne is serving at a wedding, and the Father-Daughter dance begins. She thinks of Henry and what she left behind, and just then, Henry shows up by boat after a long flight from London. After asking him what he's doing there, Henry informs Daphne that, while on the plane, he wrote down something that he had to tell her at least two hundred times, but is unable to find the papers. He then says that he loves her for who she is and "wouldn't change one hair on her head". Daphne, overjoyed, accepts his love and hugs him.She finally gets the Father-Daughter dance she has been longing for her whole life, while Libby watches. Realizing that he still loves Libby, Henry informs Daphne that he has "a rather large present" for her. Not understanding, Ian shows up and good naturedly cuts in. As he and Daphne dance and resume their relationship, Henry goes to see Libby, and he apologizes to her, and Libby accepts his apology, and they kiss.In the Epilogue, Glynnis is now married with Clarissa and Armistead Stuart. Glynnis' father, Alastair Payne, became the tour guide in London. On the other hand, Libby and Henry are married in a Bedouin ceremony. This time they make sure it is legal. Daphne says that she didn't get into NYU, but that she got into Oxfordinstead. In the mid-credits scene, Daphne, Ian, Henry, Libby, and Daphne's grandmother, Jocelyn, having a family meal outside the Dashwood manor.