Search - What a Girl Wants [Widescreen] on DVD

MPAA Rating: PG Content Advisory: Suitable for Children, Suitable for Teens Movie Release: 2003 DVD Release: 08/05/2003 Format: DVD - Enhanced Wide Screen Letterbox for 16x9 TV - Closed Captioned Edition: Dual Layered Audio Tracks: English, French Subtitles: English, French, Spanish SwapaDVD Credits: 1 Number of Discs: 1 Run Time: 1 hrs 45 mins Studio: Warner Home Video Total Copies: 11 Genres: Comedy, Comedy of Manners, Teen Movie See Also: What a Girl Wants [Fullscreen], What a Girl Wants [MD], What a Girl Wants [Fullscreen], What a Girl Wants [Widescreen]

Loosely based on the 1958 comedy The Reluctant Debutante starring Sandra Dee, the family-friendly comedy What a Girl Wants features popular Nickelodeon teen star Amanda Bynes in her first feature-starring performance after her debut in Big Fat Liar. She plays teenager Daphne Reynolds, who lives in New York City with her musician mother, Libby (Kelly Preston). After she turns 17, Daphne is undecided about her future, so she takes off by herself to London in search of her father. She immediately meets cute musician Ian (Oliver James) before sneaking in to her father's estate to surprise him. He turns out to be Lord Henry Dashwood (Colin Firth), a fabulously wealthy aristocrat who doesn't even know that she exists. He had met her mother in Morocco and the two were married in a tribal ceremony. Upon their return to England, she left him and went back to the U.S. without ever revealing that she was pregnant. The uptight Henry is already flustered by his campaign for election, advised by doting aide Alistair Payne (Jonathan Pryce). His no-nonsense fiancée, Glynnis (Anna Chancellor), and her bratty daughter, Clarissa (Christina Cole), are threatened by Daphne's presence, thinking that she will hurt Henry's political aspirations by causing a scandal. However, the family matriarch (Eileen Atkins) takes a liking to her and she soon finds herself trying to liven things up at several stuffy aristocratic parties. Meanwhile, the evil Glynnis and Clarissa conspire against her by trying to sabotage her appearance, leading up to the conclusion at Daphne's very own coming-out party. ~ Andrea LeVasseur, All Movie Guide

Amanda Bynes - Daphne
Colin Firth - Lord Henry Dashwood
Kelly Preston - Libby Reynolds
Eileen Atkins - Jocelyn Dashwood
Jonathan Pryce - Alistair Payne
Anna Chancellor - Glynnis

Warner has produced a fairly decent DVD of What a Girl Wants, teen idol Amanda Bynes' first starring role. The best part of the disc would have to be the image, framed at 2.35:1 and anamorphic, and is a dream to look at. Colors are wonderfully saturated and vivid, while details are exceptionally strong. There is a real warm tone to the visual style that comes across delightfully. And surprise: A severely-cropped pan-and-scan version is available separately. The English 5.1 soundtrack also isn't without its charms, but never really takes advantage of the sound field. Surrounds are only used limitedly and for environmental effect. The front left and rights are used more frequently, but, for the most part, which is not untypical for this variety of film, everything is centered up front. Supplements aren't quite as impressive, starting with scene-specific commentaries from Bynes and another from director Dennie Gordon and screenwriters Elizabeth Chandler and Jenny Bicks, although it's often difficult to tell these women apart by voice. Neither track is impressive, particularly Bynes', and it would have benefited to have a single track, not two. The remaining extras are lightweight, with a featurette on the costumes and etiquette, a hidden screen test for the Powney twins, three deleted scenes and a game to match up Bynes' costumes. Finally, along with the trailer is a page for the cast and crew, although no biographical or filmographies are offered. The disc, as with the film, will most likely appeal to a limited audience, but what is offered will surely please those fans. ~ Trent Fordham, All Movie Guide