The Princess Diaries is a 2001 American comedy film directed by Garry Marshall from a screenplay by Gina Wendkos. Produced by Walt Disney Pictures, it is based on Meg Cabot's 2000 novel of the same name and stars Anne Hathaway (in her film debut), Julie Andrews, Héctor Elizondo, Heather Matarazzo, Mandy Moore, Caroline Goodall, and Robert Schwartzman. In the film, shy American teenager Mia Thermopolis (Hathaway) learns she is crown princess of Genovia and receives tutelage from her estranged grandmother Clarisse Renaldi (Andrews), Genovia's Queen regent, as she decides whether to claim or renounce her title.
Development on the film began after Cabot's agent, believing in the novel's feature film potential, pursued Debra Martin Chase to adapt it: Chase eventually secured a deal with Disney, and the film was greenlit in August 1999, being co-produced with Whitney Houston's BrownHouse Productions. Wendkos collaborated with Chase on the screenplay, which differs from Cabot's novel, with certain themes softened and other aspects introduced or removed, as Marshall sought to create a G-rated film with broad appeal to adults and children. Hathaway was cast in 2000 while Andrews (who was then semi-retired from acting), joined due to Marshall's involvement, marking her first Disney film since Mary Poppins (1964). The rest of the cast, which included the return of Marshall's frequent collaborator Elizondo and Marshall's family in minor roles, was rounded out soon thereafter. Principal photography took place from September to December 2000, with filming locations including Walt Disney Studios in Burbank and in San Francisco. The film's costumes were designed by Gary Jones and the music was composed by John Debney.
The Princess Diaries premiered at the El Capitan Theatre in Los Angeles on July 29, 2001, and was theatrically released in the United States on August 3, by Buena Vista Pictures Distribution. A sleeper hit, the film grossed $165.3 million worldwide, defying industry expectations of an underperformance due to its G-rating and subject matter. Upon release, The Princess Diaries received mixed reviews from critics, with praise for Hathaway's and Andrews' performances (establishing Hathaway as a bankable star and reviving Andrews' career), but criticism for its plot. It received retrospective praise for its themes of self-discovery and identity and its centering of female characters. A sequel, The Princess Diaries 2: Royal Engagement, was released in 2004, and a third installment is in development.
Plot
Grove High School student Mia Thermopolis resides with her single mother, Helen, in a refurbished firehouse in San Francisco. Unpopular among her peers, Mia suffers from a fear of public speaking while harboring a crush on Josh Bryant, and is often teased by his popular girlfriend, Lana Thomas. Mia's only friends are political activist Lilly Moscovitz and her older brother, Michael, who secretly harbors feelings for Mia.
Mia is invited to meet her estranged paternal grandmother, Clarisse, on a diplomatic visit to San Francisco. Mia learns that she is the sole heir to the small European kingdom of Genovia, having inherited the position from her recently deceased father, Philippe. Clarisse is determined to make Mia into a refined princess so that she may one day rule the kingdom, which Clarisse currently presides over as Queen of Genovia. Overwhelmed at the discovery, Mia initially refuses until her mother convinces her to attend her grandmother's "princess lessons" based on the condition that she need not make her final decision until the Genovian Independence Day Ball in three weeks' time.
Mia receives a glamorous makeover and a limousine chauffeured by Joe, the queen's head of security and confidant, who becomes a father figure to her. Mia's transformation causes her schoolmates to treat her differently, while her increasingly hectic schedule strains her relationship with Lilly. To appease her best friend, Mia tells Lilly the truth and swears her to secrecy. However, the public soon learns that Mia is a princess after the secret is sold to the press by Paolo, the beautician responsible for Mia's makeover, and paparazzi begin to pursue her relentlessly. Although Mia embarrasses herself at her first state dinner, Clarisse admits that she found her clumsiness endearing and suggests that they spend quality time together, canceling their lessons for the afternoon. While bonding, Clarisse explains that although Mia's parents loved each other, they divorced amicably in order to pursue their own passions: Philippe remaining in Genovia to eventually become king, and Helen returning to America with Mia to offer her a "normal" childhood.
As Mia's popularity grows, Josh invites her to attend the end-of-school beach party with him. Mia accepts, causing her to neglect Lilly and cancel plans she made with Michael. The paparazzi ambush Mia at the beach party. Josh publicly kisses Mia to get his 15 minutes of fame, while Lana exposes Mia wearing only a towel; both photographs are printed in the newspaper the following day. Finding the photos inappropriate for a princess, Clarisse admonishes Mia for her behavior, after which a humiliated Mia promises to renounce her title. Joe reminds Clarisse that Mia is still both a teenager and her granddaughter, implying that the queen reacted too harshly.
After making amends with Lilly, Mia gets back at Josh during PE and finally stands up to Lana for bullying a schoolmate. Mia invites both Lilly and Michael to the ball but Michael declines, still heartbroken over Mia's initial dismissal. After Clarisse apologizes to Mia for scolding her, she states that Mia must publicly renounce the throne at the ball. Terrified by the prospect, Mia plans to take a trip to Colorado until she discovers a touching birthday letter from her late father and relents. Mia's car malfunctions while driving to the ball, stranding her in a downpour until Joe rescues her in his limo, with the help of Mia's neighbor, Mr. Robutusen.
When they finally arrive, Mia, still wet and untidy from the rain, accepts her role as Princess of Genovia while Clarisse, Helen, and Lilly look on proudly. After changing into a gown, Mia accompanies Clarisse into the ballroom where Michael, who has accepted Mia's apology, invites her to dance before proceeding to the courtyard, where they confess their feelings for each other and share their first kiss. In the final scene, Mia travels to Genovia on a private jet with her pet cat Fat Louie, and writes in her diary that she plans to relocate to Genovia with her mother.
Cast Order of credits adapted from Variety magazine and Turner Classic Movies:
Production Development The Princess Diaries is based on the 2000 young adult novel of the same name by author Meg Cabot. Cabot's agent believed the first Princess Diaries book showed promising film potential, and pursued Debra Martin Chase, who had recently produced the television film Rodgers & Hammerstein's Cinderella (1997), about adapting the novel into a film due to the story's shared "rags-to-riches" and "Cinderella-type" themes. Having enjoyed the book herself, Chase convinced Disney to adapt it into a feature-length project. Disney chairman Peter Schneider optioned the project in an "effort to re-establish the Disney brand for live-action family films". Disney paid Cabot $4,000 for the film rights, although some media outlets reported that Cabot had been offered "mid- to low-six figures". Cabot recalled that Disney's decision to adapt The Princess Diaries resulted in a promotion at her own job, prior to which publishers had been unwilling to publish her novel due to concerns that some of its content was inappropriate for young readers. HarperCollins showed interest in Cabot's manuscript in 1999, followed by Disney shortly afterward.
By August 1999, the film was greenlit by Disney who agreed to produce it with singer Whitney Houston's BrownHouse Productions, and Cabot's manuscript was forwarded to potential screenwriters. Chase developed the script with screenwriter Gina Wendkos. Although Cabot did not write the screenplay herself, she discussed changes deemed necessary for translating the story from page to screen with Chase, maintaining that "The essence of the story, or the message, of staying true to yourself ... still comes through". Garry Marshall was enlisted as director, with Houston and Chase producing alongside Mario Iscovich. Marshall had already been pitching ideas to Disney executive Nina Jacobson before he was hired. He found The Princess Diaries ideal family entertainment, and was particularly drawn to the idea of "a young girl turning into a woman and realizing that she can have a positive effect on the world", hoping it would appeal to girls, boys and adults. Furthermore, the director admitted to being fond of "female wish-fulfillment and empowerment movies". However, Marshall nearly turned down the film due to a typo in its original treatment that read "The Princess Dairies", prompting him to mistake it for a movie about cows. The Princess Diaries was Houston's first feature film production venture, and her studio's second film after Cinderella. Houston and Chase hoped that The Princess Diaries would be BrownHouse Productions' first in a series of female-led wish-fulfillment films, originally planning to remake the musical film Sparkle (1976) as a follow-up. Chase recalled that, at the time, Hollywood believed that while girls would willingly see a film intended for boys, it was difficult to convince boys to see a female-oriented film, but were encouraged by the success of Disney's The Parent Trap (1998).
The Princess Diaries was optioned to challenge the belief that children were losing interest in live-action films targeted towards girls, and Marshall was hired specifically to make a G-rated film "edgy and crazy and maybe something the adults will like". The film differs considerably from the novel. Initially intended to be set in New York like Cabot's book, the film was originally called The Princess of Tribeca. The title was reverted once the setting was changed to San Francisco, California, a decision Marshall made because the latter is home to both himself and his granddaughters, to whom the film is dedicated. Although Mia and Lilly remain environmentally and politically conscious, the filmmakers softened some of the more political aspects of their personalities to prevent the film from resembling "a political diatribe". Some aspects of the script were inspired by Cabot's own childhood, particularly when her mother began dating one of her teachers shortly after her father's death. Despite being consulted about such changes, Cabot distanced herself from the creative process to avoid compromising her vision for future novels, preferring that the book and film exist in separate universes. Cabot maintains that she had little creative input in the film, elaborating, "I don't think Garry Marshall needs 'help' to make a movie… from a novelist who has absolutely no experience in film-making." Although Cabot admitted that Disney consulted with her before making changes, she described their conversations as more informative than collaborative. Cabot acknowledged the challenge of adapting a 300-page novel, which she had written in the form of a diary, into a 90-page screenplay but was ultimately satisfied with the final results and Marshall's direction.
Casting