Basic Cable Waster: The Prince and Me

Charming Wanna Be....

The Prince and me is an extremely well made movie for such a low rate premise. In this little “Roman Holiday” rip off we get a sad Julia Stiles and an unpromising new comer in Luke Mably. This movie follows every cliché down to the wire and gets in every fantasy before its bleak two hour run is over. I didn’t expect much going into this movie and I really felt that it wasn’t going to offer anything new to the world of princess fantasies, but give me a break. When the Prince of Denmark (who speaks with an English accent, why not Danish?) watches a girls gone wild American commercial.  The prince quickly thinks it’s a good idea to trek to Wisconsin for some sexy country girl action, but as we all know- he finds something entirely different. The Prince is played by new comer or “this is my big break”- Luke Mably who doesn’t dazzle and with an-oh-so prince William look he doesn’t do much else. Luke throws himself into the material and every time is trumped by the more sophisticated Julia Stiles. Julia plays the every-country-wannabe-doctor girl that Hollywood likes to trot out for our enjoyment as a deep character. Julia adapts herself accordingly and makes the material work half the time and the other doesn’t seem to really care. There’s something wrong with her accent- it isn’t country, but its like the Hee-Haw version of what she did in “Mona Lisa Smile”. Julia plays Paige Morgan a down to earth school geek wanting to become a doctor.

Paige is serious about the endeavors in her life and works hard to achieve everything she has so far. Her ultimate dream is to work with “doctors without borders” program. So, you have to give it to Paige for being deeper than most characters for these teen-romance pictures. Paige and the Prince or Prince Edvard meet in a cute way with him asking her to take off her top- (ahhh love at first sight)- of course she douses him with seltzer water, she’s to much of a lady. Later we find that taking her top off in a Library is more tasteful. The two have a nice distain for one another for the first twenty minutes of the film, but as he gives her coaching advice on Shakespeare and she shows him the finer points of doing laundry a love blossoms. Edvard is followed by man servant Soren played with satirical wit by Ben Miller. Ben gets all the laughs in this movie and rightly so- coming off as a classic cynical middle aged man with no real life. Edvard’s parents are played by James Fox and Miranda Richardson, both being slapped in the face and given pathetically flat characters. Wherever Richardson picked up the pathetic accent its gotta go. James seems to make no effort as King Haraald and you really don’t blame the man- given nothing to do.

After Edvard and Paige “get down on the farm” so to speak the movie slowly plots along giving way to more pop music montages and an array of beautiful dresses to make girls feel like the Gap is just not enough. The exciting stunts come from a heart pounding lawn mower race and even some nice horse antics are thrown in later. When the press finds the lovely couple in a compromising position.  Edvard has to tell Paige that he is a Prince who came to America to find himself – or shirtless sexy farmer college girls. The Prince then jets back home where he learns that his father is ill and that he will have to take the thrown soon. Paige desperately follows and then we get to the Princess segment of the movie. She wears dresses and looks just ok the entire time, but then she gets to thinking and would rather be back home, so she decides that maybe this isn’t the life for her. The movie then stretches out some more until they get together- it doesn’t flow very well and at the end of the day were left with a sour taste in our mouths- because really there is nothing that makes this movie okay. The production value is decent and Martha Coolidge directs with a bubbly style, but the four credited writers needed to stop drinking while writing the tired script.

Final MovieFIX:

1/2 out of 5- Julia never really sparkles and Luke barely makes it out as the dashing prince, this fairytale isn’t one for the books or screen.

"The Prince & Me"
Directed by Martha Coolidge; written by Jack Amiel, Michael Begler, Katherine Fugate; photographed by Alex Nepomniaschy; edited by Steven Cohen; production designed by James Spencer; music by Jennie Muskett; music supervisor Robin Urdang; produced by Mark Amin. A Paramount Pictures/Lions' Gate Entertainment release; opens Friday, April 2. Running time: 1:51. MPAA rating: PG (some sex-related material and language).
Paige Morgan - Julia Stiles
Prince Edvard/Eddie - Luke Mably
Soren - Ben Miller
King Haraald - James Fox
Queen Rosalind - Miranda Richardson
Amy Morgan - Alberta Watson