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Our take
A teenager travels to England to meet the father she has never known and finds herself navigating his formal world. What a Girl Wants stays light, with romance, social embarrassment and a little underwear humour. We would start around 9.
Uplifting themes
Being yourself beats performing for rich relatives, and honesty helps father and daughter reconnect. The film rewards kindness over snobbery The teen heroine keeps reaching out to her dad even when embarrassed, and a loyal friend backs her up. Some adults learn to loosen up; others stay shallow, which is part of the point
Story (may spoil tone)
American Daphne Reynolds heads to Europe in search of the father she's never met. But instead of finding a British version of her boho mother, she learns the love of her mom's life is an uptight politician. The only problem now is that her long-lost father is engaged to a fiercely territorial social climber with a daughter who makes Daphne's life miserable.
Details
Language British and American characters use hell, damn, bloody, and a few sharp…
British and American characters use hell, damn, bloody, and a few sharper words like s-word and a-word in sparser moments. Insults fly during family arguments but never dominate the film
Sex / nudity Teen flirting leads to kissing, and the lead tries on formal clothes in…
Teen flirting leads to kissing, and the lead tries on formal clothes in her underwear while getting a belly-button piercing. Dialogue includes mild innuendo about romance, without nudity on screen
Drugs / alcohol Champagne and wine flow at posh events, and adults toast at dinner. Tee…
Champagne and wine flow at posh events, and adults toast at dinner. Teens are not shown getting drunk, but drinking is treated as normal at celebrations
Bullying / discrimination A stepsister and her status-obsessed mother freeze the heroine out of s…
A stepsister and her status-obsessed mother freeze the heroine out of society events and mock her American manners. The meanness is social
Grief / bereavement A parent worries about disappointing family legacy, and a wedding crisi…
A parent worries about disappointing family legacy, and a wedding crisis brings hurt feelings. Nobody dies on screen, but emotional loss still stings
Flashing lights We have not confirmed whether this version contains flashing lights.
We have not confirmed whether this version contains flashing lights.
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Talk after watching
- Daphne tries to fit in without losing who she is. Where did she draw the line well, and where could she have spoken up sooner?
- How do the adults handle the engagement and the surprise daughter differently, and who acted most fairly?
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What a Girl Wants
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