‘Cinderella’ retold

The Prince & Me (2004)
Paramount Pictures presents a Martha Coolidge film, starring Julia Stiles. Written by Mark Amin, Katherine Fugate, Jack Amiel and Michael Begler. 111m. Rated PG for sex-related material and language.

2 stars

Many who had already seen the trailer for Paramount’s latest feature, “The Prince & Me,” must have been wondering the same thing as I was. After providing the setup, the courtship, the romance, the conflict, the characters and the climax, what was left for the other 110 minutes?

The answer is little, but more than one could imagine - making this “Cinderella”/“The Princess Diaries”/“What A Girl Wants” redux a charming, if hackneyed, fairy tale come true.

Ever since the words “prince” and “charming” were indelibly linked, there has been no shortage of prose promising a handsome young royal will sweep all deserving girls off their feet.

In terms of academic achievement, Paige Morgan (Julia Stiles) is certainly worthy of “sweepage.” Embroiled in rigorous coursework as a pre-med student, she hardly has time for such frivolous gestures like dating college grunts. While she’s worked extra hours as beer wench at the local student center, her friends have all run off and found suitable partners - making Paige a viable candidate for a fairy tale come true.

Enter Eddie (Luke Mably), who has shed his formal title as Prince of Denmark for anonymity at the sprawling University of Wisconsin campus. He’s attracted initially to Paige from afar, until he musters enough courage to approach her with his bumbling opener, “So, will you take your top off for me?” It seems even Denmark can’t escape the Joe Francis freight train.
Unimpressed by his stab at repartee, Paige will keep fast Eddie at a distance until she finds him attractive amidst the soft glow of the washing machine room. Laugh as you may, but the average college student might see finding a date where you’re trapped doing your delicates entirely conceivable.

Of course, this union is not entirely permissible. It seems Eddie’s family (James Fox and Miranda Richardson) believe in the stereotypical “royals can only marry royals” roles. It doesn’t matter that Morgan’s farm girl charm could revolutionize the way we look at monarchies. There are more important qualities in a future queen, like the proper way to wave to commoners.
“The Prince & Me” is important because its target audience - 15-50 year old women - will hopefully see the movie as one about potential. With the onset of graduation, Morgan has the world at her fingertips. She can be anything, from the Queen of Denmark to a medical student to a family farm proprietor amongst a slew of interdependent farms in the heartland of America.

The movie also provides a exemplary male character who, despite his status as patriarch for a country, isn’t pressuring his chosen bride into joining him on the throne. Morgan won’t be just another queen treading one step behind her king; she’ll be an activist, a philanthropist, or a reformist - or perhaps all three.

“The Prince & Me” is cinematic ear candy that essentially amounts to variations on a very-well explored theme. But it’s not without its charm and would make a nice watch for a date - either romantic or familial.