What a Girl Wants

Everything About Fiction You Never Wanted to Know.

What a Girl Wants is a 2003 teen comedy starring Amanda Bynes. The premise is an average American girl named Daphne finds out her father is a wealthy British politician, so she goes to find him, causing trouble and funny situations along the way.

Tropes used in What a Girl Wants include:
  • Actor Allusion: Poor Anna Chancellor still can't get her claws into Colin Firth.
  • Alpha Bitch: Clarissa, of course. Not Daphne's mother, who coincidentally is actually named Libby.
  • Batman Gambit: Jocelyn Dashwood doesn't like her son sacrificing himself for political reasons. When Daphne comes around, she is more than happy to push help her out in getting to know her father better and out of Alistair's manipulative hands.
  • Beautiful All Along: Peach and Pear, thanks to Daphne
  • Be Yourself
  • Blithe Spirit: Daphne
  • Bowdlerization: Real Life Example. The original poster had Daphne flashing the peace sign. It was notably changed as America was entering the second Iraq War.
  • Britain Is Only London: Colin Firth's character owning a country estate in downtown London. Roger Ebert's review of the film contains a priceless quote in which he commented that that kind of real estate would have to be "worth more than Rhode Island".
  • British Stuffiness:

"No hugs, dear. I'm British. We only show affection to dogs and horses." - Jocelyn Dashwood (Eileen Atkins)

  • California Doubling: Inverted, everything was filmed in Britain, even the scenes in New York.
    • The flashback scenes with Kelly Preston and Colin Firth in an exotic country (which I forget at the moment) were filmed on location, rather than a set.
  • Cool Old Lady / Deadpan Snarker: Jocelyn Dashwood
  • Did Not Do the Research: The film's goofs entry on IMDb lists several errors the movie makes about British high society. We won't get into them here.
  • Divorce Is Temporary: Libby and Henry.
  • Edible Theme Naming: Peach and Pear. They apparently have a sister named Parsnip; she doesn't get out much.
  • Fashion Show
  • It's a Costume Party, I Swear: Successfully pulled on Daphne, who goes to a formal event in a tank top and ripped jeans.
    • However, people thought she was a model at first, instead of improperly dressed, so it backfired.
  • Jerk with a Heart of Jerk: Clarissa, her mother, and her grandfather ( who knew that Libby was pregnant with Daphne, convinced her to leave, and then told Henry that there was someone else and withheld the knowledge of his daughter's existence for years.)
  • Luke, You Are My Father
  • Mama Bear: Libby to Glynnis: "Take your hands off my daughter or you wont get a scene. You'll get a Broadway musical."
  • Rich Bitch: Glynnis
  • Rip Tailoring: Daphne makes the dowdy dress beautiful and sleek with just a pair of scissors.
  • She Cleans Up Nicely: Daphne, including the stair entrance
  • Sweet and Sour Grapes: Daphne finally realizes that her presence in England is causing both her and her father more harm than good, and returns home to America. What does Dad do? Drop everything in his life, including the Prime Ministry he's been chasing for years, and run to America to be with her and her mother.
  • "The Reason You Suck" Speech: sort of

Daphne: (to Clarissa) If you take your nose out of the air for one second you'll see you're designer, I'm vintage. You've got a mansion, I've got a five floor walkup. You're a snotty little miss cranky pants and I go with the flow, so why would you ever think for one second that I'd ever have the same taste in guys? So here's a little pointer for you. Get over yourself and stop trying to be my daddy's little girl because I'm not going anywhere.

Armistead's friend: I'd let her dump tea in my harbor anytime.

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