Nickelodeon star Amanda Bynes plays Daphne, an American teen who sets off for London to find the father she never knew, Lord Dashwood (Firth). Even though dad takes a shine to her, his hoity-toity future wife just wants Daphne gone, and when Daphne's free-spirited ways threaten her father's political aspirations, she is forced to tone it down, become something less than herself. That's about it for dramatic tension, but the lesson learned here – be yourself, no matter what – though simplistic, is right on for the target audience of 11-year-old girls. Too tame, too canned, and instantly forgettable – but good-natured all the same – Bynes' first starring vehicle is probably exactly what preadolescent girls want, and there's really no harm in giving it to them.
Opened 04/04/03