The Prince and Me (2004)
February 4, 2023 3:07 AM - Subscribe
At college Paige meets Eddie, a fellow student from Denmark, whom she first dislikes but later accepts, likes, and loves; he proves to be Crown Prince Edvard. Paige follows him to Copenhagen, and he follows her back to school with...
Paige Morgan (Julia Stiles) is a focused premed student who becomes intrigued by Eddie (Luke Mably), a wealthy Danish student. Despite Eddie's initially boorish behavior, Paige falls for him, only to discover that his father (James Fox) and mother (Miranda Richardson) are the king and queen of Denmark, and he is heir apparent to the throne. As Eddie adjusts to American life, and Paige gets used to her beau being a future king, the two must decide if their romance is something that can last.
Anne Cohen: The Prince & Me, however, is a notable exception to that rule. Directed by trailblazing filmmaker Martha Coolidge, it became a cult favorite among my friends and I precisely because -- unlike Belle, Jasmine, or even Frozen’s more recent and woke Queen Elsa — Paige got to have her love story and a big life too. Not only did she end up pursuing her life goals, her prince, turned King Edvard of Denmark (Luke Mably, a forgotten hottie of the era), meets her halfway. In a refreshing twist, he says he will wait for her to do all the things she wants to do — as long as it takes, no strings attached.
Mick LaSalle: But probably the best thing about "The Prince & Me" is the way the story doesn't end in the obvious place but keeps going, showing the characters continuing to develop. Unlike most Hollywood movies, especially one aimed at young people, it tells its story in four movements, not the usual three. The only bad thing is that when it finally does find its way to a satisfying conclusion, it doesn't stop there, either, but tags on a little epilogue that lends a note of absurdity and compromise to its intended message.
Wesley Morris: I can't say I walked into "The Prince & Me" eagerly. The idea of Julia Stiles as a girl who falls in love with Danish royalty sounded improbable. At 23, Stiles seems too much like a 35-year-old career woman to be bothered letting such a shopworn premise carry her away.
But the tag line boasts that "this fairy tale is about to get real," and, without completely rebooting the genre, the movie does challenge and refresh the limits of the fantasy. This is a smart piece of revisionist fluff that dares to question what happens after the royal honeymoon is over.
Trailer
Paige Morgan (Julia Stiles) is a focused premed student who becomes intrigued by Eddie (Luke Mably), a wealthy Danish student. Despite Eddie's initially boorish behavior, Paige falls for him, only to discover that his father (James Fox) and mother (Miranda Richardson) are the king and queen of Denmark, and he is heir apparent to the throne. As Eddie adjusts to American life, and Paige gets used to her beau being a future king, the two must decide if their romance is something that can last.
Anne Cohen: The Prince & Me, however, is a notable exception to that rule. Directed by trailblazing filmmaker Martha Coolidge, it became a cult favorite among my friends and I precisely because -- unlike Belle, Jasmine, or even Frozen’s more recent and woke Queen Elsa — Paige got to have her love story and a big life too. Not only did she end up pursuing her life goals, her prince, turned King Edvard of Denmark (Luke Mably, a forgotten hottie of the era), meets her halfway. In a refreshing twist, he says he will wait for her to do all the things she wants to do — as long as it takes, no strings attached.
Mick LaSalle: But probably the best thing about "The Prince & Me" is the way the story doesn't end in the obvious place but keeps going, showing the characters continuing to develop. Unlike most Hollywood movies, especially one aimed at young people, it tells its story in four movements, not the usual three. The only bad thing is that when it finally does find its way to a satisfying conclusion, it doesn't stop there, either, but tags on a little epilogue that lends a note of absurdity and compromise to its intended message.
Wesley Morris: I can't say I walked into "The Prince & Me" eagerly. The idea of Julia Stiles as a girl who falls in love with Danish royalty sounded improbable. At 23, Stiles seems too much like a 35-year-old career woman to be bothered letting such a shopworn premise carry her away.
But the tag line boasts that "this fairy tale is about to get real," and, without completely rebooting the genre, the movie does challenge and refresh the limits of the fantasy. This is a smart piece of revisionist fluff that dares to question what happens after the royal honeymoon is over.
Trailer
Yeah, this film is more delightful than it has any right to be and definitely near the top of its genre. I'll rewatch it often when I come across it while channel surfing.
posted by TwoStride at 11:52 AM on February 5, 2023
posted by TwoStride at 11:52 AM on February 5, 2023
I have some promo credit on Amazon, I'll have to give this another watch soon. Julia Stiles was in a class by herself when it came to rom-coms, very underrated queen!
posted by ThePinkSuperhero at 7:53 PM on February 5, 2023
posted by ThePinkSuperhero at 7:53 PM on February 5, 2023
Julia Stiles elevates this from what would otherwise be a trite rehash of American meets European royalty.
posted by tavella at 11:16 AM on February 7, 2023
posted by tavella at 11:16 AM on February 7, 2023
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posted by Carillon at 3:13 AM on February 4, 2023 [1 favorite]