What a Girl Wants poster

What a Girl Wants (2003)

Film · 1h 45m · Rated PG

Comedy, Drama, Family, Romance

A free-spirited American teen finds whimsical romance and heartwarming family drama while searching for her British politician father.

Romantic, with wholesome humor. A family watch at a measured pace. Emotionally it carries some weight.

Not on a US subscription service as of Oct 29, 2026.

What a Girl Wants parents guide

Mild language and nothing scary, about what a PG should carry.

Our estimate: fine from about 7. Rated PG.

Scare
Not scary
Jump scares
None noted
Gore
No gore
Violence
No real violence
Sex and nudity
None noted
Language
Mild
Mild words like damn, hell or crap.

How we rate: an AI reads what is known about each title and tags it 0 to 3; we check the tags against a hand-rated set and correct them by hand when readers tell us. Estimates, not a scene-by-scene review. Spot a mistake? Tell us.

What is What a Girl Wants about?

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.

Does it have a happy ending? (spoiler-safe)

Yes. It lands on a happy note.

Cast and crew

Directed byDennie Gordon
StarringAmanda Bynes, Colin Firth, Kelly Preston, Eileen Atkins, Anna Chancellor, Jonathan Pryce

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Uses the TMDB API; not endorsed or certified by TMDB. Intensity, content, tone and pace tags are CouchRot's own.