Shortly after her 17th birthday, Daphne sets off for London to find this father she's never known. He, in turn, has no clue that he has a daughter. Hilarity, heartbreak and, of course, Hollywood happiness ensue.

Updated from the 1958 Sandra Dee movie The Reluctant Debutante, What a Girl Wants is a perfectly likeable movie that errs just barely on the side of too sugary. Firth and his A-list Brit colleagues—veteran Jonathan Pryce (Tomorrow Never Dies) and the radiant Dame Eileen Atkins (The Hours, Gosford Park), among others—lend substance to a flimsy script and clichéd story. Newcomer Oliver James is not only charming, but also bound for the cover of Tiger Beat as Daphne's love interest, who happens to have a multitude of jobs, all of which conveniently involve catering to the British upper crust. The only weak link is Anna Chancellor (Four Weddings and a Funeral) as Henry's social-climbing fiancée, Glynnis, who comes across more as a caricature than a real person.

Not a moment in this film is original, but it will entertain young teenage girls - the group of 'tweens I saw it with were on their cell phones before the closing credits, raving to their friends. Adults needn't despair: Firth's presence, as well as numerous references to the '80s (The Clash, an homage to Risky Business, and a hilarious scene that involves Firth letting loose in leather pants, among other things), save this picture from being unbearably juvenile. Also, the movie is refreshingly devoid of product placement, though at times it seems like a lengthy ad for a stellar soundtrack. Overall, there's little to offend anyone here, and the message "be yourself" is always a good thing for young girls to hear.

The only real problem with What a Girl Wants is that no broad cultural stereotype goes unexploited: It takes a wild, carefree American girl to loosen up those stodgy old Brits (though the flip side of each is shown quite nicely). Add in a scene from an Italian wedding and some photo-obsessed Japanese tourists, and instead of "multicultural," you've got "pigeonholed."

There's also The Parent Trap fantasy—the possible danger of encouraging children of divorce to believe they can reunite their parents. Although adults understand that this is a Hollywood fairy tale, pre- and early teens may not be so savvy. If you're a single parent, be prepared to answer some questions.

There can never be enough "be yourself" movies, even if they are sugarcoated in Hollywood candy. An indie charmer such as Bend It Like Beckham will never generate the box-office numbers of What a Girl Wants, but it's a must-see for any teenage girl who worries about fitting in (read: all). Similar themes come up in movies as diverse as Ever After, The Princess Diaries, Blue Crush, and Real Women Have Curves.

Of the adult ensemble, Firth shines particularly bright as the conflicted father. Best known for his stage and dramatic roles (Another Country, Valmont, The English Patient, Shakespeare in Love, Pride and Prejudice), Firth has only recently become known on this side of the Pond as equally adept at comedy (Bridget Jones's Diary, Fever Pitch, My Life So Far, Relative Values, and the upcoming Love Actually).

One caveat: Although this film is targeted to older teens (15+), chances are they'll find it cheesy. Better to take their younger sisters, instead.

What a Viewer Wants?
The DVD comes in widescreen format, with closed captioning and no sub-titles. Like many a DVD these days, this is without feature one. Fans of the movie will find this a real loss; the rest of us may be relieved not to have to sit through a director's commentary about, say, the weather in London.