The Princess Diaries 2: Royal Engagement

The Princess Diaries 2: Royal Engagement
Theatrical release poster
Directed by	Garry Marshall
Produced by	Whitney Houston Debra Martin Chase
Written by	Meg Cabot (characters) Shonda Rhimes
Starring	Anne Hathaway Heather Matarazzo Chris Pine Callum Blue Kathleen Marshall Raven-Symoné Caroline Goodall Larry Miller Hector Elizondo Julie Andrews
Music by	John Debney
Cinematography	Charles Minsky
Editing by	Bruce Green
Distributed by	Walt Disney Pictures
Release date(s)	August 11, 2004 (2004-08-11)
Running time	113 min.
Country	United States
Language	English
Budget	US$40,000,000
Box office	$134,734,481 (worldwide)

The Princess Diaries 2: Royal Engagement is the 2004 sequel to 2001's The Princess Diaries.

Most of the cast returned from the first film, including Anne Hathaway, Julie Andrews, Héctor Elizondo, and Heather Matarazzo. Garry Marshall returned to direct and Debra Martin Chase to produce the sequel.

New characters include Viscount Mabrey (John Rhys-Davies), Lord Nicholas Devereaux (Chris Pine, in his film debut) and Andrew Jacoby (Callum Blue).

Plot

The film opens with Mia Thermopolis (Anne Hathaway), Crown Princess of the fictional country of Genovia, graduating from Princeton University's Woodrow Wilson School. Mia, Joe (Héctor Elizondo), and Fat Louie the cat fly to Genovia for Mia's 21st birthday and to take her grandmother, Clarisse Renaldi's (Julie Andrews) place as Queen of Genovia. At her birthday ball, she has to dance with all the eligible bachelors. She accidentally steps on a mysterious young man's shoe and dances with him. When Mia's tiara falls off, Viscount Mabrey (John Rhys-Davies) catches it and it is revealed that he's planning to steal her royal position. Later, Viscount Mabrey mentions another heir to the crown: his nephew, Lord Nicholas Devereaux (Chris Pine). According to Parliament, Mia cannot be crowned Queen unless she gets married in 30 days. Clarisse invites Nicholas to stay at the palace and Mia is shocked when she sees he is the man she flirted with at the ball. Mia is joined by her best friend Lilly Moscovitz (Heather Matarazzo) and later they research the possible husbands, including Prince William of Wales. Mia chooses Andrew Jacoby (Callum Blue), Duke of Kenilworth and days later they are engaged. Mabrey and Nicholas plot against the engagement and so Nicholas starts romancing with Mia.

Princess Mia starts to practice firing a flaming arrow as part of the ceremonies for when she is crowned Queen. At a garden party, Mia gets annoyed after seeing Nicholas with Lady Elissa. They argue near an isolated fountain and Nicholas suddenly kisses Mia. After that, Nicholas has second thoughts about stealing the crown from Mia, and Mabrey realizes that Nicholas has fallen in love with Mia. Later, Mia is practicing archery when Nicholas tells her that he's leaving, but he wants to meet Mia for the last time. Mia is upset, but agrees to meet him. They go to the lake, dance and fall asleep. When they wake up, Mia sees a man in a boat videotaping them. Mia thinks Nicholas set her up and storms off. When she gets back home, the video has already been broadcast on TV. She apologizes to the disappointed Andrew and together they realize that they do not love each other. They do not call off their wedding plans, because Andrew says that he has promised to marry Mia and a gentleman never breaks his promise.

When Mabrey leaves for the wedding, Nicholas is debating on whether he should also attend. Gretchen tells Nicholas that Mabrey set up the videographer at the lake. Nicholas leaves for the ceremony on his grandfather's penny-farthing bicycle, the only means of wheeled transport available. Meanwhile, Mia is walking down the aisle but runs out, realizing she can't marry Andrew. Clarisse goes after her and tells her not to make the same mistake she did and give up on finding love. Mia walks back inside and gives Andrew back her ring, telling him that the both of them should have the chance to find true love. Andrew thanks her and Mia continues on. She says she wants to become Queen without a husband. Mabrey objects, saying his nephew should be King. Nicholas declines the crown, and Mia moves to abolish the marriage law. Parliament votes and the law is changed. Clarisse asks Joe for his hand in marriage and they get married. Nicholas confesses his love for Mia and she is crowned Amelia Mignonette Thermopolis Renaldi, Queen of Genovia.

Cast

• Anne Hathaway as Mia Thermopolis
• Julie Andrews as Queen Clarisse Renaldi
• Héctor Elizondo as Joe
• John Rhys-Davies as Viscount Mabrey
• Heather Matarazzo as Lilly Moscovitz
• Chris Pine as Nicholas Devereaux
• Callum Blue as Andrew Jacoby
• Kathleen Marshall as Charlotte Kutaway
• Tom Poston as Lord Palimore
• Joel McCrary as Prime Minister Motaz
• Kim Thomson as Reporter Elsie Kentworthy
• Raven-Symoné as Princess Asana
• Larry Miller as Paolo
• Caroline Goodall as Helen Thermopolis O'Connell
• Sean O'Bryan as Patrick O'Connell
• Jon Ligget as Queen Clarisse's Palace Footman
• Jane Morris as Servant Girl
• Charlee Corra Disney as Princess Charlee
• Paul Vogt and identical twin brother Peter Allen Vogt as Lord Crawley and Mr. Crawley
• Stan Lee (Three Stooges) as Wedding Guest
• Aimee Adams Hall as Princess Aimee
• Abigail Breslin as Carolina, the orphan child
• Spencer Breslin as Prince Jacques
• Hannah Schneider as Dancing Princess Hannah
• Anna Netrebko as herself
• Nadege August as Princess Nadege

Soundtrack

Main article: The Princess Diaries 2: Royal Engagement (soundtrack)

Movie to book differences

The first movie - though sporting many different characters, differences in character and overall changes - was essentially the first Princess Diaries book, with the third Princess Diaries book's ending. The second movie was completely alternate from Meg Cabot's novels. Notable changes include:

• Genovia is actually an absolute monarchy and a principality. There are no kings or queens, only princes and princesses.
• Mia's right to the throne is not, and will never be, dependent on marriage.
• In the books, Grandmere is actually a very selfish, vindictive person and tends to cause more problems for Mia than anyone else in her life. She is never called "Grandmother" in the books.
• Mia's father, Phillipe, is alive and well in the books. Mia keeps in constant contact with him.
• Michael Moscovitz did not "get famous" with his band; they actually disbanded after their high school graduation. Michael went on to Columbia University and invented an open-heart surgery robot prototype. Michael and Mia were together until the eighth book, when they broke up, but reunited in the tenth. In the second movie, Mia and Michael's relationship ended; they are only friends.
• Mia's personal bodyguard, Joe, doesn't exist in the books. Instead, Mia's bodyguard is a Swedish ex-military commando called Lars. They are, however, very good friends like Joe and Mia are in the films.
• Frank Gianini, Mia's math teacher and stepfather, does not exist in the films. Instead he is replaced by a man named Patrick O'Connell who is Mia's debate teacher and dates her mother.
• Several other characters are missing from the movie, such as J.P. Reynolds-Abernathy IV (better known in the first few books as "The Guy Who Hates It When They Put Corn In The Chili" and Mia's eventual boyfriend), Tina Hakim Baba (Mia's "second best friend"), Shameeka Taylor, Ling-Su Wong, Kenny Showalter (Mia's first boyfriend), Rocky (her baby brother, although in the movie, Mia's mom and stepdad do have a baby whose name is Trevor), and more. Some of Meg Cabot's books point out the errors in the movies based on Mia's life, and Tina mentions that her father (a wealthy oil baron who insists on Tina's being accompanied by a bodyguard, like Mia) personally saw to it that she was not portrayed on screen. Mia's cousin Rene was also not put in the film, instead he is replaced by a once-mentioned cousin named Bartholomew "Pookie".

References

External links

• The Princess Diaries 2: Royal Engagement at the Internet Movie Database