THE PRINCE AND I
US, 2004, 105 minutes, Colour.
Julia Styles, Luke Mably, Ben Malone, Miranda Richardson, James Fox, Alberta Watson.
Directed by Martha Coolidge.
As the status and reputation of European monarchies fluctuates, Americans seem to have an abiding fascination with the trappings of an institution they rebelled against and rejected more than 200 years ago. This time it is not the British monarchy but the Danish royal family who, incidentally, in May 2004, just before the film's release celebrated the wedding of the Crown Prince to a commoner, a journalist from the other side of the world, Tasmania. The film may seem a little déjà vu. But it won't stop the royalists - except when you look at the glamorous side of royalty, it is like a fairytale, but when you look at minutely detailed daily schedules of factory openings, sod turning and photo opportunities with the media on 24 hour royal watch, the fairytale becomes something of a nightmare.
So, this is a more contemporary and thoughtful take on the prince and the possible princess.
The strength of the film is that we quickly get to know the characters and ambitions (or not) of the two central characters. He is the headline playboy with a passion for fast cars and racing them and a coterie of beautiful female hangers-on. She comes from strong farming stock in Wisconsin, is determined to get top marks and gain entry in Johns Hopkins to become a doctor who will make a difference - she has already visited the poorer countries of Latin America. She does not know him, finds him very irritating and spoilt at first, then warms to him and falls in love not before teaching him how to slice sandwich meat and take him to the farm. She is not a blushing violet and is very straightforward with her opinions - and, finally, with the prospect of becoming queen.
Julia Styles can be tough (Ten Things I Hate, The Business of Strangers, Mona Lisa Smile, Save the Last Dance) so it is interesting to see how she will handle her dilemmas. Luke Mably fortunately looks as if he actually might be a prince of somewhere and makes a decent fist of the transition from playboy to statesman via Wisconsin. His parents are played by a benevolent James Fox and an almost relentless Miranda Richardson. Ben Miller had to help Johnny English to get out of all his scrapes and messes. He does the same here for the Prince.
A must for fashion, gossip and royalty magazine readers.
1. Popular tales of royalty and commoners? 2004 version? The fairy tale and the critique of the fairy tale?
2. The Danish settings (and Prague locations), the palaces, the interiors, parliament, the streets and processions? Racing car drives? The contrast with Wisconsin, the farm homes, the interiors, out in the fields? The tractors and the races? The university, the laboratories? The pubs? Authentic atmosphere? The musical score?
3. The title, the focus on Prince Edward? The focus on Paige and her perspective on royalty?
4. The focus on Prince Edward, his age, experience, seeming lack of responsibility, his relationship with women, his friends, the speed driving, the collaboration of the police? The headlines, the photos in the tabloids? His parents' reactions? His going to meetings, not being prepared? His seeing the video about Topless in Wisconsin? His decision to go? His relying on Sorin for everything? His parents agreeing that he should go?
5. The prince in Wisconsin, arriving, being called Eddie, Sorin waiting on him? His initial encounter with Paige, the drinks, the menu? His asking her to bare herself and her squirting him with the beer? His later apology? His room, the gross room-mate and his computer games and rules? Being late for the laboratory, his being partnered with Paige, her exasperation with him, his sleeping in? The explosions? His quoting Shakespeare, her relying on him for explaining the sonnet? Their being together, getting to understand one another? His liking America, his liking Paige? The invitation to her home, meeting the family, going to work, chasing the cows, the lawn mowers, fixing the engine, participating in the race, winning? Paige's brothers liking him? The Thanksgiving Dinner, the conversation? His growing attraction towards Paige? The return to the campus, the study together? The shelves, the photographers, her discovering the truth about him? His return to Denmark? His father being ill, his taking over the throne? The procession, his leaving the Shakespeare note for Paige, her turning up, her getting on his horse and riding away? His proposal, his change of heart, learning about ordinary life from his work in America, shared ownership, the six hours of negotiating with the unions? The ball, their kissing? His reaction to Paige's inability to be a queen? His turning up at the graduation - and the promises for a different future, especially for a queen? A realistic/sympathetic/imaginary portrait of 21st century royalty?
6. The contrast with Paige, her serious-mindedness about her work, wanting to go to Johns Hopkins? The laboratory, her marks, having to do Shakespeare? Her room-mate and confiding in her? The getting the job, meeting Eddie, her being insulted, squirting him? Her finding him in the lab, the partner, his unreliability, the explosion? His getting the job at the diner, his using her as a recommendation, her teaching him to make the sandwich (and his later buying the machine in Denmark)? His cleaning up, her not going to the party? The attraction towards him, her room-mate egging her on? The help with the Shakespeare sonnet, her good mark? Her inviting him home, her relationship with her parents (and seeing her at the beginning, at home, rushing to the wedding_, her girlfriends becoming engaged and her focusing on a career)? The Thanksgiving holiday, Eddie, her brothers, the lawn mower races? The return, falling in love, the plane in the library, the shelves, her shock at the discovery of the truth? Her being strong-minded, the note, going to Denmark, the taxi, chasing the procession? Riding off on the horse? The queen and her antagonism? Her schedule of duties, her clothes, posture_? Her fulfilling the functions, shovelling the dirt, listening to the negotiations? The ball, her having to refuse to be queen? Her return, the coronation, her graduation, Eddie turning up? The possibility of the fairy tale, the fantasy, and her working as a doctor and her commitment to difficult places in the world who needed doctors? A strong-minded American character?
7. Sorin, his being an attendant, looking after the prince, serious and not smiling, the wisecracks, liking Paige, left behind for the Thanksgiving, his addiction to computer games? The return, his sense of duty?
8. The king and the queen, the traditions of royalty, the king and his illness, more gentle than the queen? Negotiations, press conferences, the abdication? The queen, her wanting tradition, not liking change, disliking Paige? Her change of heart, seeing the effect of Paige in her son's life, the negotiations with the unions and his sense of responsibility? Her change of heart, showing her the crown jewels?
9. Family life, the Morgan family, their work, the brothers, the lawn mowers - and the lawn mower race (and the comparison with the fast cars in Denmark)?
10. University life, serious-mindedness? The students, the staff?
11. The film as showing the fairy tale - but showing the reality of ordinary life, Paige not knowing that he was a prince, ordinary falling in love, the characters of each of Edward and Paige, the fairy tale in this context, the realism about the demands made by the royal schedule, the ability to fulfil it or not? The need for change in the lifestyles of European royal families?
