Becoming a princess, famous, or a prom queenâthe possibilities are endless
By Sonam Kaloti, Arts Editor
As an American teenager going off to stir up drama with the UK government, itâs inevitable that this movie is filled with humorous drama.
Early 2000s cinema was peak for teen-angst-ridden drama filled with now-superstars among one-hit wonders. Sadly, most of these films received pretty low and critical reviews, and even worse scores on Rotten Tomatoes. However, that doesnât mean the reviews are correct. In this day, any media that can help someone escape for a while and put a smile on their face is a win.
In fact, thereâs nothing like kicking back with some friends, a bottle of Pink Moscato, and a classic girl-versus-the-world movie to both make fun of and secretly wish to live out. Here are some timeless favourites (that arenât Mean Girls, Sheâs the Man, or Clueless) which are sure to end off any safe social bubble slumber party on a high note.
Sheâs All That
To be fair, Sheâs All That came out in 1999, but some 2000s kids were in the womb, so that comes close enough. Besides, it deserves to be on the list.
This movie does everything right by sticking its middle finger in the face of stereotypical tropes exhausted by other films in this genre. For starters, the lead love interest, Zack Siler (Freddie Prinze Jr.), isnât a complete good-for-nothing bad boy. Instead, heâs a, well, good boyâsort of like a Golden Retriever, really. His pure heart and charming smile could get anyone; however, the real charm is in his top GPA and Dartmouth, Yale, and Harvard acceptance letters. Talk about a real catch!
Best of all, the secrets kept between the protagonists arenât so big and bad. Zack has a bet with his friends to make Laney (Rachael Leigh Cook) the school artistâAKA âloserâ in these types of filmsâprom queen. Unexpectedly, Zack and his friends are actually nice to her, and she ends up in the prom queen running with him barely putting effort into changing her at all. We love to see it.
The Princess Diaries
This 2001 iconic film features Anne Hathaway as Mia Thermopolis (the princess-to-be), and Julie Andrews as Queen Clarisse Renaldi, Miaâs grandmother. This movie marks the epitome of watching VHS tapes in the basement with your sisters in the early 2000s.
Mia is just a regularâalbeit shy and nerdyâteenage girl who finds out she is the true heir to the kingdom of Genovia. The Princess Diaries may as well had created epic makeover transformations because the change Mia goes through during princess training with her grandmother is for the history books. Luckily, she doesnât lose sight of who she is and what she likes, which makes her an entertaining princess to watch blossom.
What a Girl Wants
Starring Amanda Bynes (possibly the queen of 2000s teen films) What a Girl Wants is⊠a bit on the shallower side of fun teen romcoms. Though, thatâs not a bad thing if youâre looking for a really easy watch. To be honest, itâs not extremely easy to watch as there are some unforgettably cringey moments as Bynesâ character, Daphne Reynolds, finds herself in messy situations while trying to reconcile with her long-lost famous politician father. As an American teenager going off to stir up drama with the UK government, itâs inevitable that this movie is filled with humorous drama.
The movie is worth it to watch simply for the iconic wreck of a fashion show scene where Daphne finds herself on the runway wearing regular clothes yet completely killing the performance.
Wild Child
Saving the best for last, Wild Childâstarring Emma Roberts as Poppy Mooreâis clearly the best early 2000s film there is. It has everything: a rebellious spoiled Malibu girl, an English boarding school, incredibly strange roommates, a bad boy love interest, a hateable antagonist, a huge house fire, an epic makeover, and even competitive lacrosse. Not to mention the pranks, fights, and amazing dance scene where Poppy Moore truly gets downâCalifornia style.
The moral conflict throughout the film showcases similar dilemmas everyone faces on a daily basis: be like the people around you or be the authentic you.
Thereâs a special charm to early 2000s films starring female leads that you really canât find anywhere else (besides maybe old Barbie.com websites). You canâwithout judgmentâlive out the internalized dream of becoming prom queen, famous, a princess, or even a star lacrosse player if thatâs what you so desire, all whilst meeting the person of your dreams. Whatâs better than that?
