Hollywood and the Princess
By Mary Beth Gentle
Hollywood has always held a certain fascination with the Princess. The concept of a gentle and refined heroine forced to overcome incredible odds is classic Hollywood storytelling at it’s best. Since there has been a Hollywood, there has been a Princess movie. There are many classics, family favorites and new movies on the list; Cinderella, Snow White, Beauty and the Beast, Shrek, The Princess Bride, Princess Diaries and Enchanted to name a few. And of course no Studio does the Princess movie better than Disney.
The Disney Channel premieres a new entry into the Princess line-up this week with the Princess Protection Program. The Disney Channel Original Movie stars real life friends Demi Lovato and Selena Gomez as a pair of unlikely friends. The story brings together an insecure girl from rural Louisiana, Carter Mason (Selena) and a teenage monarch of the fictional country Costa Luna, Rosalinda Marie Montoya Fiore (Demi). When an evil dictator threatens to take over her small kingdom, the young Princess’ life is put in danger and an agent from the Princess Protection Program must rescue her. His mission is to keep her undercover and safe from harm. That agent is Carter’s Father, Mason and he brings Princess Rosalinda (Rosie) to the small Louisiana town where she must learn to behave like a normal American teenager. It takes a while for the two girls to bond, but when they do there is no stopping them.
I had the opportunity to sit down with the screenwriter of Princess Protection Program, Annie DeYoung, writer of such other Disney Channel movies as; Return to Halloweentown and Johnny Kapahala: Back on Board as well as the highly acclaimed TNT movie, The Ron Clark Story. I asked her a few questions about the experience of working on the next Disney Princess movie.
Every script, every story told begins first with inspiration. I asked Annie where she found that inspiration for her Princess story, “The idea for the Princess Protection Program was inspired by two of my favorite stories, one a movie and one a TV show. I loved the idea of a secret government organization that you only find out about when you need it, like in "Alias." In this case, it's an organization of secret agents who exist solely to protect princesses in peril. I also loved the clash of cultures: the average American girl getting stuck living with a princess. I must have watched "Roman Holiday" fifty times while I was writing the script!”
The Princess Protection Program is definitely a modern take on the classic Princess movie. I asked Annie how she felt her new Princess would fit in with the classic Disney Princesses. “There are actually two princesses in Princess Protection Program. One is a real royal princess -- like Audrey Hepburn in "Roman Holiday" -- pampered, entitled, wealthy. The other is this average American girl -- like you and me -- who learns every girl has a princess deep down inside of her. Both of these girls have aspects of the classic Disney princess, who is always a normal girl at heart.”
This average American girl can’t wait to settle in on the couch and enjoy the premiere of the Princess Protection Program. And maybe while watching the movie, I will not only be entertained, but I will rediscover that little girl who grew up watching Cinderella as often as she could. And the world again will be filled with dreams of fairy godmothers, ball gowns and Prince Charming!
The Princess Protection Program premieres on the Disney Channel this Friday, June 26th and then releases on DVD the following Tuesday. I recommend everyone take the opportunity to watch the next Disney Princess Classic!
No comments:
Post a Comment