 THE PRINCE AND ME
MPAA Rating:
 for some sex-related material and languageReviewed by: Lacey Mical Callahan Offensive
Moviemaking Quality:
 Primary Audience:
Teens and Adults
Genre:
Comedy and Romance
Year of Release:
2004
USA Release:
______
      Relevant Issues
What is true love and how do you know when you have found it? Answer How far is too far? What are the guidelines for dating relationships? Answer My boyfriend wants to have sex. I don’t want to lose him. What should I do? Answer Should I save sex for marriage? Answer   Producer’s Synopsis: “Paige, a pre-med student from Wisconsin, is on the fast track toward her lifelong goals. Edward, the Crown Prince of Denmark, is trying to escape a life he never chose. Needing an escape from his royal life, Edward treks to Wisconsin and poses as “Eddie,” a college student. Now they’ve fallen in love and Edward is in line to become King. Paige has to choose between two dreams — becoming a princess or the doctor she’s always wanted to be.” Review: I greatly anticipated the release of this film, touted by Paramount as a modern-day fairy tale, highlighting the classic story of Prince-meets-girl. Unfortunately, I left the theatre disappointed as I reflected on the messages this movie will send to the many children who view it. The story begins with a character sketch of the title roles. Paige, played by Julia Styles, is portrayed as a typical college student with an unique sense of ambition. Presumably, the audience is meant to admire Styles' character and root for her throughout the film. I was nonplussed to watch her consuming alcohol several times, and working as a bar tender. She also used filthy language on occasion. Luke Mably assumed the role of Prince Edward (“Eddie”) — an irresponsible, womanizing playboy who causes his parents no small amount of anguish as they wonder how he will ever fill his father’s shoes as the King of Denmark. Papparazi gathers with bulbs flashing as Eddie is caught in one scandal after another, brazenly posing for the checkout-line cover stories. His impulsive decision to visit America is made after viewing an advertisement on television for pornographic material involving female American college students “getting drunk” and “taking off their shirts.” Eddie takes in the commercial as we, the audience, watch photo after photo of obviously nude girls with the centers of their chests blocked by narrow black bars. With the goal of encountering these sorts of women, our Prince Charming hops on a plane for America. It grieves me to think of the young people who will view these characters as “prince” and “princess” to be emulated. The hero and heroine of this story first meet at the bar where Paige works, and coincidentally end up paired as lab partners at the college they both attend in Wisconsin. After some initial personality clashes, the two are drawn together by physical attraction, and seem to be willing to let nothing stand in the way of their relationship. Paige’s roommate is continually egging on the connection, pointing out that Eddie is “so hot,” and encouraging Paige to pursue a physical relationship with him, in spite of his offensive behavior. Morality Issues There is quite a bit of blatant or near-blatant sexual content in this movie (for PG-rated rating). When Eddie first introduces himself to Paige, he asks her to “take your shirt off.” (Paige replies by spraying him with soda water from the tap at the bar.) There is a scene in the college library in which Paige and Eddie engage in some foreplay while Paige’s roommate looks on, writing a note to Paige encouraging her to take Eddie upstairs. The two end up going off to a secluded area, where they begin to disrobe one another, but are interrupted by photographers bursting in after only their shirts are removed. (Paige was still wearing an undershirt.) There are several scenes of passionate kissing. There are a few curse words and religious profanities scattered throughout the script. Eddie, his assistant, Paige, her friends, and her brothers are all shown consuming alcohol. Spiritual Issues The moral of this story is, “Lust conquers all.” We are meant to sympathize with a couple who is apparently bound only by the common bond of being physically attracted to one another. This is so far from God’s plan for how we should treat one another. “…intreat…the younger men as brethren; the elder women as mothers; the younger as sisters, with all purity” I Timothy 5:1-2. “For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world. And the world passeth away, and the lust thereof: but he that doeth the will of God abideth for ever” I John 2:16-17. My recommendation is, if you would like to spend a couple of hours with your family in good, quality, character-building entertainment, skip this film, save your money, and watch Les Miserables or Cinderella. Violence: Mild | Profanity: Moderate | Sex/Nudity: Moderate  Negative - Please do not see this film. The rating and previews of this
movie are misleading. I took my 10 and 6 year old expecting a Lizzie
McGuire or possibly The Princess Diaries type movie. I was totally wrong.
We left after 30 minutes because of the filth that was shown in this
movie. Getting drunk, women raising their shirts and lying are not values
for our children to grow up watching. The theatre manager gracefully gave
us passes to see another movie later. I will be writing Lions Gate and
letting them know that this movie should not be rated PG but at least
PG-13. Parents…stand up for your children and what their innocent eyes
see. Negative - Please send a message to Hollywood and tell everyone you know DO
NOT SEE THIS MOVIE!!! The advertising for this movie is extremely
misleading. I am appalled that it received a PG rating! Along with the
drinking and the sex(Pages’s friend admits she had a summer affair with a
45 year-old Italian while in Europe!)this movie also has a strong
anti-family theme. Paige wants to be a doctor and is disappointed in her
friends for getting married when they have goals. Even after falling in
love with the prince she decides not to marry him because she is so
selfishly focused on her independence and her goal to be a doctor so she
can help people in third world countries that she misses seeing the
greater good she could do as the helpmeet to the ruler of a country. Negative - I went with my mom to see this film, and I was disgusted. The whole story was a mess. A Prince going to college for sex, a mean/rude college girl, and a lust that was suppose to represent love. How UNromantic. I became so upset when Stiles' friend urged her to take the Prince off to go have sex, and she did! Luckily, they get caught before too much, but you still lose respect (if you had any) for both their characters. I thought PG was the wrong rating for such “lusty” film. Neutral - I took my 12 yr old daughter and her friend to see “The Prince and Me.” I was glad to see a PG movie out finally. It was a good story with good acting, but should have been PG-13. I don’t recommend it unless you see it on TBS where it’s cleaned up a bit. The message about drinking in a bar, slipping off to the library to make out, womanizing… these are not what we should think of as Prince/Princess/Fairy Tale/Godly behavior so in that we were disappointed. I thought I was going to see a clean romance my daughter could enjoy but that’s not how this movie should be viewed. What a Girl Wants with Amanda Bynes was much funnier and clean.
I’ll stick to movies like that one from now on. It’s not a movie to buy your child or teen to what over again either, it would just plant those unGodly virtues in them and that’s not a Christians walk. Negative - As other reviewers, I was offended by the subtle messages of this
film. There was plenty of sex, booze, and general “party culture” to have
given this a PG-13 rating. Don’t take your kids to see this! About the
movie-making quality, I would say that my biggest complaint was the
complete lack of continuity. Random scenes would just pop up, and the
plot line changed at least three times. It’s not a complete failure, but
there are definitely better things out there to see. Neutral - I went to see this film with my younger sister and her friend.
Because of the PG rating I thought it would be ok for them to see (they’re
13). I was shocked to see the first scene was in a bar and also that the
prince wanted to come to America because he had seen and ad on tv of
America’s loose college girls (we see the ad in the movie). I was wondering
what I had taken my little sister and her friend to see. As the movie
progressed it did develop a cute story and there was wasn’t too many
objectionable things. The prince is honorable toward Paige, and I do think
that they were in love with each other, and that it was not just lust. I
would buy this movie when it came out on video so that the first scenes
could be forwarded through. If you do go to see this movie don’t take
young teenagers. It’s not kid friendly. Negative - I was considering going to see this film because of the basic
“Cinderella” plot line. However, after reading Christian reviews and
hearing what the people around me are saying, I will definitely not be
seeing this movie. Being a teen who is committed to saving myself for my
husband, the last thing I need to put in my path towards upholding God’s
word is a film that uplifts immorality, lust, compromise, and immodesty.
Let me recommend two films that deal with true love, respect, and
commitment: A&E’s “Pride and Prejudice” and A&E’s “Victoria and Albert.”
(Or if you are really holding out for a “Cinderella” story, then rent “Ever After.” Skip “The Prince and Me” and see one of the three films listed above where love is respected, intimacy is saved for after marriage, and anything beforehand is rightfully viewed as offensive! Negative - I made the mistake of taking my 8 year old to see this movie. It should not be rated PG, it should be PG-13. It shows the main character drinking and doing shots with her friends, as just one example. The girls are all college age, doing college age things. Negative - I was surprised this movie was rated PG. Had I taken my 12 year
old daughter I would have been very upset. My 16 year old daughter agreed
that this movie was not was we expected. The movie itself was cute, but
from a Christian point of view offered nothing of any value, and promoted
worldy ideas that are simply inconsistent with biblical truth. It’s hard
enough raising kids with a biblical world view without paying someone to
go behind us and brainwash them with lies about the “good life” the world
can offer. I’d say adults only on this one, and it was simply not a strong
enough movie to support that. Negative - I made the mistake of taking my 9 ½ year old daughter to this
movie. I wish I would have found this web-site before! I would not take
a child under the age of 16 to this movie, I believe there is way too much
adult content. Negative - I was very disappointed with this film. We rented it because it
had a PG rating, thinking that it would be appropriate for my 10, 8, and 6
year old daughters. This movie made casual sex OK, it made drinking at
collage OK, it made swearing OK. I don’t want my children thinking that
any of these are OK. I had to fast forward threw the naked college girl scenes, the making out scenes, the drinking scenes, but I couldn’t bleep out all the swear words. They took the Lords name in vain many times. The PG rating that this movie got is way too low, it should have at least been a PG-13. Please do not rent this movie for your children or you teens, you will be very disappointed. Neutral - First of all, I rate this neutral because I disagree with the
“lust conquers all” moral… Yes, it’s a bit drinking, and the prince is a bad example - but somehow
that is the story… Of course, it should have been more clear in the trailer, and they
could, for the kids sake, saved us for some of it. Positive - I think people can tend to be overly harsh of some movies. I
agree that some of the scenes or introductory themes are questionable, but
I think the overall movie is generally good. I don’t think that the major
theme is “lust conquers all,” I’m sorry. I got out of the movie that you
need to follow your dreams, and do what you are supposed to do and not let
a significant other determine your life for you. I really admired the
fact that she didn’t stay with him, and that she decided to live her life.
I more admire his actions in the end. Lust won’t wait. Love will. I’m
not saying it’s the best movie, and parents should definitely be careful
when choosing this movie for a family night, but… my friend and I
watched it with her mother, all of us are Christians and have been for a
long time. Neither of us were uncomfortable having her mother there, and
her mom even watched it with us. Just my opinion, though. Overall, not a
bad movie…pretty cute, if you ask me. Positive - I value this site a great deal in choosing movies to view, yet I
have to say I was surprised to see a more negative rating on this movie &
more neutral in similar morality issues in “13 Going on 30.”.. neither of
which should be viewed by teens, in my opinion. The reviewer has
exaggerated some of the scenes - for example the foreplay in the library,
with the roommate 'looking on'… is a little over the top. The foreplay
was actually his hand & her hand under a table where the roommate was
studying across from them. She was responding to the flirty glances…
There were redeeming qualities throughout the movie that the reviewer
overlooked. Overall, this was a cute adult movie, that in a refreshing
twist portrayed a young woman faced with a first love and a difficult
dilemma, making the right decision… and as the queen states in the
movie, you see the prince, who 'from a boy becomes a man' and exemplifies
true integrity. It also gives a realistic view of the life of a 'royal',
instead of the commonly told fairy tale version most girls (including
myself) grew up with… where we went on in life seeking our idealistic
prince charming. In short, I have recommended this movie to my single
girlfriends, who struggle at times with standing strong for their values
and decisions and finding themselves without their prince. This movie
shows in the end what kind of man truly is a charming prince. If you would
like to see this (or any other) movie without the 'negative side effects',
edited movies may be purchased at www.familyflix.com (or they will edit
your movies), a company endorsed by The Dove Foundation. Comments from young people
Negative - I rented this movie expecting the typical “Cinderella story.” man,
was I wrong. They talk about sex FAR too much and, although we never see
them go through with it, you know its happened. They makeout a lot,
wrapping their arms around each other and totally open mouthed. I wish i
didn’t waste my money. There were a couple cute scenes, but I think the
bad far outweigh the good this time. I don't know how this movie got away
with a PG rating. Positive - It was a good movie overall, but there were some thing in it I did
not like. This would not be a movie a would talk a young child to but for
a teen or something I don’t see why not. Negative - I am very upset that I watched this video but glad that I did not
waste my money on seeing it in the theaters. I do not like the fact that
she fell in love with a man/boy that only went to the school to find women
who would satisfy him sexually. Disgusting. There we situations in it that
I wish I wouldn’t have seen! There are no good messages in this movie - AT
ALL. She pursues her dream and bashes everyone that doesn’t feel the same
as herself. I didn’t enjoy any bit of the movie; with one exception of the
lawnmower races. Overall, I wish I would’ve listened to the reviews in the
newspaper and wish I would’ve skipped the movie. Positive - I enjoyed this film very much. Since Denmark is still a working
democracy it was quite a believable story. The script was well written and
the acting was good. However there was some mild language, and one scene
where the two main characters were ripping off each others clothes in a
library. Nothing was shown on camera except a lot of kissing. So, this
movie, in my opinion would not be acceptable for children, or pre-teens;
however if you have an older daughter it would make a great flick for a
mother-daughter sleep over night. Negative - I think no one should watch this movie. It’s just trashy. I went to see it with my friend because her friends said there was nothing wrong with it. Yeah right! It was totally lustful, 'party animal' centered. I hope my Dad never finds out how bad this movie is because he expects me to make good choices on what movies I see and I let him down. I wish I had looked at this cite first. It should have been rated PG-13 at least. Negative - DO NOT TAKE ANY CHILD YOUNGER THAN 12 TO THIS MOVIE! Me, and my younger brother and sister saw this in theatres. My brother who is only 7, witnessed people stripping at least 3 times. There are tons of making-out scenes and lots of cussing. This should definitly be PG-13. It is very sleazy and morally wrong. Negative - I went to see this movie with my friend thinking it would be a
cute Cinderella type story. I was so wrong. It was very inappropriate, and there were very young kids in there that should not have been seeing that kind of stuff. They show girls taking off their shirts, and they kiss quite passionately in several parts and go back in a library and start making out and taking off each others clothes until some news reporters come and interrupt. I thought it could have been a really cute movie, but Hollywood had to add the objectional material. I would not take young kids to see it, and I even wish I hadn’t seen it. Neutral - This is not a “PG” movie and is definitely not good for children. I would not recommend this to anyone my age unless they are strong Christians and are going to see it with some good Christian friends, as I
did. This movie does show some good morale in the way that a “playboy” prince comes to America seeking girls, but finds love and begins to understand how to properly love someone, and not “hit” and go on women. This is something America needs to understand. Sounding good so far, right? Wrong. Hollywood has done it again. Though this movie showed what
true love is, I couldn’t help but being disgusted with the amount of kissing. Though it did not quite give the message that their relation was based on lust, it almost became funny on how they made a hobby of it. The movie had quite good acting and a good, if not thoroughly original, plot. Also, for all you Halo fans, finally you get to see it in a movie.
Definitely not a “Cinderella” story. Teens, you will have to turn your eyes many times…I advise most people to not see it (couples might enjoy it, it is a pretty good love story). Negative - THIS MOVIE SHOULD NOT BE SEEN BY ANYONE UNDER 14. I went to see it and was very offended. There were kids under 10 seeing this movie, and they should not be exposed to these kinds of things. There was under age
drinking, making-out, and topless people (barely covered). The story line was cute, but it should definitely be PG-13! Positive - I loved this movie so much. It was a really cute, innocent movie. I didn’t find anything wrong with it. I love the movie and hope there is a second. Neutral - At the beginning of the film, parents might take worry, because of
a few VERY racy scenes, but at the end of the movie it is quite sincere
and sweet. Just to let parents of small children know: this isn’t a little
kids movie, although there were many children at the movie theatre. I would not recommend this movie to anyone under 10. Happy watching! Note: I think this movie should have been rated PG-13. Negative - I thought the acting and screenplay were mediocre. What bothered me most about this film was that is was the stereotypical “chick flick.” Girl meets guy. They fall in love. Something happens and they have to tearfully part. The movie concludes with a vague “happily ever after” imagine-what-happens-next (to marry or not to marry, that is the question) ending. I also I felt that there was almost as much kissing in this movie as in some PG-13 movies I have seen. At one point in the movie, a girl makes a comment about a certain rendez-vous she has had with an older man. It’s
not just a passing reference either: she and her friends discuss and giggle over it for quite a few lines. Considering that this is a movie aimed at a younger audience, I felt that that scene was completely out of line. |
