Release Date:  July 16, 2004
Rating:  PG (for mild language and innuendo)
Genre:  Comedy/Romance
Run Time: 96 min
Director:  Mark Rosman
Actors: Hilary Duff, Jennifer Coolidge, Chad Michael Murray, Dan Byrd, Regina King, Julie Gonzalo, Lin Shaye, Madeline Zima, Andrea Avery, Whip Hubley

Well, it’s the third time this year for a Cinderella remake, but tragically, this one is not the charm.

Sam (Hilary Duff) and her father (Whip Hubley) get along great, despite the fact that Sam has no mother and we aren’t told why. But dear old Dad isn’t as smart as he seems. He falls for Fiona (Jennifer Coolidge), a woman who despises cute little Sam. He then leaves Sam during an earthquake and dies – without a will.

Flash forward eight years. Sam is living in the attic and driving a “beat up old car.” She spends her free time working at her dad’s diner, now redone by the hated Fiona. Her paycheck goes toward future tuition at Princeton, Sam’s dream school. The one bright spot in Sam’s life is “Nomad,” a mysterious admirer she met in a Princeton chat room who sends her instant messages every day.  The two go to the same high school, but have yet to meet. Little does Sam realize that “Nomad” is actually Austin Ames (Chad Michael Murray), the school quarterback and president of the student body who regularly ignores Sam as his friends make fun of her, calling her “Diner Girl.”

When “Nomad” suggests to Sam, aka “Princeton Girl,” that they meet on the dance floor at the Halloween dance, Sam wants to go, but Fiona insists that she work that night. Rhonda (Regina King), who runs the diner, insists that Sam go, however, and outfits Sam in a dazzling dress. But Sam has to return before midnight, when Fiona will arrive to check up on her. Will she finally meet her prince?

Although this film seems to be a cross between “Mean Girls” and “Ella Enchanted,” both of which were far stronger films, it has a few creative moments, like the substitution of a cell phone for a glass slipper and the theatrical character of Carter (Dan Byrd). The filmmakers should also be commended for their lack of obscenities, profanities and nudity, although the potty humor could and should have been bypassed as well. It truly takes the film down a notch to see young women passing gas in a pool.

Unfortunately, the film fails to achieve any cinematic heights and offers a trite moral message. It’s also a blatant advertisement for teenage dating and romance.

I find it hard to believe that Sam, who drives a vintage Mustang convertible and lives in a trendy loft-type room, is really a pitiful character. Her step-family is cruel, but it’s absurd to think that, with Sam’s gorgeous looks, she would be the hated school geek. And why is it that Austin doesn’t recognize her after meeting her at the dance in a mask that barely covers her eyes?