Release Date:  September 24, 2004
Rating:  PG (for language, sexual situations and alcohol-related material)
Genre: Comedy/Romance
Run Time: I hr. 44 min.
Director:  Forest Whitaker
Actors:   Katie Holmes, Marc Blucas, Amerie Rogers, Michael Keaton, Margaret Colin, Michael Milhoan, Dwayne Adway

Katie Holmes joins Mandy Moore, Hilary Duff, Julia Stiles and Anne Hathaway in the latest version of “Cinderella,” this one aimed at ‘tweeners.  Surprisingly, this time’s the charm – if not cinematically, then certainly morally.

Samantha MacKenzie (Holmes), the only child of U.S. President MacKenzie (Michael Keaton, in an unlikely and unremarkable performance), desperately wants to be “normal, like everyone else.”  So when she goes off to school in California – to get away from all the press and pressure – she’s dismayed that nothing has changed, including her Secret Service agents.  Not only that, but now she has to contend with politics from her fellow students, who try to pull her into the mix.

Samantha longs for her first love, which she finds with ultra-friendly dorm R.A. (resident advisor) James (Marc Blucas).  James is not only smart and oh-so-handsome, but he also helps Samantha escape the clamoring paparazzi, giving her refuge in his room.  Of course, his door remains open at all times – every parent’s dream – so the secret service can keep an eye on things.

Samantha’s roommate, Mia (Amerie Rogers) has mixed feelings about the first daughter, but introduces her to the college social scene – everything from pool parties to dancing on bars, drunk, while wearing a platinum wig and short, short skirt, after Sam’s romance with James disintegrates.  Because – and I know this will come as a huge surprise – James has a little secret.  And even though you might easily guess it, and the trailers make it obvious, and another recent film had the exact same plot, I’ll let you figure it out.  Let’s just say that it causes a little hiccup between Samantha and James.  Hence, the drunken evening – which is soundly rebuked, by the way, when Samantha feels ill and fails to impress him.

In the meantime, we’re treated to the dizzying fantasy of what it would be like to be rich, powerful and famous.  While director Forest Whitaker makes sure to show us how awful that actually is (sure – we believe this), he also makes it look rather fun – especially when Samantha takes her friends to Washington for a glamorous black-tie affair.  As Mia says, while receiving a pedicure and facial on Air Force One, “Oh, isn’t this country great?!”