Chasing Liberty (PG-13, 2004)

Pop princess Mandy Moore plays the President's runaway 18-year-old daughter in this formula romantic comedy designed for middle school girls and not of much interest or appeal for anyone else. Liberty (Moore) is a sweet kid who understands that being followed by secret service agents and having her picture taken with tourists and dignitaries is part of the job description. Like any other 18-year-old, she thinks her parents are too protective. On a trip to Prague, her father (Mark Harmon) breaks his promise to limit her secret service protection to two agents, so she runs away, with the help of a handsome guy with a cool British accent named Ben (Matthew Goode). It turns out that he is in the secret service, too, but ordered not to tell Liberty, so that she can have the illusion of an adventure. But things do not go as planned, and they end up having more of an adventure than they thought.

There are pretty things to look at in CHASING LIBERTY, especially Prague and Venice, and newcomer Goode, who is very good indeed. And we want to root for the overprotected Liberty, never alone but always lonely, to take some risks and have some fun. But Moore is so limited as a performer, the plot and dialogue are so superficial and unimaginative, and the lack of chemistry between the leads is so intrusive that a recap montage of the would-be high points near the end just seems painful.