Want more recommendations for your family?
Sign up for our weekly newsletter for entertainment inspiration
The Prince and Me
By Nell Minow,
Common Sense Media Reviewer
Common Sense Media Reviewers
Good acting saves unoriginal Cinderella story.
A Lot or a Little?
What you will—and won't—find in this movie.
Where to Watch
Videos and Photos
The Prince and Me
Community Reviews
Based on 5 parent reviews
Report this review
This movie lost me in the first five minutes.
Report this review
What's the Story?
THE PRINCE AND ME stars Julia Stiles as Paige Morgan, a serious and hard-working pre-med college student who has her whole life literally mapped out. She has a map of the world with pins showing all of the places she wants to visit after she completes her medical training and joins Doctors Without Borders. Luke Mably plays Edvard, the heir to the Danish crown. His life is also planned for him, but he is not the one who made the plans. He wants to postpone the inevitable by having as much fun as possible before he has to take on the responsibilities of the life he was born to. He secretly enrolls in college in Wisconsin, incognito as "Eddie," a foreign exchange student. Once he meets Paige, Edvard learns what it is like to have to earn respect and affection -- and money -- and Paige learns what it is like to listen to her heart and use her imagination. They each get to explore the other's family and culture. He races a souped-up riding lawnmower in Wisconsin farm country and she stays in a castle and goes to a ball. But falling in love is easy; finding a way to make their dreams and responsibilities fit together is not.
Is It Any Good?
This movie suffers from a weak script that is too often too silly and too seldom original. The title says it all: This is a classic Cinderella story about a hardworking girl from the Wisconsin dairy farm who wants to go to medical school but falls for a handsome and charming foreign exchange student who happens to be a prince in disguise. Does the course of true love run smooth? Not at first. Do they live happily ever after? What do you think?
Director Martha Coolidge has a sensitive touch in dealing with young female characters. She and Stiles do their best to make Paige more than the typical romantic comedy heroine. Mably shows some ease and charm as Eddie, who describes that other Danish prince, Hamlet, as though he is talking about himself: "The prince was young and scared and didn't feel ready for the choices he had to make." But by the time we have to sit through a scene of Paige trying on all the Crown jewels, they have long since run out of ideas.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about what Eddie and Paige saw in each other and what challenges lie ahead of them. What would be the best thing about being a prince? What would be the worst? What made Eddie's mother change her mind? How do the costumes and uniforms Eddie and Paige wear help tell the story? Families might also want to talk about the way Eddie approaches the labor dispute. Why was it so hard to resolve? What do Paige's and Eddie's mothers have in common?
Movie Details
- In theaters: April 2, 2004
- On DVD or streaming: August 10, 2004
- Cast: Ben Miller , Julia Stiles , Luke Mably
- Director: Martha Coolidge
- Inclusion Information: Female actors
- Studio: Paramount Pictures
- Genre: Comedy
- Topics: Princesses, Fairies, Mermaids, and More
- Run time: 103 minutes
- MPAA rating: PG
- MPAA explanation: some sex-related material and language
- Last updated: August 3, 2023
Inclusion information powered by
Did we miss something on diversity?
Research shows a connection between kids' healthy self-esteem and positive portrayals in media. That's why we've added a new "Diverse Representations" section to our reviews that will be rolling out on an ongoing basis. You can help us help kids by suggesting a diversity update.
Suggest an Update
Where to Watch
Our Editors Recommend
Common Sense Media's unbiased ratings are created by expert reviewers and aren't influenced by the product's creators or by any of our funders, affiliates, or partners.
See how we rate