The underrated, anti-establishment chick flick we deserved in 2003 - Vice

You wouldn’t think, if you were looking for an act of political rebellion, to turn to an Amanda Bynes teen chick flick from 2003, and yet Warner Brothers did. With the movie coming out just weeks after the controversial invasion of Iraq by a coalition of US and UK forces, amongst others, the studio feared the peace sign being flashed by the American-flag-vest-wearing lead; flanked by two British soldiers on the poster, it could be construed as either a pro or anti-war message. And so, they jankily photoshopped Amanda’s arm down by her side for the rest of the marketing. “Some people think, what does it mean? Are they against the war or is it a V for victory?” a spokesperson for Warner Brothers told the Los Angeles Times, the report claiming they also referred to the movie as “not war-related or, even political, and shouldn’t have any ‘war-related perception associated with it.’”

War-related? No, other than the fairytale-esque battle between an evil stepmother and daughter versus the sweet-natured true heir to daddy’s love. But What a Girl Wants is political, even if unintentionally. While it was derided by critics at the time for being a movie for tween girls (I mean, duh) and considered a not-as-good replica of The Princess Diaries, the movie packs an anti-establishment sentiment in a Y2K package of sassy one liners, low-rise flares and a Willa Ford hit. What more could a girl want?

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