Show ' The Herald Journal Logan Utah Friday April 4 2003 — C5 SHERMANS LAGOON '‘What a ©iirO’ should Y" tntx-mmoKKtjnomrmr oomfkr mem H puma it mn m row m oft tm Pint RwntBommL V-- wiVMMePtoK emMUHfHattNHi e demand better script By Christy Lsmlra AP Entertainment Writer ' ri' ft What Amanda Bynes should have wanted from “What a Girl WAnts” is a better script — and she deserves it A rising star who had her own variety show on Nickelodeon at 12 and who was easily the best thing in the otherwise unwatchable “Big Fat Liar" with Franlde Muniz Bynes is cute funny and infinitely likable She has the looks and comic timing of a young Jennifer Aniston — another actress for whom it took too long to leap successfully from television to film What the Bynes got was a CATHY I 2IWM4 KNO Kite JUST SONS ID NWS A CASUAL 0MMQLBUT X FAMOA FABULOUS KEN MCSSMOK X AND MUD MM BACK MO HE NEED TO 60 MWHNEKEmiWMO vein mwwnef x ms ratrccnM wen MTN A QUICK SALAD MIT MNENMEttflEWRE WHINS AND MSESCM-OLEUMI- T AND MNCMfr AP Photo —Movie review Amanda Bynes and Colin Firth in Warner Bros Pictures comkig-of-ag- e comedy "What A Girl fairy tale strictly for tweens and teens who couldn’t get enough of this movie when it came out in 2001 and was called “The Princess Diaries” “What a' Girl Wants” smacks of die fay humor Bynes hopefully will be so done with soon full of pratfalls and repeated sight gags This should come as no surprise though die director Dennie Gordon previously directed episodes of “Ally McBeal” and other TV shows before making her feature debut with 20018 disastrous “Joe Dirt” And Jenny£ick£ one of die screenwriters has written episodes of “Sex and the City” Thirty minutes or so of this kind of comedy may Work but in feature film form it feds forced — and Gordon made the movie even longer than it had to be with several montages of Bynes’ character trying on clothes with insipid pop playing in the background The most interesting thing about die movie took place behind the scenes: Warner Bros changed the ads which featured Bynes flashing a peace sign and wearing a tank top adorned with an American flag to ones in which her hand is resting at her side Because : of the war in Iraq the studio feared the peace sign would be misinterpreted as a political statement But there’s no way anyone could confuse this movie with me that has something serious to say Bynes plays the perky Daphne Reynolds who grew up in New York City’s Chinatown section with her bohemian mother Libby (Kelly Preston) At one of the many weddings where Daphne works as a waitress while Libby sings with her rock band Daphne laments that she’ll never dance toe bride enjoys have the because she doesn’t know her father Dad is Lord Henry Dashwood (Colin Firth) a British politician from an aristocratic family with whom Libby fell in love and informally married in Morocco 17 years ago But Henry’s family gave her the boot because she was an unsuitable Yank and he never learned he had a daughter (You see where this is leading right?) Daphne impetuously jets off to England where The Clash’s “London Calling” plays as she sees the sights from the top of a double-deckbus naturally All the requisite cultural clashes ensue Daphne’s cute new boyfriend a local musician named Ian (Oliver James) has to explain that the “loo” is a thing not a person And when she finally meets her father — along with his controlling fiancee Glynnis (Anna Chancellor) and her snooty daughter Clarissa (Reese Witherspoon e Christina Cole) — Daphne is forced to conform to their conservative ways which includes stifling her personality While the movie’s message is exactly what its target audience needs to hear the problem is Daphne was by no unacceptable in the first place She’s extremely normal — a vivacious stylish inquisitive girl So breaking her down just to rebuild her in their image and having her assert herself is a pretty unfounded premise Besides wasting Bynes’ talents “What a Girl Wants" also squanders several eteran actors including Eileen Atkins as Henry’s mother Jonathan Pryce as his top adviser and Firth himself though they manage to allow some deadpan humor to come through But lines such as “This Cinderella’s got a dad — she not going anywhere” are likely to be the groaners you remember long after this movie has turned into a pumpkin “What a Girl Wants” a Warner Bros Pictures release is rated PG for mild language One and a half stars out of four Wants’ sticky-swe- et BEETLE BAILEY SORRY R NO CELLPHONES ONTHEBEACI HAGAR THE HORRIBLE er look-alik- girl-pow- er TcSSSfftSyjL you-go-g- irl means-sociall- : PEANUTS HEY CHUCK IT'S EI6HT O'CLOCK 00 YOU KNOW UHERE Y0URP06IS? WHAT DO YOU MEAN? HE 5 SITTING IN MARClft KITCHEN PRINKING ROOT BEER TUATSUHATIMEAN! HE GOES THERE EVERY NJ6HTWHAT ARE YOU 60NNA D0 ABOUT IT CHUCK- - father-daught- er ICAlTUEAR YOUrr5TOO CARK OUTSIDE Tr elf y Sons of Bear Labe A novel by Douglas D Alder ' that it’s a descendant of Huge animals like dinosaurs that lived in Lake Bonneville ten thousand years ago and covered the whole Great Basin” “You’re spinnin’ Zeke You're just spin-ninHank said “Maybe it was a buffalo” “Them’s that sighted it said it can swim as fast as a locomotive oh the surface” “Have you seen it?” ’” eter didn’t hesitate He reached for the book of matches and lit up “Remind me to get that whiskey bottle when we get out” said Jim “Old Erwin at the mere really gets excited about a new empty ’specially if it’s not a ben bottle Ain’t it funny Ya can’t buy a genuine bottle in any town around here except in Montpelier but we can take empties right into the Laketown Merc and ol’ Erwin’ll refill ’em” “Hank says he mixes it with water” Peter responded “Well that’s how oty lie begets another my ma says” “Who gets the last cigarette?” “You can have iL” “Split it with you” said Peter turning his ear again to the voices above them It sounded like Zeke talking now “You’re a doubter of everything Razzle but you just try out the question on the old Indian Jake’ll tell you that his tribesmen have lost some of their members to the monster That’s why you’ll not catch any of them swimming in the lake—not a one will do it And old Charles C Rich he put an article in the paper telling people the stories was true I myself heard old timers tell of a sighting between here and St Charles years ago The best explanation I’ve heard is FOX TROT REAL UFE ADVENTURES TS TF4 5 VftlTY CLOSE TO HOME s YSTM “Nope” “No jury would buy that” “Let’s have another round” said Zeke Below the floor Jim held out his hand “Here's your half cigarette Pete” “No thanks The first thing Harriet is likely to do is check my breath” “Ever heard of “You got that stuff with you again?” Peter Sen-Sen- ?” asked “Sure always have one in my pocket” “I thought you gave up the habit” “Did but we’re on vacation” Jim grinned Peter could barely see his face in the darkness under the floor “Well you go ahead then Besides I’ve got to concentrate on my spying” Peter perked his ear again Razzle was talking now “Hank I gotta congratulate'you on havin’ a son who’s got yer same gumption— running away from home at fourteen” See tomorrow's Herald Journal for the next install- ment of this story Win at bridge By Phillip Alder ' You are sitting South the declarer in six spades after East opened with a weak bid promising a good suit and some d points West leads the heart two What is your plan? Over your takeout double North’s jump to four dia-- monds shows a decent suit and fur values Remember a minimum bid of three diamonds could be made with no points at all You are faced with tluee potential losers: two hearts and me club But if you could get into die dummy after drawing trumps you would two-hea- rt six-car- d high-car- Yotfm bbia sued By MrOsrtwntor (1J MMon H data Sw doubt NpmplaoMMnt you ml 6-- 10 discard those losers on North dummy’s diamond winners'! You know that West started with only one heart However do not automatically assume that West has the club king Instead draw two rounds of trumps If both opponents follow you must guess But when East discards draw a A 6 V 10 third round of spades unblock the diamond ace then lead the spade two from hand West is endplayed forced to give you access to the dummy If he shifts to a club you put up dummy’s jack and have a dummy entry whether or hot East plays the king 02003 NEA 4 K Q West A 10 9 8 3 A 5 V 2 V K Q A 8 6 3 9 0 6 4 2A 7 3 10 7 Q J 7 East J J 9 K I 8 4 4 9 103 South A J74 A K Q V A 6 5 4 A A A 5 2 Dealer East Vulnerable: Both |