Directed by: Mark Rosman
Written by: Leigh Dunlap
Produced by: Ilyssa Goodman, Hunt Lowry, Dylan Sellers, Clifford Werber
Other cast: Jennifer Coolidge, Chad Michael Murray, Dan Byrd
Release date: July 16, 2004
Genre: Comedy, Romance, Family
Running time: 95 minutes
Meet high school student Sam, who scrubs floors at a diner, copes with her wicked stepmother and stepsisters, and all the while dreams of Princeton (the perfect spot for a would-be princess to find a prince). But maybe she has a Prince Charming already: her anonymous e-mail buddy, who arranges to meet her at the Halloween dance. Sam panics when Mr. Anonymous turns out to be the coolest guy on campus. Can he love a girl who isn't part of the in crowd? Can fairy tales come true? Sure...but only if Sam stands up for herself and turns her dreams into reality.
Taglines
– Once upon a time… can happen any time.
Trivia
– Hilary Duff accepted the lead role because Charles Perrault’s story “Cinderella” was her favorite fairy tale when she was growing up.
– In preparation for her driving test, Hilary Duff drove herself between filming locations during principal photography for this movie.
– Hilary Duff was homeschooled from the third grade onwards (aged 8), in order to focus on her acting career, so did not have to worry about missing classes for the movie. So despite playing a bullied “nerdy” high schooler in this movie, Duff never went to high school herself.
– Second time Hilary Duff is looked down and made fun of by a mean and popular Girl. First time was in Lizzie McGuire which came out 3 years prior.
Character’s Quotes
– No, you listen. You turned out to be exactly who I thought you were. I never pretended to be somebody else. It’s been me all along. And it was me who was hurt in front of everybody. Look, I didn’t come here to yell at you, okay? I came to tell you that I know what it feels like to be afraid to show who you are. I was, but I’m not anymore. And the thing is, I really don’t care what people think about me… because I believe in myself. And I know that things are gonna be okay. But even though I have no family, and no job, and no money for college… it’s you that I feel sorry for.
– You know what, Fiona? You can mess with your hair and your nose and your face, and can even mess with my Dad’s diner, but you’re through messing with me!
– And lived happily ever after. At least for now. Hey, I’m only a freshman!
– Maybe this whole relationship is just better off in cyberspace.
– You know we’re supposed to be conserving water! We’re in the middle of a drought!
– Sometimes, fantasies are better than reality.
– It turned out my stepsisters knew where Fiona had filed my real acceptance letter at Princeton.
– Once upon a time, in a far away kingdom, lived a beautiful little girl and her widowed father.
– I thought that I could handle this, but I really can’t.
– I’ll let you know when I can catch my breath.
– It was the kind of place where diet was a four letter word, and grease came at no additional charge.
