Movie Review:

First Daughter

by Lynn B.

“Dawson’s Creek”’s Joey gets to table dance and ballroom dance in the new romantic movie First Daughter. Katie Holmes tells us she preferred the table dancing even though she got to keep one of her Vera Wang ball gowns.

Samantha Mackenzie (Katie Holmes) just wants to have a normal life as she goes off to Redmond College. Big obstacle? She’s the daughter of the U.S. President (Michael Keaton). Forget the normal, sans paparazzi college life. Even a spunky roommate who seems to accept her ( R&B singer Amerie) can’t make the experience pleasant until Sam meets her dorm resident advisor James (Marc Blucas) and falls for him. Do they have a future? Will she truly get off daddy’s leash and ditch the secret service guys that surround her or are they always closer than she thinks?

First Daughter is Chasing Liberty (remember back in January?) without the European vacation elements. The film is probably closer to the truth than “Liberty” but you can’t help comparing them especially since the plots are almost identical. Katie Holmes is still very charming and has a great smile that is kind of infectious. “Buffy” alum Marc Blucas makes hunky boyfriend material and I really enjoyed Michael Keaton (the first movie Batman) as the President who has to learn to let go of his growing daughter while still protecting her. Amerie was cute as the feisty roomie trying to get Sam integrated into some college fun.

The film is the typical corny romance with a few fun college dorm, frat party and table dancing at the bar scenes thrown in. Especially corny and cliché was a scene in which Sam and James are actually on a lake, in a boat, he rows and she has a parasol. A parasol? Geez, am I watching a teen-aimed romantic film or Masterpiece Theater? There are some lapses in logic that bothered me but, hey, the movie is harmless and if you are a fan of Katie or Marc, it’s fun. Also fun are the two gorgeous Vera Wang ball gowns Katie gets to wear and dance in.

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This movie is rated PG

Official Movie Web Site - http://www.firstdaughtermovie.com

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