Victoria Wicks Movies
Loosely based on the 1958 comedy The Reluctant Debutante starring Sandra Dee, the family-friendly comedy What a Girl Wants features popular Nickelodeon teen star Amanda Bynes in her first feature-starring performance after her debut in Big Fat Liar. She plays teenager Daphne Reynolds, who lives in New York City with her musician mother, Libby (Kelly Preston). After she turns 17, Daphne is undecided about her future, so she takes off by herself to London in search of her father. She immediately meets cute musician Ian (Oliver James) before sneaking in to her father's estate to surprise him. He turns out to be Lord Henry Dashwood (Colin Firth), a fabulously wealthy aristocrat who doesn't even know that she exists. He had met her mother in Morocco and the two were married in a tribal ceremony. Upon their return to England, she left him and went back to the U.S. without ever revealing that she was pregnant. The uptight Henry is already flustered by his campaign for election, advised by doting aide Alistair Payne (Jonathan Pryce). His no-nonsense fiancée, Glynnis (Anna Chancellor), and her bratty daughter, Clarissa (Christina Cole), are threatened by Daphne's presence, thinking that she will hurt Henry's political aspirations by causing a scandal. However, the family matriarch (Eileen Atkins) takes a liking to her and she soon finds herself trying to liven things up at several stuffy aristocratic parties. Meanwhile, the evil Glynnis and Clarissa conspire against her by trying to sabotage her appearance, leading up to the conclusion at Daphne's very own coming-out party. ~ Andrea LeVasseur, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Amanda Bynes, Colin Firth, (more)
- 1990
- PG
Ian Bertram (Robert Lindsay) is a mathematical genius who works as an accountant for a multinational firm based in England. When he meets Cary Porter (Molly Ringwald), who recently started working for the same company, Ian immediately falls in love and quickly proposes marriage. Cary accepts, and they plan a modest wedding, but when Ian's accounting skills earn him the admiration of company head Herbert Dreuther (John Geilgud), Herbert offers to pay for a honeymoon in Monte Carlo and give them a ride back on his yacht. But while Mr. Dreuther means well, he has problems with his memory, and once Ian and Cary get to Monte Carlo, Herbert has forgotten all about them. Stuck at the hotel with a large bill that he can't afford, Ian works out a plan to win at roulette; his scheme works, and he earns enough to pay their bill, get them home, and have plenty left over. But his sudden success at the gambling tables makes Ian drunk with power, and Cary discovers that her new husband has turned into a power-hungry tyrant. Strike It Rich was adapted from the novel Loser Takes All by Graham Greene; it has been shown under the novel's title, as well as under the title Money Talks. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Robert Lindsay, Molly Ringwald, (more)
- 1986
- PG
Pleasant and unpresumptuous, this modest comedy drama is about Elaine (Lucy Sheen), a young female lawyer in London and how she tries to do her duty by executing the last will and testament of a Chinese VIP. The heirs to the man's fortune argue among themselves, creating more headaches for Elaine as she tries to figure out the will. At the same time, Elaine finds herself attracted to the eldest heir, Mike (David Yip), and eventually Elaine and Mike enter into a romantic liaison. Meanwhile, another problem surfaces; the deceased insisted he be buried in his native village in mainland China, but no one wants to accompany the body. ~ Eleanor Mannikka, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- David Yip, Lucy Sheen, (more)
This television mini-series sequel to A Woman of Substance finds aging businesswoman Emma Harte (Deborah Kerr) preparing to hand over her empire to granddaughter Paula Fairley (Jenny Seagrave), much to the dismay of the rest of the family. ~ Jason Ankeny, All Movie Guide
- 1984
Filmed several times since its publication in 1897 (most memorably by producer David O. Selznick in 1937), Anthony Hope's quintessential swashbuckler The Prisoner of Zenda also served as the basis for a lively, six-part British TV series. Diligently faithful to its source material, the series detailed the adventures of British tourist Rudolph Rassendyl (Malcolm Sinclair) after he was pressed into service as a substitute for his lookalike cousin, King Rudolph of Ruritania. Determined to gain the throne for himself, the King's brother Michael (Jonathan Morris), in concert with that lovable but lethal scoundrel Rupert of Hentzau (Jonathan Harris), plotted to dispose of both the monarch and his impostor. Meanwhile, Rudolph fell genuinely in love with his cousin's consort Princess Flavia (Victoria Wicks). "Sometimes destiny makes the wrong man king." This version of The Prisoner of Zenda debuted in the U.K. on November 15, 1984. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Malcolm Sinclair, John Woodvine, (more)
