Tagline: This fairy tale is about to get real.
The Prince and Me movie storyline. At the University of Wisconsin in Madison, Paige, a pre-med student and a farm girl from Manitowoc, meets Eddie, a fellow student from Denmark, whom she first dislikes but later accepts, likes, and loves. Paige takes Eddie to her home for the Thanksgiving weekend. Paparazzi find and photograph the couple, and Paige learns that Eddie is truly Crown Prince Edvard.
Failing health causes King Haraald to abdicate in favor of Edvard, so Eddie returns to Copenhagen, then Paige follows her heart to Copenhagen, where Edvard warmly welcomes her, takes her to the castle, and introduces her to the royal family. Queen Rosalind first expresses opposition to Paige but later relents; King Haraald soon warms to her; Edvard proposes, Paige accepts, and he gives her a ring. However, Paige recalls her previous dream of going to Doctors Without Borders, so she breaks off and returns to school. Still, though, Edvard shows up at Paige’s graduation and suggests an alternate plan.
The Prince and Me is a 2004 romantic comedy film directed by Martha Coolidge, and starring Julia Stiles, Luke Mably, and Ben Miller, with Miranda Richardson, James Fox, and Alberta Watson. The film focuses on Paige Morgan, a pre-med college student in Wisconsin, who is pursued by a prince posing as a normal college student.
The film spawned three direct-to-video sequels created under a different writers and director, with Kam Heskin replacing Julia Stiles in the role of Paige Morgan: The Prince and Me 2: The Royal Wedding (2006), The Prince and Me 3: A Royal Honeymoon (2008) and The Prince and Me 4: The Elephant Adventure (2010).
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Denmark’s Prince Edvard (Luke Mably), on the other hand, shirks his princely duties (including opening a cabinet meeting) by instead racing sports cars. While watching television after a cabinet meeting, Edvard sees a commercial for a reality show set in Wisconsin called College Girls Gone Wild, featuring drunken co-eds flashing their breasts.
After meeting with his parents, King Haraald (James Fox), and Queen Rosalind (Miranda Richardson), Edvard announces his intentions to attend college in America—specifically, Wisconsin. While his parents do not want him to go, Edvard tells them he will go with or without their consent, and that he does not want any help or money. The King then dispatches Edvard’s assistant, Søren (Ben Miller), to chaperone the trip to America.
When Edvard arrives at the university, he orders Søren keep his identity a secret, and to call him “Eddie.” Also, his limo nearly hits Paige. Later at a bar Eddie sees Paige again, where he flirts with her. Eddie then asks Paige to take off her shirt, like the girls in the College Girls Gone Wild advertisement did. Paige angrily drenches Eddie with the drink hose, and bouncers escort Eddie (and Søren, who came to his rescue) from the bar.
To Paige’s annoyance, she and Eddie are also assigned as lab partners for an organic chemistry class. Since the class is important for Paige’s medical school ambitions, she warns Eddie to not get in her way, and reprimands him after he sleeps through one of their lab experiments. After running out of money, Eddie gets a job in the deli section of the bar, even using Paige as a reference. Paige reluctantly helps him during his first day. Eddie later asks her out, but she refuses.
After Eddie helps Paige learn how to interpret Shakespeare, and Paige teaches him how to do laundry, Paige is goaded by a friend to invite him to her home for Thanksgiving. While there, Eddie takes part in a lawn mower race, even beating the Morgan family’s rival. However, a fistfight ensues. After patching up his wounds, Eddie and Paige kiss.
Back at school after the Thanksgiving break, Eddie and Paige sneak off to the library stacks to pursue a romantic encounter of unspecified nature. While there, the Danish paparazzi appear, begin taking photographs and reveal his royal identity. After confronting Eddie, Paige leaves him.
At the end of the day, Eddie is notified by his mother that his father is very ill, leading him to return home. While Paige faces a panel of professors questioning her about Shakespeare and love, she realizes that she loves Edvard and runs to find him, only to discover that he has already left for Denmark. She goes after him, and upon arriving in Copenhagen her trip is delayed, as a parade honoring the royal family is blocking traffic. Paige is recognized by the crowd, and Edvard finds her and takes her to the castle on horseback.
The queen objects to Edvard’s choice to marry Paige, but the king tells him that if he loves Paige, he should marry her. Edvard proposes and Paige accepts. Paige struggles with conforming to the lifestyle of royalty, however, the queen warms to her. Then, she takes Paige to a little room with jewelry to get ready for the coronation ball. During the coronation ball, Edvard and Paige share their first dance and then sneak off together. After being left alone, Paige remembers her dream for Doctors Without Borders. When Edvard returns, she tells him that she does not want to sacrifice her dreams, and that she cannot be queen. She then returns to Wisconsin and graduates from college, where she has been accepted to Johns Hopkins School of Medicine.
Edvard arrives after the graduation, where he admits that he would be willing to wait to marry her until she finishes medical school and achieves her dreams. She confesses that Denmark may not be ready for a queen like her, but he says that he is, leading them to kiss passionately.
The Prince and Me (2004)
Directed by: Martha Coolidge
Starring: Julia Stiles, Susan Sarandon, Luke Mably, Alberta Watson, Miranda Richardson, Ben Miller, James Fox, John Bourgeois, Zachary Knighton, Elisabeth Waterston, Eliza Bennett
Screenplay by: Katherine Fugate
Production Design by: James H. Spencer
Cinematography by: Alex Nepomniaschy
Film Editing by: Steven Cohen
Costume Design by: Magali Guidasci
Music by: Jennie Muskett
MPAA Rating: PG for some sex-related material and language.
Distributed by: Paramount Pictures
Release Date: April 2, 2004
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