Set in an absurd, patronizing fantasy world in which flag-waving citizens line the streets to see the President's kid off to college (where she's never once shown studying) and political protesters get as much access to the commander-in-chief as shallow reporters, First Daughter couldn't be more hackneyed or insipid. Failing to achieve even the shrug-worth mediocrity of the similarly plotted Chasing Liberty (starring Mandy Moore), this gimmick-driven disaster drags star Katie Holmes down with it as the sheltered, personality-free offspring of a vanilla prez (Michael Keaton), who falls in love with a cute Secret Service agent (the even more bland Marc Blucas) posing as a student in her dorm. Although introduced in the manner of a fairytale, the film's rampant lack of authenticity is nothing short of insulting, while its cutesy-poo approach is sickening (yet it's still peppered with pseudo-political sincerity that clumsily tiptoes around any real issues). First Daughter is so flaccid and formulaic (insert sassy dorm-mate here) that it fails even on its own terms, expecting us to feel sorry for a girl whose life revolves around cute boys, ball gowns, and free shopping trips in Air Force One. Not recommended. [Note: DVD extras include both widescreen and full screen versions, audio commentary (by costars Katie Holmes, Marc Blucas, and Amerie), the composer tribute featurette “The Final Score: Remembering Michael Kamen” (5 min.), the choreography “making-of” featurette “Fox Trot,” and two brief deleted/extended scenes. Bottom line: a decent extras package for a dud film.] (R. Blackwelder)
First Daughter
Fox, 105 min., PG, VHS: $19.98, DVD: $27.98, Jan. 25 Volume 20, Issue 1
First Daughter
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As of March 2022, Video Librarian has changed from a four-star rating system to a five-star one. This change allows our reviewers to have a wider range of critical viewpoints, as well as to synchronize with Google’s rating structure. This change affects all reviews from March 2022 onwards. All reviews from before this period will still retain their original rating. Future film submissions will be considered our new 1-5 star criteria.
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