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First Daughter

EMAILPRINTTwentieth Century Fox Film Corporation

First Daughter reviews
31
5.6 User Score:

Generally unfavorable reviews

Based on 24 critic reviews
How did we calculate this?

Based on 14 votes
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Movie Info

Genre(s): Comedy  |  Romance

Written by: Jessica Bendinger (also story)
Kate Kondell
Jerry O'Connell (story)

Directed by: Forest Whitaker

Release Date:
Theatrical: September 24, 2004
DVD: January 25, 2005

Running Time: 104 minutes, Color

Origin: USA

Summary

RATING: PG for language, sexual situations and alcohol-related material

Starring Katie Holmes, Marc Blucas, Amerie Rogers, Michael Keaton, Margaret Colin, Lela Rochon, Michael Milhoan, and Dwayne Adway

Samantha Mackenzie (Holmes) wants what every college freshman desires: to experience life away from home and parents. But it's not going to be easy, because home for Sam is The White House and her dad (Keaton) is the President of the United States. (20th Century Fox)

What The Critics Said

All critic scores are converted to a 100-point scale. If a critic does not indicate a score, we assign a score based on the general impression given by the text of the review. Learn more...

50

Miami Herald Connie Ogle

Just one more in the plague of weak Cinderella stories released in the past year. It's too sugary to be good for you, but in the end, its over-the-top sweetness won't kill you.

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50

Philadelphia Inquirer Carrie Rickey

Is there a limit to this incessant princessitude?

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50

Chicago Sun-Times Roger Ebert

All heart and has the best intentions in the world, but what a bore. It's a beat slower than it should be, it makes its points laboriously, and the plot surprise would be obvious even if I hadn't seen the same device used in exactly the same way earlier this year in "Chasing Liberty."

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50

The Globe and Mail (Toronto) Rick Groen

A dull, formulaic romance comedy with an ulterior motive and a sly message. Remarkably, the message is this: "Please Re-elect George Bush."

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50

New York Daily News Robert Dominguez

There are plot holes you can fly Air Force One through.

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50

San Francisco Chronicle Carla Meyer

First Daughter can be measured in degrees of Holmes' discomfort... There's never a moment when she doesn't appear as if she'd rather be in a different movie.

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50

TV Guide Angel Cohn

Keaton and Holmes have some sweet father-daughter moments and the supporting cast gives its all.

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50

Chicago Reader J.R. Jones

Whitaker directed this flaccid romance from a script by girl-power hacks Jessica Bendinger.

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50

Dallas Observer Luke Y. Thompson

Part of the problem is that this First Daughter is modeled on good-girl Chelsea Clinton; a movie based on our current two party-girls-in-chief trying to embarrass their reformed alcoholic dad would be far more fun.

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42

Entertainment Weekly Lisa Schwarzbaum

The role of a poised daddy's girl is a dull one for Holmes, who looks pained, in a nonspecific way, throughout her capers; the movie itself, with a screenplay by Jessica Bendinger and Kate Kondell, is a dull one for director Forest Whitaker.

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42

Seattle Post-Intelligencer Winda Benedetti

Though First Daughter delivers a nice twist about midway through and Keaton lights up the screen every time he's on it, Holmes fails to deliver the kind of nuanced performance "Pieces of April" suggests she's capable of.

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40

Los Angeles Times Carina Chocano

While First Daughter is nowhere near as airheaded or disingenuous as "Chasing Liberty," it's far more confused.

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40

Village Voice Ben Kenigsberg

First Daughter is less amusing than Jenna and Barb at the RNC, and dumb enough to make last January's presidential scion, Mandy Moore, look electable.

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40

Empire Lucy Aitken

Holmes’ wholesome charm keeps the movie afloat, but only just.

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38

Chicago Tribune Michael Wilmington

It's a glossy, well-mounted, slickly done but almost stuporously predictable affair, both formula-bound and utterly illogical.

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38

Charlotte Observer Lawrence Toppman

Has any movie this millennium had less reason to exist than First Daughter?

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30

Variety Robert Koehler

There are stiff politicians and there are stiff political movies, but the rigidity of the White House-based fairy tale that is First Daughter is in a category even pollsters may have a hard time assessing.

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30

The Hollywood Reporter Kirk Honeycutt

A bland, formulaic picture where romance and comedy are noticeably absent. A more wooden and uninspired effort from talented people behind and in front of the camera is difficult to imagine.

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30

Washington Post Michael O'Sullivan

One hackneyed, inauthentic, predictable scene after another.

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25

New York Post Lou Lumenick

Directed without wit or energy.

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25

Boston Globe Wesley Morris

Just bland behavioral propaganda, and Holmes makes such a guileless and robotic spokeswoman, it wouldn't be nuts to think the White House was just another mansion in Stepford.

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20

Austin Chronicle Marc Savlov

Stupendously dull and infuriatingly obtuse.

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20

The Onion (A.V. Club) Scott Tobias

It sends a bad message to the film's young audience that the daughter of a world leader needn't be more than a vapid bikini-stuffer.

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20

The New York Times Manohla Dargis

Plays more like a nightmare than a dream, and an exceedingly unnerving one at that. Sam isn't just a prisoner of her parents' ambitions; like nearly everyone else in this film, she's a zombie, sleepwalking through life while Rome burns.

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What Our Users Said

The average user rating for this movie is 5.6 (out of 10) based on 14 User Votes

Note: User votes are NOT included in the Metascore calculation.

ana d. gave it a10:
It was good way much better than chasing liberty in my opinion katie holmes acts better.

Cullen H. gave it a0:
Terrible in almost every imaginable way.

miriam M gave it a0:
Worst movie I have ever seen.

Bibi M. gave it a7:
First Daugher is much more enjoyable than Chasing Liberty.

frank r. gave it a0:
It was soooo boaring all i did the whole time was sit and gag.it was such a bad movie never see it you will feel like you want to gag! just don't soo ok?well if you like it if you see it then i will gag 100000000000 times!

Sarah B gave it a1:
Saw this movie on a plane, and could have been the result of my being air-sick. No humor or realistic situations. The hired cutie (to guard her) just happens to be what Sam is looking for, Sam's roommate plays a horridly undeveloped character who seems to be unreasonable in every situation. Overall, a dissapointment.

Bec gave it a3:
Some of the cheesiest cinematography i have viewed in awhile with a poor attempt to turn american politics into a fairy tale. male love interest is good eye-candy however storyline is unsupportable.

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