Shy, unpopular 15-year-old Mia (Anne Hathaway) is laughed at by her classmates because of her big specs and frizzy hair.

Two months after her father dies she meets her grandmother Queen Clarisse Renaldi (Julie Andrews) and discovers he was the king of a small European country. And if that wasn't enough, it turns out she's now heir to the throne.

But being a princess is a heavy responsibility and she doesn't have to accept the offer.

So until she makes up her mind, she decides to attend deportment lessons with her grandma.

Soon frizzy hair and big specs are a thing of the past, as she out-styles all of her nasty classmates.

But this transformation costs Mia her best friend, Lilly (Heather Matarrazo).

And Mia also ignores Lilly's brother, Michael (Robert Schwartzman), who has always been madly in love with her (even before the makeover).

Will Mia leave her friends behind and become a beautiful Ppincess or will she shrink back into her shy girl's skin?

In the end, it's friendship, love and pressure which help her to make the right decisions.

This is a beautiful fairytale - a movie that's all about discovering who you really are.

Nicely put together and with good performances from our leading ladies (it's Julie Andrews' first movie for Disney since she played Mary Poppins). A great little family movie.

Lucy Chippindale