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American Morning
Showbiz Today Reports: `Princess Diaries' Opens This Weekend
Aired August 03, 2001 - 10:47 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
LEON HARRIS, CNN ANCHOR: Now it's time to check showbiz news and hear "Princess Diaries."
LINDA STOUFFER, CNN ANCHOR: That's right, Michael Okwu has the latest on the fairy tale story.
Hi there, Michael.
HARRIS: Hey, Michael.
MICHAEL OKWU, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, guys.
Before we get to that, a little bit of sad news: The centerpiece singer for the Grammy-winning pop group, The Fifth Dimension died Thursday after a four-year battle with kidney disease. Ron Townson retired from The Fifth Dimension in 1997 after fronting the group for more than three decades. The Fifth Dimension became famous in the 1960s for a string of enduring hits, including "Up, Up and Away," "Let the Sun Shine In," "Stoned Soul Picnic" and "Wedding Bell Blues." Townson was 68.
We'll have the inside scoop on all the weekend's big movies in our next "Showbiz Today Report" at 11:35 a.m. Eastern. We're going to be talking to "Rolling Stone" film critic Peter Travers when he stops by.
But on a much lighter note, there was a spirited gathering in New York last night. Nicole Kidman turned out for the premiere of "The Others," her new movie about a haunted mansion. She stars as a mother in the ghost story, which was produced by her soon-to-be ex-husband Tom Cruise.
She talked about her mixed feelings.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
NICOLE KIDMAN, ACTRESS: We've both been involved in this movie early on. And I mean, there's sadness attached to it, obviously, because of everything. But we're both, you know...
QUESTION: Would you say you're on friendly terms?
Are you on friendly terms with each other?
KIDMAN: I don't really wish to discuss it, because right now it's so nice to be able to be here and just deal with the movie.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
OKWU: Well, we do have another movie to talk about: "The Princess Diaries" gives the traditional ugly duckling tale a new spin.
CNN's Sherri Sylvester talked with the stars of the fairy tale.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
SHERRI SYLVESTER, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Mia Thermopolis seems like a typical awkward teen until she learns a stunning secret: She's really European royalty.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP, "THE PRINCESS DIARIES")
ANNE HATHAWAY, ACTRESS: Shut up!
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SYLVESTER: The news is delivered by her grandmother, played by Julie Andrews in her first studio movie in over a decade. She's observed royals from close range.
JULIE ANDREWS, ACTRESS: They don't sort of waste gestures. I mean, they don't wave constantly like this. They wave very gently, because it could get very tiring. You'd get carpal tunnel syndrome.
SYLVESTER: Her queenly character instructs Mia in the finer points of aristocratic behavior.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP, "THE PRINCESS DIARIES")
ANDREWS: You don't slump like this.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SYLVESTER: It's a steep learning curve, but with help from a makeover artist, she goes from gawky to gorgeous.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP, "THE PRINCESS DIARIES")
UNIDENTIFIED ACTOR: Only Paolo (ph) can take this and give you...
ANDREWS: Much better.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SYLVESTER: For young Anne Hathaway, the bigger stretch was acting elegant.
HATHAWAY: I am the world's biggest klutz. I am a total dork. So when she was falling all over everything -- half the pratfalls in there weren't in the script, they were accidents.
SYLVESTER: She was nervous about meeting her costar.
HATHAWAY: I held up my hand, and that was shaking too. And I just said, "Ms. Andrews, it's really nice to meet you." And she just pulled me into the biggest bear hug and gave me a kiss on the cheek and just said, "Oh, this is going to be wonderful; we're going to have so much fun." And I just melted; fell in love with her right there, and just said, "we are!"
GARRY MARSHALL, DIRECTOR: When you meet Julie Andrews, your posture improves. People suddenly sit up when she comes in, and they shut up.
SYLVESTER: Directing is Garry Marshall in his first G-rated film.
MARSHALL: I guess my dream is always to have families laugh at the same thing. They know how to fight about the same thing, but laughing is a different story.
SYLVESTER: Heather Matarazzo and singer Mandy Moore costar, respectively, as friend and foe of the princess. And as he's done in all his films, Marshall finds a role for Hector Elizondo.
HECTOR ELIZONDO, ACTOR: I do know that I'm in his contract. I hope he doesn't take out a contract on me.
SYLVESTER: This time he plays a wise assistant to the queen. He sums up "The Princess Diaries" this way:
ELIZONDO: This is the caterpillar turning into the butterfly routine. You know it's going to happen; how it's going to happen is the trick, how well you're going to do it. And it still grabs you. It's magic.
SYLVESTER: Sherri Sylvester, CNN Entertainment News, Hollywood.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
OKWU: Again, in our next week -- in our next "Showbiz Today Reports" we're going to talk to you about the weekend's big movies. That's coming up at 11:35 a.m. Eastern, when "Rolling Stone" film critic Peter Travers stops by. I can't get enough of him.
I'm Michael Okwu reporting from New York, now back to you guys in Atlanta.
STOUFFER: Summer movie season continues. thank you, Michael.
HARRIS: Thanks Michael.
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