The box-office reads the princess diaries!

'i don't want to run my own country —i just want to pass the 10th grade!' this dialogue probably sets the mood for gary marshall's film the princess diaries, which opened in theatres last friday. come to think of it, marshall, who is better known for directing pretty woman and runaway bride, nearly shied away from directing this film about a shy san francisco teenager mia thermopolis (anne hathaway) who learns the astonishing news that she is a real-life princess! ''i almost didn't make the movie because there was a typo on the title page which read: the princess dairies,'' says marshall, ''i thought it was a movie about privileged cows!'' upon discovering that this was not a film with a bovine bent, marshall threw himself whole-heartedly into the process of making the princess diaries.''i liked the story because it is something that an entire family can see and enjoy,'' says marshall, ''also, it shows a young girl turning into a woman and realising that she can have a positive effect on the world.'' in the aftermath of what films such as harry potter and the sorcerer's stone, pearl harbor, monster and shrek have done at the us box-office by grossing more than $ 200 million at the drop of a hat, it is easy to ignore films such as the princess diaries and their performance. but the facts reveal that the princess diaries, made on a budget of $ 30 million and released in america in august 2001, grossed $ 22 million in its first weekend and ended up doing business in excess of $ 100 million —the $ 100-million bracket holds considerable significance at the us box-office. as for the storyline, the princess diaries is the story of 15-year-old mia, who discovers that her father is the prince of genovia and she is the sole heir to the throne. what's more, mia must decide, by her 16th birthday, whether she will move to genovia and live as a princess or remain in manhattan where she lives with her artist mum. when mia does decide to follow the princess route, she suffers the indignity of going through princess lessons at the hands of her stern grandmother! ''i'm naturally attracted to female wish-fulfilment and empowerment movies,'' says marshall, ''the princess diaries is an affirming and entertaining story which fits this mould quite nicely.'' marshall is a happy man of course. but then, why not? not everyone gets to shape the future of a princess' diaries, right? cupoor@indiatimes.com