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The property at 2601
Lyon Street at Green, with its distinctive entry, plays the exterior of
Grove High School in the 2001 comedy The Princess Diaries. In this
movie for young girls, Julie Andrews is Queen Clarisse Renaldi of Genovea,
who comes to San Francisco to teach her granddaughter the fine art of being
a princess. Because the girl, Mia, played by Anne Hathaway, is socially
awkward and invisible to her classmates, the obvious humor revolves around
Mia's attempts to cope with her newly discovered royal status and the expectations
of her grandmother. This film was criticized by some who said it reinforces
stereotypes about the importance of being pretty and popular. While The
Princess Diaries will never play at feminist film festivals, it should be
noted that Mia is just as clumsy and insecure after her makeover as she
is before it, and all the "beautiful" young people in the movie are mean
and unhappy. At the climax of Mia's ascension, she's rain soaked and is
rambling in her speech, but reborn with confidence in herself because of
her father's love. Mia and her mom live in the former Chemical
Engine Company 43, a two-story Mission Revivial style firehouse in the
the Excelsior. The retired firehouse was sold at auction in 1976. The private
residence still retains a large hose drying tower in back. Many other City
locations are found including Pacific Heights, Russian
Hill, and Seal Rocks. Mayor Willie
Brown appears as himself in a gala scene in the film's last act. A reporter
asks the mayor if it looks like rain. Perhaps eluding to his Teflon political
career, the mayor answers, "It never comes down on Willie
Brown." Directed by Garry Marshall from the Meg Cabot novel, The Princess
Diaries includes an appearance by Laughing
Sal, our famous mechanical clown and a remnant of Playland at the Beach.
Watch for Sandra Oh as Vice Principal Gupta. San Franciscans will recognize
Oh from her role as Bambi Kanetaka, Armistead
Maupin's version of local TV reporter Wendy Tokuda, in Further Tales
of the City.
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