First Daughter

I wasn’t keen on the movie, First Daughter, even though it starred one of my favorite young stars, Katie Holmes. It just didn’t pique my curiosity (kindah reminded of the time I first saw the trailer of Titanic) at all. But, it was a boring Saturday night and I needed something to pass the time. So, in lieu of a life (Ha! Ha! Ha!), I blindly picked a disc from a dusty of pile of DVDs beside the TV.

"Uh-oh." I uttered when I saw the opening credits. Another one of those girl-locked-in-the-ivory-tower-raring-to-get-a-life-with-a-dashing-prince-to-the-rescue plot (Hey! Isn’t that my make-believe life or what?!? Ha! Ha! Ha!) that would have me yawning before the girl announces, "I want to be free." Then, there was Marc Blucas. I have nothing personal against him (actually, I don’t know him personally) but I can’t forget how he went between my all-time favorite stake, I mean, star-crossed lovers on TV, Buffy and Angel. Needless to say, I don’t see him as the leading man type at all.

Sam (played by Katie Holmes), the girl who grew up in the political limelight, is about to start college far from home. Its a good decision, considering how her every move since childhood was scrutinized and reported with nary a thought nor care to her feelings. She’s a public figure without a choice. Her over-protective father, about to start his own campaign for a presidential re-election bid, reluctantly, agrees to lessen the number of bodyguards but secretly posts a Secret Service agent as a student.

Naturally, the guard and his unknowing charge fall in love and Daddy, not to mention the rest of the nation, has a lot to say about it. With her father’s re-election bid hanging precariously up in the air, Sam leaves school and helps out in the campaign, presenting a picture of a solid family.

The president wins another term and eventually realizes that his little girl has grown up to a young woman with maturity and grace. He finally decides to give her the freedom she craves for and re-assigns the young agent to be a part of his personal security coterie.

It kindah sound mushy, right? But, reality is far from it. Actually, I find it an intelligent movie. I wasn’t given the usual fare of bimbos and jocks that supposedly should make Sam feel inadequate. Nor were there obviously contrived romantics scenes between Sam and the agent. The story was simple and the movie was just like it.

First Daughter is not an eye-popping box-office success nor it could win acting awards for its cast and crew. There’s one thing I’m sure though, this movie will always be on my short list of films I truly enjoy.