For over six decades, Disney has been igniting in little girls the dream of being a princess.
Then, in 2001, with the help of Julie Andrews and Anne Hathaway, the House of Mouse showed us that wearing the tiara is not all it”s cracked up to be.
The Princess Diaries opened in theaters 15 years ago today.
Hathaway”s Mia Thermopiles learns just what kind of pressure and responsibility is involved with being princess when she learns she”s the heir to the crown of Genovia.
“I don”t want to run my own country. I just want to pass 10th grade,” she moans.
It was the film debut of Anne Hathaway, who has since become Hollywood royalty herself, earning an Oscar for Les Misérables and nabbing coveted roles like Catwoman in Christopher Nolan”s The Dark Knight Rises.
The Princess Diaries gave us Anne Hathaway, and it also gave us lessons on how to wave like a princess (“Thank you for being here today”), Genovian pear juggling, Robert Schwartzman as a Beatle (essentially), and a best friend for best friends to aspire to in Lilly Moscovitz.
While we”re going on a nostalgic re-watch of Princess Diaries and Princess Diaries 2, can we still hope for a threequel? The latest on that from Hathaway herself is “we”re trying to make it happen. We don”t have a greenlight.”
C”mon Grandma Clarisse, make it happen.
Other notable August 3 happenings in pop culture history:
• 1971: Paul McCartney announced the line-up of his new, as-yet unnamed band. The following month he revealed the group”s name, Wings.
• 1974: Stephen Sondheim musical A Little Night Music delivered the final performance of its original run on Broadway.
• 1978: Satirical horror film Piranha opened in theaters.
• 1979: Talking Heads” third studio album, Fear of Music, hit record stores. Its first single, “Life During Wartime,” was included on The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame”s 500 Songs that Shaped Rock and Roll list.
• 1985: Tears for Fears song “Shout” hit the top of the U.S. singles chart.
• 1987: Def Leppard released their album Hysteria, featuring the group”s eventual hits “Love Bites” and “Pour Some Sugar on Me.”
• 1990: DuckTales the Movie: Treasure of the Lost Lamp opened in theaters. Later, that fall, the fourth and final season of DuckTails concluded its run.
• 1996: Dancefloor hit “Macarena” reached the top of the Billboard Hot 100. It held the top spot for an impressive 14 weeks.
• 1999: Patsy Cline was posthumously awarded a star on the Hollywood walk of Fame.
• 2002: Dave Matthews Band”s Busted Stuff peaked at no. 1 on the Billboard 200.
• 2004: Pitbull”s debut album M.I.A.M.I. was released.
Birthdays: Lost actress Evangeline Lilly (turns 37 today), pop singer Tony Bennett (90), 2 Fast 2 Furious actor Michael Ealy (43), Ricki and the Flash actress Mamie Gummer (33), Fringe actress Georgina Haig (31), Snowtown director Justin Kurzel (42), An American Werewolf in London director John Landis (66), Chronicle screenwriter Max Landis (31) (yes, he shares a birthday with his dad), Being Human actor Kyle Schmid (32), Apocalypse Now actor Martin Sheen (76), New Girl actress Hannah Simone (36), The 100 actor Isaiah Washington (53)