Barbie: Princess Charm School
Barbie: Princess Charm School is a 2012 direct-to-DVD computer-animated film, directed by Zeke Norton,[1] which was released on September 13, 2011, in the US and on August 28 in the UK. The film debuted on TV on October 22, 2011, when it was shown on Nick Jr..
| Barbie: Princess Charm School | |
|---|---|
 DVD cover | |
| Directed by | Zeke Norton |
| Starring | Diana Kaarina Morwenna Banks Nicole Oliver Brittney Wilson Ali Liebert Shannon Chan-Kent Tabitha St. Germain Kelly Metzger Kazumi Evans Anna Cummer Bethany Brown Brian Drummond Vincent Tong Derek Waters Miranda Ram-Nolte Cathy Weseluck Lee Tockar Rachel Franco |
| Music by | BC Smith |
Production company | |
| Distributed by | Universal Studios Home Entertainment |
Release date |
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| Country | United States Canada |
| Language | English |
Plot
In the kingdom of Gardenia, teenage Blair Willows works as a waitress at a small caféteria to support her sickly adoptive mother and baby sister Emily. Returning home, Blair is shocked to find out via a televised broadcast that she has won a lottery for a scholarship to become a Lady Royal—a princess’s advisor—at the prestigious Princess Charm School, a magical academy where princesses from different kingdoms are educated. Emily reveals that she signed up Blair for the lottery multiple times (committing fraud) to ensure her selection. Despite Blair’s reluctance, her mother assures her that it is a good opportunity.
An employee named Brock Lesner takes Blair to school via carriage, where she is nervous about her new environment as soon as she steps into the school. Blair soon makes her way into the lobby where a golden retriever named Prince finds and recognizes Blair in the middle of the room. Prince tackles and plays with Blair, who tells Prince it was nice to meet him and that he is a good boy. Blair meets Headmistress Alexandra Privet, who tells her that Prince is a very shy dog before he is told by Mrs. Privet to lie down. Once Prince leaves the lobby, Blair is taken to the library and informed by Mrs. Privet that each student is assigned a fairy to act as their personal princess assistant. Blair's fairy, Grace, brings her to her dorm where she meets her roommates, Princesses Isla and Hadley. Blair is also introduced to Dame Devin, sister-in-law of the late Queen Isabella, and Devin’s daughter, Delancy, who will be crowned princess and ruler of Gardania at the school's graduation ceremony. Blair struggles in her classes as both Dame Devin and Delancy take a strong disliking to her, but improves when she receives special tutoring from Mrs. Privet.
While exploring the royal palace, Blair and her roommates happen upon a portrait of a young Queen Isabella and note her striking resemblance to Blair. Upon seeing another portrait depicting the late royal family (including Prince as a puppy) and learning that Blair was found by her adoptive mother on the same day the royal family died in a car crash, Isla and Hadley deduce that she is Queen Isabella’s long-lost daughter, Princess Sophia and the true heir to the throne. This discovery is overheard by Delancy. At dinner, in an effort to sabotage Blair even further, Dame Devin announces “Delancy’s” plan to demolish the poorer neighborhoods where Blair’s family lives and replace them with new parks.
Instead of returning home in defeat, Blair becomes determined to find the legendary crown of Gardania, which is said to glow when worn by the rightful heir. On the night before graduation, Dame Devin interferes when she plants jewelry in Blair’s room and accuses her and her roommates of stealing. The three of them are then ordered to be detained, only for the three friends to escape with the help of Delancy who believes that Blair really is Princess Sophia. Blair, her roommates, Prince the dog, and Grace sneak into the palace vault, but are caught by Dame Devin and Brock who take the crown and lock the girls inside.
The next morning, Delancy attempts to stall her coronation, giving Blair and her friends enough time to escape. Blair arrives and makes a claim to the throne. Blair, her friends, and Dame Devin struggle to grab the crown which eventually falls into Delancy’s hands. To her mother’s dismay, Delancy places the crown on Blair’s head; the crown glows and magically dresses Blair in a new gown, confirming her identity as Princess Sophia.
Dame Devin angrily berates her daughter and inadvertently reveals that she orchestrated the deaths of Queen Isabella and her family so Delancy could inherit the throne. Dame Devin is arrested and Sophia elects Delancy as her Lady Royal. Sophia re-adopts Prince as her dog and is reunited with her adoptive family at a celebratory dance that evening.
Cast and characters
- Diana Kaarina as Blair Willows/Princess Sophia, a waitress at "Cafe Gardania" who wins a scholarship to Princess Charm School. She is kind, clever, and diligent, but clumsy. It is later revealed that she is Princess Sophia, the long lost princess of Gardania.
- Morwenna Banks as Alexandra Privet, the headmistress of Princess Charm School.
- Nicole Oliver as Dame Devin, a vindictive school teacher at Princess Charm School, Delancy's mother, and sister-in-law of the late Queen Isabella. She attempts to sabotage Blair at every corner, due to recognizing her as Queen Isabella's lost daughter.
- Brittney Wilson as Delancy Devin, a student at Princess Charm School, Dame Devin's daughter, and the heir presumptive of Gardania. Despite her initially spiteful attitude, she chooses to do the right thing when she learns that Blair is the true heir to the throne.
- Ali Liebert as Princess Hadley, an athletic student at Princess Charm School and one of Blair's roommates and best friends. Liebert also plays Princess Portia, Delancy's airhead companion.
- Shannon Chan-Kent as Princess Isla, a music-loving Japanese student at Princess Charm School and amateur DJ, and one of Blair's best friends and roommates.
- Vincent Tong as Prince Nicholas, a prince who attends the neighboring Prince Charming Academy and later befriends Blair.
- Madeleine Peters as Emily Willows, Blair's younger sister and Miss Willows' second adopted daughter who signed up Blair for the Princess Charm School lottery multiple times.
- Ellen Kennedy as Miss Willows, Blair and Emily's adoptive mother on whose doorstep Blair was left as a baby after surviving the car crash that killed her birth parents.
Special guest star: *Miranda Ram-Nolte as Princess Miranda
References
- "Barbie: Princess Charm School". Barbie. Retrieved 9 December 2013.
