Nothing quite feels as relaxing as rewatching First Daughter. This ultimate comfort movie felt like a dream to watch growing up, just like I couldn’t get over A Cinderella Story.
If you’re not familiar with this movie, it stars Katie Holmes as our main girl, Samantha McKenzie. In the movie’s plot, we follow Samantha, the daughter of the President of the United States, as she longs to live a normal American teenager’s life.
Finally, her dad agrees to let her go off to college, where she meets a good-looking boy, her student advisor.His name is James Lansome (Mark Blucas), but after realizing the truth about him, it leads to her heartbreak. First Daughter is an iconic 2000s film full of fun moments, awkwardness, and drama.
And not to forget the acting. The film stars many talented actors who have really shone in their roles.
From her breakout role as the beloved Joey Potter on Dawson’s Creek to her turn as Rachel Dawes in Batman Begins, Katie Holmes has proven to fans she’s more than just a teen TV star. But of course, we also love her for it.
If you’ve managed to see First Daughter already, here are 7 iconic behind-the-scenes facts about it.
Katie Holmes’ Age in the Movie
Ok, so we can all agree that Katie absolutely killed it in this film, right? The actress and now mum became well known for her role in Dawson’s Creek, as well as appearing in teen movies in the 90s.
However, Katie played a much younger character than her actual age in First Daughter.
She portrayed 18-year-old Samantha heading off to college, but in real life, the star was actually 26 years old at the time of filming.
Hilariously, Katie drew parallels between her career in the spotlight growing up and her character’s experience of suffering under the intense pressure of public scrutiny and having her life scheduled.
She told Live Journal: “You are treated like an eight-year-old, aren’t you? Where do I go? When can I eat? What do I eat? Can I go to the bathroom? (Laughs).
“No, I think it’s pretty different. I chose to go after this life, and the president’s daughter doesn’t have the chance to choose that. So that’s a level of responsibility and fame that you’ve got to accept, and deal with, and you’ve got a lot of privileges, but it’s got a lot of rules.”
The actress also opened up about whether she wished about going to college, saying: “You know, I have asked my good friends if I missed a lot, and in some ways I think it would have been nice, but I’m so thankful for the way my life turned out that I can’t really say that I regret anything. I’m pretty thrilled.”
Justine Wachsberger’s Big Break
Ok, actors have to start somewhere, right? And it’s not always commercials.
One actress made her debut on screen thanks to her small role in First Daughter.
Justine Wachsberger, who was new to the industry at the time, played a passing student; however, she has now gone on to cement her name in Hollywood.
Justine was born in Los Angeles but grew up in Paris. She later returned to her place of birth to pursue her acting career. And is now known for appearing in The Twilight Saga: New Moon and The Divergent Series. She has made guest appearances on shows such as The Mentalist and Teen Wolf.
A Painful Scene for Katie Holmes
We can all admit Samantha Mackenzie was badass. Despite having the world’s eyes on her she knew how to live life on the edge, although it sometimes got her into trouble.
In the movie, we see her attending parties and dodging paparazzi to have some alone time with a cute boy, but that also meant having to sneak around a lot.
In one scene, Samantha (Katie Holmes) climbs down a ladder barefoot after sneaking out. And Katie Holmes once admitted that the scene wasn’t as effortless as it seemed. Yep, it was very uncomfortable!
According to the DVD commentary, the actress mentioned that she could only do a single take because the rungs hurt her feet so badly.
Costume Designs
We often saw Samantha parading around with expensive outfits, and that dress she wore in the final scene, dancing with James, was breathtakingly stunning. But those outfits came with a huge price tag.
In fact, all of Katie’s ballgowns in the film were designed by the renowned Vera Wang.
These gowns are a luxury, as Wang’s original creations often retail for over $10,000 each.
Release Date Delays and Box Office Struggles
Ok so you know how some films fail tragically at the box office but became a masterpiece a few years down the line? First Daughter is one of them.
If we rewind two decades back, it release was delayed after Chasing Liberty (2004), a similarly themed movie after it underperformed at the box office.
Unfortunately, First Daughter didn’t fare much better.
Michael Keaton and Katie Holmes’ Batman Connection
Here’s a cool fan for film fans.
Both Michael Keaton and Katie Holmes have appeared in Batman films, but in different eras.
In First Daughter (2004), Keaton played President John MacKenzie, the father of Katie Holmes’ character, Samantha.
Keaton famously starred as the iconic Batman in Batman (1989) and Batman Returns (1992), directed by Tim Burton. His portrayal of the Dark Knight is often regarded as one of the most beloved in the franchise.
Katie, on the other hand, played Rachel Dawes in The Dark Knight (2008), the second film in Christopher Nolan’s Dark Knight Trilogy.
First Daughter and Chasing Liberty Are Essentially the Same Film
If you’ve seen First Daughter and Chasing Liberty (2004), you might have noticed something – these two films are basically the same.
Both follow a rebellious president’s daughter trying to live a normal life, only to fall for a guy hired by her father to protect her and he’s actually a secret agent.