Heartwarming / The Princess Diaries

"You saw me when I was invisible."

Books

General

• Mia and Rocky's relationship; she adores her kid half-brother.
• Also, surprisingly, Rocky adores ''Grandmere'' and keeps asking for kisses from her. Grandmere apparently returns the affection for her step-grandson, who isn't even related to her.
• After Mr. Giannini dies, Rocky starts acting out by talking about farts, asteroids and volcanoes. Philippe acts as a Reasonable Authority Figure about Rocky acting up, even saying he qualifies for a gifted program in Genovia, if Helen and Rocky will move with him there.
• Every interaction that Mia has with her half-sister Olivia when they aren't in Tear Jerker territory. Olivia with her Cheerful Child nature inspires this in Mia and even Grandmere.
  • To mark the point, Olivia wins over Grandmere, who was against revealing her, by commenting on how she loves poodles and thinks that they are the smartest dog breed available. A bond instantly forms over the two.
  • Philippe's interactions with his second daughter are also darling, up to and including his massive Papa Wolf moment when the people he thought he could trust to care for Olivia either ignore or take amusement from her being mistreated and the culprit being in a position to pull a Karma Houdini.
• In the fifth book, Grandmere actually gets Mia something on her list for her birthday- Mia wanted to end world hunger, and while that was slightly unrealistic, Grandmere instead made Mia the sponsor of a young orphan girl, saying (paraphrased) "I can't help you end world hunger, but I can at least help you send one little girl to bed every night with a good dinner."
• What Mia has to say about her mother in the first book, when she's hiding in the zoo.
  I hate making my mom worry. Even though she can be very irresponsible at times, it’s only with things like bills and the groceries. She’s never irresponsible about me. Like, I have friends whose parents don’t even remember sometimes to give them subway fare. I have friends who tell their parents they’re going to So-and-So’s apartment and then instead they go out drinking, and their parents never find out because they don’t even check with the other kid’s parents.
  My mom’s not like that. She ALWAYS checks.
• When she goes to stay at Lilly's, Mia mentions that their maid picks up vegetarian lasagne just for her when she knows Mia's coming round.
• Philippe and Helen apologising to Mia for mishandling the situation after she found out she was a princess and saying that they're going to do their best to make the transition as easy as possible for her.
• Mr G joking around and making Mia laugh by imagining the rest of the school staff in their pyjamas after Mia finds out he stayed the night.
• Lilly and Tina checking on Mia in the bathroom after Josh kisses her. Followed by her having a surprisingly good night with her friends and Michael.
  • Also Lilly's apology to Mia for her recent behaviour.
  She’s saying through the stall door that she’s sorry for laughing at my hair and that she knows she’s controlling and that she suffers from a borderline authoritarian personality disorder, and she says she’s going to make a concerted effort to stop telling everyone, especially me, what to do.
• The lady interviewer in book 2 doing her best to make Mia comfortable and telling her beforehand that if she doesn't feel comfortable answering a question, they'll just skip it. When Mia phones her in a panic, she tells Mia that she thought she was adorable.
  • That same interviewer Beverly Bellerieve later describes Mia's speech in book 9 as inspiring and the best she's ever heard at a gala.
  • When Mia mistakenly thinks that Beverly knows that her mom is pregnant, she decides to be the better person and to talk about how she always wanted to be a big sister. We find out later that she wasn't lying.
• Helen doesn't blame Mia for accidentally spilling the beans that she's pregnant again with Mr. Giannini's kid, despite the fact that it gets Grandmere on her case. They actually snuggle in bed together as Mia thinks her mom is going through a lot.
• It's revealed that Philippe has been in love with Helen for years, and wants to get back together with her. He also is jealous of the fact that she's moved on with Mia's algebra teacher. Even so, in book two when Grandmere plans a tawdry celebrity wedding which is what neither Helen nor Frank wants, Philippe discreetly gets the couple to Mexico for a quiet elopement. Then he announces it just as the ceremony is about to start.
• Lilly stages a walkout when she gets a bad grade on her English paper. Obviously, she wants Mia to participate but Mia privately thinks that Lilly did deserve the bad grade and the teachers will get the brunt of the attention. Mia pulls the fire alarm just as the walkout is about to happen, using a bathroom break as an excuse and disrupting it harmlessly. Mr. Giannini takes her aside hinting that he knows what she did and how risky it was, since pulling a fire alarm in a false emergency is a federal crime, but also asks her to "thank" whoever did it because it was a classy move.
• Despite all her worries about what it will be like to be a big sister and if her mom can actually take care of another kid, Mia instantly bonds with "Rocky". She also realizes that she's going to enjoy helping raise her little brother.
• Grandmere talking to Mia on the fire escape in book 3 and getting her to go to the dance. Because not going would be the cowardly way. "And you, Mia, as you have shown amply this past week, are not a coward."
  • Before that Mia's mum and Mr G and her dad taking turns to try and convince her to come inside, followed by Ronnie their neighbour loaning Mia her electric blanket since it's snowing and Mia doesn't have a coat on.
• Sebastiano sending Mia a dress for the Winter Dance and an apology note after the pictures of her modelling his designs go public.
• Mia's friends trying to comfort her after Lilly makes Mia cry in Princess Mia. In particular, this gem from Boris, especially when you remember how surprised Mia was to hear that Lilly was dating him in book 1.
  “What’s not true, Boris?” I asked him, totally confused.
  “What Lilly just said,” he said. “About Michael being sick of you. I can’t tell you how I know. But I do.”
  I smiled at him. Even though I was still in total despair and everything, I couldn’t help it. Really, Tina is so lucky. She has the most fantastic boyfriend in the entire world.
• After this pep talk, Boris goes willingly into the supply closet and plays one of Mia's favorite songs. She can't help but think how sweet that is.
  • Lana tries to cheer up Mia by taking her for a mani-pedi with Trisha and ditching class. Mia even acknowledges how sweet it is of Lana to make an effort.
• After this confrontation, Mia's friend group is disappointed in Lilly and stops associating with her, leaving her to hang out with Kenny's nerdy classmates. Not even Tina has many nice things to say about her, only going with Damned by Faint Praise. Shameeka explicitly says she used to be cool but is a giant jerk now.
• Book 8 when Mia asks her father if he ever used to smell her mother's neck and what it smelled like to him. He tells her it smelled like freesia.
• To her credit in Royal Wedding, Lilly makes up for her past behavior by showing unconditional support for Mia trying to investigate her half-sister. She finds Olivia and the reasons that Mia needs to go see her.
  • Lilly in her twenties is generally much more supportive of Mia than she was in her teens, redirecting her former judgemental attitude into a political savviness that helps Mia get the note of permission from Olivia's aunt to pick her up from school and figure out that Olivia's guardians are using her child support money for their own gain.
• Mia's conversation with her father in chapter 42 of A Royal Wedding.
• Minor but Mia's cousin Hank sending her a message on her fifteenth birthday, even though they don't see each other much due to him being a famous model.

Films

• Although it's implied that things were tense between Helen and Clarisse, their first on-screen conversation together (which is also the first time they've seen each other in years, and after Philippe's death at that) has them exchanging fond memories about the man they both loved - Helen even showing Clarisse an old photo she keeps of him.
  Helen: Even though it didn't work out between us, I loved your son very much.
  Clarisse: (smiling sincerely) Thank you.
• Even though Mia is bullied by the other kids, her teachers all look out for her in different ways.
  • Mr O'Connell tries to stop the name-calling in class when they're making fun of Mia's nervousness, and later in her first class post-makeover, he gives her a small smile as he comes in. She smiles back, which is Fridge Heartwarming, if you consider how she was annoyed at her mother going on a date with him and it implies she's giving the relationship a chance if it makes Helen happy.
  • Ms Harbula is an encouraging gym teacher who gives Mia plenty of reassurance in class.
  • Vice Principal Gupta very obviously turns a blind eye to Mia giving Lana her very justified comeuppance.
• There's a very cute moment where Clarisse says that Mia has ears "like her father" and Mia excitedly asks "really?"
• Joe, after discreetly noticing the jealous Lilly mocking Mia's new hairdo/makeover, asks her privately about her tears, then reminds her:
  Joe: No one can make you feel inferior without your consent.
  Mia: Eleanor Roosevelt said that.
  Joe: Another special lady, like yourself.
• At a state dinner, her first public appearance, Mia takes too much sorbet, gets an ice cream headache, and begins to flail wildly. The guests next to her (the prime minister and his wife!) realize what is going on and give themselves ice cream headaches to take the spotlight off Mia.
  • What makes this sweeter is that they do this even as Mia tries to tell them not to embarrass themselves.
  • Clarisse also tries to make light of the situation in order to make Mia feel less embarrassed.
  • They also don't seem to mind Mia's minor blunder when the prime minister goes to kiss her hand and she shakes it instead, with his wife simply smiling and reaching out to shake Mia's hand too.
• Not long after the dinner, Clarisse also sees Mia is feeling down and decides to go out with her. Not as the queen with the princess, but as a grandmother with her granddaughter.
• Clarisse also speaks about how Mia's parents fell in love. Although it's stated earlier that she approved of the divorce, Clarisse describes Helen as a "wonderful artist" and acknowledges how in love the two were.
• Helen clearly has a very loving relationship with her daughter, comforting her after the beach fiasco and standing by her when she's exposed as a princess. There's also a very cute scene where the two paint together.
  • And when Mia has her first dance with Michael at the ball, we can see Helen throwing excited looks in her direction, and looking so happy for her daughter.
• Mia is left embarrassed when she has to reveal her new hairstyle to the class. Lilly jumps in by telling everyone she'd rather get back to what they were studying - and then winks at Mia. It shows that she's making up for insulting Mia before she knew the reasons.
  • Lilly specifically says that she thinks Mia's hair rocks. It's extra sweet given her initial negative reaction to Mia's makeover.
  • Also, when Lana and her Girl Posse are mocking Mia's new hair, another girl tells her sincerely, "I think it looks really sweet, Mia."
• When Mia confesses her secret to Lilly, the latter's attitude changes completely and she just gets excited for Mia, also promising to keep the secret. And she does indeed.
• Lilly's heartfelt speech to Mia to try and convince her to be a princess. This also comes after the beach incident and Lilly was chewing Mia out for flaking on her - but immediately drops this when Mia says she's turning the job down.
  • Mia and Lilly's talk on the roof.
    Lilly: Wanting to rock the world and having zip power like me, that's a nightmare. But you being a princess is just... wow.
    Mia: Okay, what is so "wow"?
    Lilly: "Wow" is having the power to affect change; make people listen! Do you know how many teenagers have that power?
• Mia's letter from her father.
• "Because you saw me when I was invisible."
• After Mia leaves her dance lesson early Joe steps in and changes the music to something slower and more romantic before inviting Clarisse to dance. Charlotte enters to speak with Clarisse but on seeing them she quietly backs out of the room, leaving them to enjoy the moment together.
  Joe: You've been wearing black for too long.
• Lily and Mia have a cute moment where they're dancing together at the ball.
• In a weird way, the journalist from Teen Scene Magazine. When Mia makes her entrance drenched from the rain, she excitedly starts describing what she's wearing as if it's an intentional fashion choice; rather than being catty or mocking her being Underdressed for the Occasion like a lot of fashion journalists would.
• At the end, when Joe and Clarisse sneak off to be alone in the garden during the ball.

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