Chasing Liberty

Tired of being followed by hordes of Secret Service agents every time she goes on a date, the U.S. president’s 18-year-old daughter (Mandy Moore) escapes during a diplomatic trip to Europe and sets off on her own with a young Brit (Matthew Goode). Roman Holiday is an obvious reference point for this relatively harmless romantic comedy, but It Happened One Night and Sullivan’s Travels might be just as relevant. The couple move through Prague, Venice, Berlin, and the Austrian countryside; all of these seem attractive, which in the present political climate almost makes the movie look progressive. Jeremy Piven and Annabella Sciorra exert some charm as bodyguards tracking the couple; Mark Harmon and Caroline Goodall are OK as the heroine’s parents. Andy Cadiff directed Derek Guiley and David Schneiderman’s by-the-numbers script. PG-13, 101 min. (JR)

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