Oh man, so I was a sweet little merman, living in Atlantic (natch), when an eeeeeevil fisherman caught me and bopped me right on the head! Now I can’t remember a thing! Do you remember what happened in The King’s Daughter?
Pop Quiz Hot Shot!
1) In the court of Louis XIV an event causes the king to fear for his mortality. What happened?
2) Meanwhile, the king’s illegitimate daughter is hidden away in a convent. What mundane activity is she barred from doing?
3) But it is time for a big celebration, so the king calls his daughter to court. It turns out she has musical talent! What position is she appointed to, and what instrument does she play?
4) Later the king’s daughter is flirting with her potential beau and uh-oh, an accident happens. What happens to the king’s daughter and how is she cured?
5) What stops the king from killing the mermaid and getting eternal life?
Bonus Question: Years later, the king lays on his deathbed. His dear friend Father Pere La Chaise by his side. As he dies he whispers one final work to La Chaise. What does he say?
Answers
1) He was almost assassinated! And hoo boy, as you’ll learn during the movie France is deeply in debt and their enemies surround them with strength, so they need this sweet god king to be around for a good long while. For France.
2) Swimming. That’s it. There is never really a good explanation of this. The sisters at the nunnery are like “no swimming” and she’s like “no, I want to swim.” It basically never comes up later too. They only mentioned it near the end when she goes and sees Atlantis.
3) She is going to be the Royal Composer because she’s like … a musical genius or something. And she is basically the best cello player in the world. A true triple threat: swimming, cello, and speaking to mermaids.
4) She falls off her horse and breaks her arm! Oh, boy, that looks like a bad break. Should probably immediately chop it off to prevent the instantaneous infection that is there from spreading. Luckily the mermaid has super healing powers from here gold colored heart and she uses that to heal the king’s daughter’s arm.
5) LOVE (awwwwwwwwww). The big L.O.V.E. That’s right. He’s never really loved before. But now, this child, his daughter … he loves her. She reminds him so of her late mother. Oh how sad. Forgive me father, for I knew not what I did, but now I do. Because of love.
Bonus Answer: He said “I’ve made a huge mistake. I could have been immortal. God is dead.” La Chaise is shaken. He looks into a mirror. “Who am I?” he says sadly. But then his eyes harden. “There must be a way.” He seeks out Dr. Labarthe in his castle. “Thanks for seeing me. I know your identical twin meant a lot to you.” (Ooooooh says the audience, that makes sense). “Is there a way to bring the King back to life?” “Yes, but you won’t like it.” Labarthe says, “You must kill … the King’s half-mermaid granddaughter!!” IMPOSSIBLE, what happened to Yves?! “Yves? He died long ago in a boating accident. Since then Marie-Josephe has lived in Atlantis and, indeed, had a half-human-half-mermaid daughter.” Long story short, Lebarthe and La Chaise bring the half-mermaid to court under the guise of crowning her Queen of France. Boy, is she a fish out of water (literally, there is a lot of work to retrofit Versaille to accommodate her mermaid needs!) But soon enough La Chaise realizes (again) that no, he can’t kill, and indeed, perhaps a mermaid queen is exactly what France needs. “No!” Lebarthe screams, “I will avenge my brother. Remember meeeeeeeee.” But as he lunges at the queen with a knife she slashed him in half with her razor sharp tail. Everyone, relieved, laughs and laughs and laughs, and then lives happily ever after with France becoming a mighty military force under Empress Mermaid I using the riches of Atlantis. The End.
Phew. What a crazy historically accurate story. It’s called The King’s Granddaughter. “Wait … wait, they made what?” Says the review in the New York Times.
Bad Movie Twins 