Wild Child (film)

Wild Child is a 2008 American/British/French teen romantic dramedy film starring Emma Roberts, Alex Pettyfer and Natasha Richardson. Roberts plays Poppy Moore, a spoiled California brat who is sent to a boarding school in England as punishment for her bad behavior. Hilarity Ensues.

Sadly, most notable as Natasha Richardson's final screen appearance before her untimely passing the following year.

---

Tropes used in Wild Child (film) include:

• Absurdly Powerful Student Council: Which is run by Harriet, who isn't exactly suited for the role.
• Alpha Bitch: Harriet, and Poppy's friend Ruby, although she's a little less obvious.
• Backstabbing the Alpha Bitch: Harriet's minions decide not to tell her crucial information about how close Poppy is getting to Freddy because she'll shoot the messenger.
• Boarding School
• Bratty Teenage Daughter: Poppy.
• Cloudcuckoolander: Drippy.
• Deadpan Snarker: A lot of the girls, especially Kate.
• Expository Hairstyle Change: Poppy gets one about halfway through the film, switching from blonde to brown as she becomes less of a shallow jerkass. Interestingly, Harriet dyes her hair from blonde to brown as well, but she changes hers back after the school dance. (She was dressed as Keira Knightley at the time.)
• Fashion Shop Fashion Show: Well, it's in a charity shop so not exactly, but the girls do get a clothes montage at one point.
• Freudian Excuse: Poppy, even though her younger sister has experienced the loss of her mother as well and doesn't act like a brat.
  • However, it's possible she was too young to remember the incident. Poppy states she herself was eleven when it happened.
• Ineffectual Sympathetic Villain: Harriet. At least until she set the school on fire and tried to blame it on Poppy!
• Make Way for the Princess: Averted; Poppy seems to expect this at first, only for Harriet to coldly inform her that Americans rank somewhere below vermin in the school pecking order.
• National Stereotype: The girls assume Poppy is sexuall experienced because she is from California.
• No Export for You: Unlike many US/UK films produced by Working Title, this went Direct to DVD in the US.
• Promotion to Parent: Implied in the beginning that Poppy is to her little sister.
• Reasonable Authority Figure: Mrs. Kingsley.
• Running Gag: Poppy constantly using hand-sanitiser on everything. She stops once she goes through her Character Development.
• Single Girl Seeks Most Popular Guy: Somewhat of an aversion; Poppy is only after Freddy at first because he's Mrs. Kingsley's son, but later on she genuinely falls for him.
• Serious Business: Lacrosse.
• Strong Family Resemblance: Poppy remarks she looks like her mother after she gets her hair dyed brunette.
• Teacher's Pet: Harriet tries to be this to Mrs. Kingsley, but her attempts are fairly transparent.
• Wham! Line: "Harriet...what lighter?"