Chasing Liberty is a romantic comedy set largely in Europe, starring Mandy Moore and Matthew Goode. Directed by Andy Cadith and written by Derek Guiley and David Schneiderman, it came out in 2004. Moore plays Anna Foster, the first daughter (not to be confused with Katie Holmes’ First Daughter) of the United States of America. Her dad is President James Foster, played by Mark Harmon in his best aw-shucks with a slice of righteous dad anger, effort.
Anna, or Liberty, as the Secret Service calls her, wants a little freedom. She’s used to the political life and fame, but it has had consequences for her love life that, as she gets older, are becoming quite unbearable. We’re pretty hilariously introduced into her world and the world of a story with the security at the White House frisking a potential date to the tunes of Tom Petty. Anna negotiates with her father to get some freedom, or so she thinks. According to the terms of the deal, she’ll only have two chaperones (played by Jeremy Piven and Annabella Sciorra) on a trip to Europe as she enjoys life with her friend Gabrielle (Beatrice Rosen).
But Anna soon discovers that her dad lied, and there are way more agents swarming her than she bargained for. She makes a break for it from her watchers in a dramatic coat switcheroo scene, out the back door of a The Roots concert and into the arms of suave and cool Vespa rider Ben Calder (Goode). It’s a real moment of rebelliousness and spontaneity for her, whose life has been super planned up to this point. She’s been the good girl, and that’s poignantly reflected in her wardrobe, that’s more Jackie O than Seventeen magazine.
Anna begs Calder to be her getaway driver, and he does. The two go on an adventure throughout Prague, Venice, and other European countrysides and fall in love, all while avoiding Agents Weiss (Piven) and Morales (Sciorra). But there’s a twist: Ben has a secret. He’s a Secret Service agent who is undercover and working to protect her. He’s been in contact with her chaperones and her father, the President, the whole time. Of course, Anna doesn’t discover Ben’s duplicity until after they’ve already fallen in love. That makes it sting so much more. But in the end, it all works out, and we have a satisfying happily ever after, or happy for now, depending on how you view it.
Goode and Moore have a lot of chemistry in this film. Their on-screen attraction culminates with a kiss and a fade to black, but there’s this push and pull between them in the lead-up to that moment that’s so satisfying. Goode plays up the grumpy hero factor, and it makes him so much more endearing. It’s similar to what he would bring to the role of Declan in Leap Year with Amy Adams, but the chemistry between the stars in that film was off, so it wasn’t as satisfying to watch as Chasing Liberty is. And there’s a real freshness to Moore’s performance that is totally in line with the character and so much fun to watch. It’s reminiscent of what she’d bring to the voice role of Rapunzel in the animated Tangled years later. There’s an openness to the possibilities of the world. And on a side note, I’m convinced that the casting people behind This is Us saw the interplay between Goode and Moore in this film and used it as inspiration for their casting of Milo Ventimiglia.
Though this movie’s heart is in the two leads, there’s a lot of talent filling out the rest of the film. Mark Harmon isn’t a stranger to playing political or military roles. He was a Secret Service Agent/ love interest for CJ on The West Wing and, of course, the lead in NCIS, but he plays POTUS here. He’s just massively likable in this dad role, as he is in every role. Jeremy Piven plays half of a Secret Service chasing duo and is funny, too, in his role.
The script is smart, and the movie is well paced. And there are no moments in Chasing Liberty that drag. Every moment on screen, from the Prague Opera to the Berlin Love Festival, feels essential to the story. The film takes things to the next level by largely being set in Europe, particularly in Venice. You don’t watch a film like this for the cinematography, but the locations are so pretty it’s hard not to capture some of the magic with a lens. And on a somewhat cheeky note, it is easier to believe that a couple is falling in love when there’s a gondola involved. In Chasing Liberty’s case, there’s a delightful segway with a rookie gondola driver and his mom that ends up leading to a misunderstanding where Goode and Moore are believed to be newlyweds. It’s a fake relationship with only one bed at the inn twist. Trope lovers will be happy.
If you’re nostalgic for films like She’s the Man or Crossroads, Chasing Liberty will scratch that itch. It’s worth watching for the chemistry between Mandy Moore and Matthew Goode if the premise is a little silly. It may even have you craving a Toblerone or at least some free hugs and stickers.
Chasing Liberty is now available to purchase or stream through your favorite retailer.
Learn more about the film at the IMDB site for the title.
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