The Wrong Paris Parent Guide

Aspiring artist Dawn (Miranda Cosgrove) receives life-changing news when she’s accepted to a two-year program at a Parisian art school. This should be great news, but thanks to family medical bills, she won’t have enough money to pay for the entire course of study. Trying to find a solution to her money troubles, Dawn learns that a reality dating show is holding auditions nearby. Although she’s not looking for love, the would-be student decides to audition knowing that being chosen for the show would give her an appearance fee and a free flight to Paris. All she needs to do is arrive in France and get eliminated by the leading man before the finale.

After landing the part, Dawn’s plan takes a turn when the contestants discover that they are going to Paris, Texas, not Paris, France, to win the love of Trey (Pierson Fode), a hunky ranch owner. Desperate to get eliminated as quickly as possible, Dawn does everything she can to get kicked off the show, but as she becomes acquainted with Trey, she starts to wonder if that’s what she really wants.

One of the factors behind a good movie is knowing what it wants to be and following through. In this case, The Wrong Paris is wise enough to embrace its cheesy goofiness. This production is earnest but self-aware, which is a rarer combination than you’d think. No, it doesn’t have anything profound to say, nor is it breaking any new ground technically, but it is a fun girls’ night watch, featuring a good mix of humor, silliness, and rippling abs.

Miranda Cosgrove isn’t a great actress, but she manages fantastic chemistry with Pierson Fode (and his six-pack). The real stars of this flick, however, are the other contestants. Their heightened antics and personalities are fun to watch, and they really commit to their respective dating show contestant stereotypes. The story itself is simple, and you know exactly where it’s going, but it’s still enjoyable to watch and shockingly for a rom-com, doesn’t feature toxic relationship dynamics. The conflict between Dawn and Trey is reasonable, and their resolution is healthy. I shouldn’t have to mention that, but unfortunately, I do.

The main content concern of note is the level of swearing, which is disappointing in an otherwise tame film. There are no F-bombs, but the script serves up approximately four dozen mild and moderate expletives, along with social drinking and some sexual innuendo. For adult rom-com fans who don’t want explicit sex, The Wrong Paris could be a good option for a light but enjoyable romp.

About author

Savannah Sillito

Savannah Sillito is a librarian with a master's in library science, a bachelor's degree in English, and a certificate in early childhood education. She enjoys nonfiction books, travel, and is a staunch proponent of the Oxford comma.