"The Princess Diaries" was optioned to challenge the belief that children were losing interest in live-action films targeted towards girls, and Marshall was hired specifically to make a G-rated film "edgy and crazy and maybe something the adults will like". The film differs considerably from the novel. Initially intended to be set in New York like Cabot's book, the film was originally called "The Princess of Tribeca". The title was reverted once the setting was changed to San Francisco, California, a decision Marshall made because the latter is home to both himself and his granddaughters, to whom the film is dedicated. Although Mia and Lilly remain environmentally and politically conscious, the filmmakers softened some of the more political aspects of their personalities to prevent the film from resembling "a political diatribe". Some aspects of the script were inspired by Cabot's own childhood, particularly when her mother began dating one of her teachers shortly after her father's death. Despite being consulted about such changes, Cabot preferred to distance herself from the creative process to preserve her own mental health in fear of compromising her vision for future novels, insisting that the book and film exist in separate universes. Cabot maintains that she had little creative input in the film, elaborating, "I don't think Garry Marshall needs 'help' to make a movie… from a novelist who has absolutely no experience in film-making." Although Cabot admitted that Disney consulted with her before making changes, she described their conversations as more informative than collaborative. Cabot acknowledged the challenge of adapting a 300-page novel, which she had written in the form of a diary, into a 90-page screenplay but was ultimately satisfied with the final results and Marshall's direction.