Cinderella ~ Review

Cinderella ~ Review

This is a spoiler filled review. The reason is it’s been out for a while.

The story of Cinderella is an ancient one. Loving parents teach young Ella that courage, kindness and believing lead to good things happening. Tragedy strikes and mother dies. After years of father being lonely yet raising Ella with love and hope he decides he wants to try for personal happiness again and remarries.

The step mother and her daughters are vain and selfish. From the moment they arrive they treat the beautiful estate as if it was a hovel and Ella as if she is a simpleton. Ella responds with kindness and believes they will eventually accept her. They complain about everything. Soon after father goes on a business trip and he dies leaving the beautiful Ella at the whim of her step-mother.

Ella remembers the words of her mother and father and tries to live a life of courage and kindness. She shows joy in the little things and strives only to make others happy. Yet, she is not a doormat. She chooses to do the right thing even if that is not the way it has been done by others. After her father dies things get worse for Ella. Now living in the attic and doing all the work of running the estate for her uncaring step mother and sisters. They start calling her Cinderella because of the ashes on her face from sleeping next to the fire to stay warm.

At one point Ella has had enough of the abuse and starts to run away. She takes her horse and rides off into the forest. While there she sees a beautiful Stag. She hears hunters horns and tells the Stag to run. She takes the horse in the other directions leading the men away from the Stag. On the way the horse spooks and bolts off out of control. As she is trying to regain control a young man rides along beside her and helps her. The two talk and make an emotional connection. She tells him to let the Stag go. Men come and start to talk to the young man. He quickly stops them from saying his name. It turns out he is the prince. The prince is smitten with the mystery country girl he ran into. He is intrigued by the woman who will stand firm and fearless saying, “Just because it is always done that way does not make it right.”

The prince is so intrigued he decides to open the ball to all young ladies. He hopes to see the mystery girl he is so taken by. He tells his father he wants to marry for love not for duty. He does not care of the woman is a peasant or a princess.

Of course Lady Tremaine refuses to allow Cinderella to go to the ball and ruins the dress that belonged to her mother that Ella altered. When they leave Cinderella goes outside to cry. As she is weeping she finds an old beggar woman. The old woman asks for a glass of milk and a little kindness. Cinderella kindly gives her a bowl of milk. With that the old woman becomes a beautiful Fairy Godmother! She is ditsy and silly. She takes a pumpkin and turns it into a coach inside a greenhouse destroying it! She turns mice into horses, a goose into a coachmen and lizards into footmen. She alters Cinderella’s dress into a beautiful gown changing it from pink to blue.

Cinderella goes to the ball and spends the evening with the prince. She leaves at the last stroke of midnight and escapes with her coach returning to a pumpkin and smashing on the road on the way home. The prince decides he must marry this young lady who he feels will help strengthen the land with her positive attitude and strength. The search is on!

The king, realizing for the first time he wants his son happy no matter what tells the grand duke to find the young mystery lady. Lady Tremaine finds where Cinderella has hidden not only her one remaining glass slipper but a journal telling about her evening with the prince. Lady Tremaine tells the grand duke about Cinderella and says she is evil charlatan. The two agree to mislead the prince in an attempt to force him to marry a princess. The Grand Duke agrees to reward Lady Tremaine.

During the search the King dies leaving the prince grieving and even more determined to find his mystery girl. Word gets back to the new young king that his Grand Duke is not being diligent in his search. He hides in the soldier accompanying the duke. He is there when the beautiful Ella escapes and asks to have the shoe tested on her foot. His disloyalty is seen by the young king and Ella is found.

As the young king is escorting Ella out of the house Lady Tremaine collapses on the stairs leading up to Ella’s attic room. Ella turns around as she leaves the house and says, “I forgive you.” She never looks back after that. Lady Tremaine and her daughters leave the country never to be seen again.

The king and Ella marry and live happily ever after.