Does Ever After: A Cinderella Story hold up?

Let’s find out:

So we start off with the Grand Dame (Jeanne Moreau) having an audience with the Brothers Grimm (Joerg Stadler and Andy Henderson) because she wants to tell them the real story of Cinderella.

 We then meet Danielle de Barbarac (Anna Maguire). Danielle’s father (Auguste de Barbarac (Jeroen Krabbé)) has married Baroness Rodmilla de Ghent (a fantastic Anjelica Huston). The marriage has given Danielle two stepsisters: Marguerite and Jacqueline. Auguste dies, and…

Anna Maguire is really, really good during this scene. The girl is like the female version of Jonathan Taylor Thomas when it comes to reacting to fictional parent deaths. 

Years pass. Danielle is now played by a fantastic Drew Barrymore. Marguerite is now played by Megan Dodds and Jacqueline is now played by Melanie Lynskey. Danielle meets Prince Henry (a fantastic Dougray Scott), who is dissatisfied with his life. We then meet this movie’s version of Leonardo da Vinci. (Patrick Godfrey). 

Danielle pretends to be a noblewoman so that she can get a servant back. Danielle manages to wow Henry and Henry arranges for the servant’s release. Henry asks Danielle for her name and she gives him the name of her mother (Countess Nicole de Lancret).

King Francis (Timothy West) gives Henry an ultimatum: he (Henry) will find someone to get engaged to by the time of the masquerade ball or he will settle down with the Princess of Spain. Rodmilla starts Operation Get Henry to Marry Marguerite. Henry spends some quality time with Danielle and they wind up charming some gypsies (cue Fleetwood Mac).

Marguerite plans to wear a gown of Danielle’s mom’s to the masquerade ball. Danielle finds out about this, she gets mad, Marguerite is cruel about Danielle’s mom’s death, Marguerite grabs Danielle’s dad’s copy of Utopia and she burns the book. Rodmilla whips Danielle for her actions; however, Jacqueline is kind to the girl. Jacqueline cares for Danielle’s wounds, and…

I always appreciated that they made one of the stepsisters nice in this. I thought that it was a refreshing change of pace.

Rodmilla figures out the truth about Danielle. She also figures out that Superman is Clark Kent. Rodmilla brings forth the third-act rom-com misunderstanding, she lies and she tells Queen Marie (Judy Parfitt) that Danielle/Nicole is engaged.

Danielle and Henry grow even closer. Rodmilla blames Danielle for her now-missing dress and she holds the girl captive; however, Leonardo da Vinci is able to rescue Danielle, she gets to wear the dress to the ball, and…

Sidebar: Danielle’s dress is gorgeous.

Danielle tries to talk to Henry; but, Rodmilla beats her to the chase. We get another third-act rom-com misunderstanding as Henry expresses his rage at Danielle. Danielle flees and Leonardo da Vinci chews out Henry. 

Henry almost marries the Spanish princess; but, he comes to his senses. Rodmilla sells Danielle to the creepy Pierre Le Pieu (Richard O’Brien). Henry goes to rescue her; however, in a modern and progressive twist, Danielle is able to save herself from that riff raff. Henry and Danielle reconcile and they get engaged.

Rodmilla and Marguerite are tricked into coming to the castle under the pretense of Marguerite getting to marry Henry. Danielle treats Rodmilla and Marguerite the same way that they treated her. 

We finish with more narration from the Grand Dame.

Ever After still holds up. Drew Barrymore is fantastic, Anjelica Huston is fantastic, Dougray Scott is great and the rest of the supporting cast is also great. We get development on the Cinderella-prince romance, we get development on the evil stepmother figure, one of the stepsisters is developed, we get an active and intelligent Cinderella, Cinderella can save herself, the writing is great and the score is great. Ever After is still my favorite Cinderella adaptation.

Charity Spotlight: 350.org

350.org Website:

https://350.org/?r=US&c=NA

My Ko-Fi:

ko-fi.com/snarkymovierobot