When most people think of the movie, “Cinderella”, they think of theanimated Disney version with the little mice and the happy ending whereCinderella marries the prince and they live happily ever after. While the movie”Ever After” is based on “Cinderella”, it is not animated, but still hasmany of the same characteristics as the Disney version.
Of course it is notexactly the same, and since it is not animated there are many differences. In”Ever After”, Drew Barrymore portrays the character Cinderella, who in thebeginning of this movie is called Danielle. In the very beginning, it shows howDanielle’s father died and how she went off to live with her wicked stepmotherand stepsisters. In “Cinderella”, both of the stepsisters are wicked, but in”Ever After”, her sister Jacqueline is not so wicked and usually sides withDanielle. In “Ever After”, Jacqueline is the not so pretty and quiet sisterand Marguerite is the loud obnoxious pretty one.
One similarity is that in bothmovies, Cinderella and Danielle are servants to their stepmother andstepsisters. They are also not allowed to eat with them, only serve them. In”Ever After”, Danielle’s only friends are the other servants of the house,this is similar to how Cinderella is friends with the mice that live in herhouse. In both cases their friends are always protective and willing to help.
In”Cinderella”, Cinderella doesn’t meet the prince before the ball, shedoesn’t even really expect to be going to the ball. In “Ever After”,Danielle meets the prince in a confrontation where the prince was actuallystealing one of their horses. Danielle starts pegging him with apples, but justas she realizes that he is the prince, she kneels down before him. Sheapologizes, but the prince is lenient and says he will not punish her.
He alsogives her money to keep quiet about the whole situation. In “Ever After”,Danielle repeatedly bumps into the prince. Whenever she does meet up with him,she makes sure she is dressed like a courtier, so he doesn’t think that she isa servant. They start to fall for each other and they spend more and more timetogether. In “Cinderella”, the stepmother tries to make sure that one of herdaughters is chosen for a wife by the prince at the ball.
At first she tellsCinderella that she can go also even though it’s obvious that she doesn’twant her to go, the same is true in both movies. In “Ever After”, thestepmother feels that her daughter Marguerite is prettier and more worthy of thecrown, so she puts more effort into trying to get the prince to chose her. Before the ball, Marguerite kisses up to the royal family to reassure that shegets chosen. In “Cinderella”, the ball is held so the prince can get to knowthe young women of the town, and to see if he will be able to find a suitablewife.
In “Ever After”, Danielle’s stepmother tells the queen that Daniellehas left and she will be getting married to a Swedish man, when really she waslocked up for fighting with Marguerite. Henry, the prince gave up on Danielleand his only other choice was Marguerite. The ball is actually held to announcethat the prince will be marrying Marguerite. Just as everyone leaves the housefor the ball, the servants rush to help Danielle out of the locked room.
“Cinderella” is similar where the mice work frantically to help Cinderella. The mice help make the dress for her so she has something to wear to the ball. In “Ever After”, Danielle has her real mother’s wedding dress and shoesthat she planned on wearing to the ball. Meanwhile, at the ball, the royalfamily is just about to announce their sons engagement to Marguerite whenDanielle walks in. Henry, the prince, sees Danielle from across the room. Hetells his father to stop everything.
His plans have changed and he announcesthat he will marry Danielle. Just as he does this, her wicked stepmotherinterrupts and explains that Danielle is only one of her servants. The princedecides that he will not marry a servant. At the end of the ball it is stillundecided for whom the prince will marry. In “Cinderella”, Cinderellaarrives at the ball, and immediately is spotted by the prince.
They dancethroughout the night and get to know one another. The prince decides thatCinderella is his match. When the clock strikes twelve o’clock, Cinderellarushes out to get home before her beautiful dress and coach turn back into ragsand a pumpkin. In both movies a shoe is left behind and is given back to theprince. In “Cinderella”, the prince has his men go all throughout the townlooking for the young woman whose foot fits the glass slipper. He has no ideawhat her name is or where she has come from.
The men finally discover thatCinderella is the maiden whose foot fits. The prince declared that whomever itfits will become his wife. In “Ever After”, the prince decides that he hasmade a big mistake in changing his mind against Danielle. He takes the slipperand goes out on a mission to find her. Danielle’s stepmother had sold Danielleto one of the dirty old men of the town to be his servant. Danielle fights forher freedom and just as she is about to slit the man with a sword, he decideshe’d rather let her go than die.
Henry eventually finds Danielle andapologizes to her. After they clear up the whole situation, Henry tells Daniellethat he wants to have her for his wife. She accepts his apology and they decideto get married. At the end of “Cinderella”, the prince and Cinderella livehappily ever after. In the end of “Ever After”, the wicked stepmother iscalled to the palace.
She doesn’t know that Danielle and the prince aremarried. The king and queen question the stepmother of lying to the queen. Theytell her that if she doesn’t tell the truth, she will be killed. She confessesthat she lied to the queen about Danielle.
Just then Danielle comes in dressedas the princess she has become, and her stepmother kneels before her. The onlypunishment that she gives her is the punishment that she had to go throughherself as a servant. The stepmother and Marguerite are brought down to thewashroom and they are put to work. Jacqueline the other sister is not punishedbecause her innocence had been noted.
Of course “Ever After” is a little bitmore realistic because it is more like real life. “Cinderella” is animatedand there is a lot more make believe, such as talking mice. “Cinderella” isalso probably aimed at more of a younger audience and “Ever After” canappeal to a little bit older crowd. “Cinderella” is one of my all timefavorite movies, and know that I’ve seen “Ever After”, it ranks right upthere with “Cinderella”.
